Egg Cartons for Soundproofing: Can You Soundproof a Room with That?
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You are probably wondering what is the cheapest method for soundproofing your walls and related to that, do egg cartons for soundproofing even work?
In fact, you might have seen some of the oldest photos of your favourite band in the garage they started out.
And even today, not everyone relies on acoustic wall panels.
Well, there are a lot of reasons to believe that egg crates can do the job.
Simply speaking, they are round and on the first sight, we might think that it can actually absorb some noise as it doesn’t bounce back from the solid, flat surface.
This is a myth and people are still testing it and believing in it. Egg crates can’t be used for soundproofing.
But, they might be used for some other purpose, or to reduce some other type of the noise.
Soundproofing your room or a studio and installing material that absorbs the noise from the inside the room are two different things which require two different approaches.
In this article, I will be explaining why egg crates can’t be used in soundproofing and offer you some other alternatives when it comes to soundproofing
Even though they aren’t the inexpensive acoustic panels everyone has been looking for – let me show you how to stick egg cartons on wall and make the most out of it!
Why is soundproofing with egg crates a myth?
Nowadays, we can see a lot of people confusing this method to some of the soundproofing methods.
Well, even though it’s similar to soundproofing, egg crates can’t be used for this purpose.
For what they can be used is in reducing echo. But, would you really put them up against your walls just to reduce echo?
Even though it’s still considered to be a cheap soundproof technique, I mean, you can do it even with some easier methods, like bookshelves, furniture etc.
Egg cartons can reduce some noise that is being created in that room, but reducing the outdoor noise with these little things can be a waste of time and energy.
This method can’t do much against impact noise.
Low-frequency noise is hard to reduce even with real soundproofing materials, such as with the Rhino acoustic absorption panels.
Therefore, egg crates can’t probably do much against those frequencies, hence, the noise will pass through the walls like they aren’t there at all.
Of course, if your purpose is only to reduce echo, then you can go with egg crates, but anything apart from that won’t reduce the noise.
Therefore, if you are building your own home studio, you may use these egg cartons as a supplement to some real soundproofing method such as acoustic panels, soundproofing blankets, curtains, weatherstrips, etc.
Also, egg crates can be used simultaneously with some other alternative methods to significantly decrease the overall noise.
For example, as these egg crates are good from preventing echos, once you decide to soundproof a room with some method that isn’t good echo insulator, you can combine it with egg cartons and get the best out of these two.
What is the most similar to egg cartons that actually soundproofs?
The reason why people think egg cartons are great soundproofing materials might be actually hiding in these soundproof acoustic panels.
As you can see, these acoustic panels have the identical look to egg crates.
That similar surface position is there for a good reason - it prevents an echo.
Furthermore, acoustic panels are custom-made for soundproofing - they are made of specific soundproofing material - so they will actually help to soundproof.
So, unlike egg crates, there is one big difference - they are made of soundproofing material.
Hopefully, by now, you fully understand why a carton wall won’t be of any good.
That way, not only that acoustic foam panels will prevent the noise from outside but because of this egg shape also prevent the unwanted echo.
As we mentioned, these panels might be behind the myth for egg cartons.
People always seek for a cheaper alternative, so they probably wanted to find one for these acoustic panels as well, and went with egg cartons.
That’s understandable – but unfortunately, once people don’t get the wanted results, they give up. Instead of giving up, you should do a bit of research and take things further.
Here is an idea, but it requires a bit more effort:
You can use egg crates in between your wall construction.
Rather than leaving your walls hollow like resonating boxes, you can put these egg crates inside and fill your walls just a bit.
That will surely help in soundproofing
Alternative Cheap Methods to Egg Cartons for Soundproofing
1. Use soundproof curtains
One of the simplest and cheapest methods that can be an alternative to egg crates are soundproof curtains.
Wait, curtains? Does it sound like a myth? Well, actually this one isn’t a myth.
This is one of the most popular methods for soundproofing your windows.
Since they are made of special, thick soundproofing material, they are great insulators of the sound in both ways- outgoing and ingoing.
When searching for the best soundproofing curtain, try to find those with eyelets as they are much easier to install.
Also, you can match them with your room’s design.
2. Place some soundproof blankets
Secondly, you can go with soundproofing blankets.
These are great against outdoor noise as well as the ones that you wish to prevent from going outside your room.
They are thick and massive, so you would probably need a hand of a friend to hang these on your walls (or doors, as they can be used for this purpose as well).
This method should be used only if the noise is not that loud.
Moreover, soundproofing blankets or some may call them moving blankets can easily get dirty, so you will need to wash them from time to time.
This isn’t some bigger problem, as they are easily removable.
Soundproof blankets are used more as an absorbing method rather than reflecting/ soundproofing method, but they do the job just fine anyway.
Even though they’re not quite a DIY noise cancelling technique, they are far more superior solution – even though they require a bit of an investment.
They might violate your overall design of the room, but not necessarily.
You can decorate them or even get the ones that are already decorated with flowers, in different colors, etc.
3. Install weatherstrip on your doors
What can be helpful in several different ways is a weatherstrip.
A weatherstrip is a handy tool that you put beneath your doors to seal the space between the doors and the floor.
This will help you on several different levels.
First of all, it will help with the noise coming underneath your doors.
Secondly, it will block all the insects from invading your room.
As you probably know already, doors and windows are the most critical part of your home when it comes to thermal leaking.
Therefore, the thermal leak will be reduced radically. I have noticed a few degrees difference with/without the weatherstrip.
If the doors that you wish to weatherstrip are the front doors, then this handy tool can help you with rain/water getting into your house as well.
Long story short, this is one handy and cheap product that you should definitely combine with other soundproofing methods.
4. Anti-vibration pads
Anti-vibration pads are somewhat similar to acoustic foam panels.
They are thick and made from almost the same material. There is just one difference- these are made for preventing the vibration.
It has “wrinkles” all over the pad from both of the sides, positioned at 90-degree angle.
Once put on your wall, they will prevent both, outgoing and incoming noise.
Namely, all the low-frequency noise after putting these on your walls will disappear.
No more bass from the music coming outside of your home or from your teenage kid’s room.
They’re also known as inexpensive type acoustic panels which are ideal for this purpose, in case acoustic foam panels are a bit out of your budget for now.
This way, you will prevent your neighbors coming to your doors, as well as you going to theirs.
5. Investigate for the holes and seal them
If everything mentioned from above fails to soundproof your room, check for the source of the noise.
Search for the holes, as they might be the main source of the noise without you even noticing it.
Even the smallest ones, those from the cables that go through your room walls can make a difference.
For this cause, I can recommend green glue.
It will completely seal the holes and prevent the unwanted noise since it’s mainly made of soundproofing material.
Learn more why Green Glue is so useful here.
However, take all the precautionary measures with this one, as it’s really sticky. You don’t want this thing on your fingers.
6. Listen to white noise machines rather than the noise
As the final solution (temporary) you can go with white noise machines. These devices work on some strange subconscious level.
They produce the frequency of the sound that your brain has learned to ignore.
Simultaneously, that sound will make you ignore the noise and help you concentrate on the work, or to sleep.
The white noise machines are cheap and, as we said, shouldn’t be some permanent solution to your problem.
Also, you can combine them with egg crates to maximize the effect.
Even better, use them with some real, soundproofing method rather than egg crates method.
On Using Egg Cartons for Soundproofing
As we can see from what I previously stated about egg crates, they are more myth than true soundproofing material.
Namely, they are good echo preventing materials, but only that.
Hopefully, you came across this post before you turned your room walls into one big egg crate wall.
They have no power over soundproofing the room as some of the real, custom-made soundproofing products such as curtains, blankets, panels, or weatherstrips.
Therefore, I suggested some alternative methods that are the most common in soundproofing world, as well as the most effective ones.
Of course, you can always improvise with egg cartons, combine them with other soundproofing methods, but I’m afraid that you won’t accomplish the results that you are expecting to get.
Finally, I hope that this article mythbusted the common conviction of using egg cartons for soundproofing.