Noisy Air Vent in Bedroom? Guide to Soundproofing Air Vents
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An above-door vent is a nice way to increase air-flow inside of your home, which helps to keep the temps down and save on energy bills.
This is a reason that many homes may have these vents as part of their interior design.
While this seems nice for some, there is a big issue with above-door vents: just as much as they help to disperse temperatures, they also let in a bunch of noise from either side of the door.
To many, the amount of noise that you get from these vents outweighs any benefits that you can possibly get from them, and the need to soundproof above-door vents becomes a necessity.
Seeing that you are reading this article, it is safe to assume that you want to soundproof as noisy above-door vent of your own.
If that is the case, then these methods will help you to block out the noise from the vent and live in peace!
Is there Even a reason for an above-door vent?
As stated previously, an above-door vent helps to increase air-flow when an air conditioner or furnace is running.
This helps to ensure that the temperature throughout the home is maintained and that no one room - especially the baby's room - becomes hotter or colder than another and keeps your home comfortable.
With that said, these vents don't do much in homes with central air, where each room usually gets the same amount of heating or cooling.
While some rooms may get too hot or cold without the vent, the effects are usually minimal at best in homes with central air, making the vents pretty much obsolete.
Does This Mean You Will Be Blocking the Airflow?
Even though it’s impossible to place any type of material on the air vent and expect the airflow to be the same, you won’t cut off the airflow completely.
What we will be doing is trying to find a golden middle where you will still get a decent airflow while blocking almost all the sound coming from the vent.
Of course, you have to keep in mind that the more space you leave – the more noise will still be coming from the air vent.
In some rooms, you might even be able to entirely close the vent.
Therefore, it’s up to you to decide a perfect ratio of airflow and soundproofing you require.
However, the good news is you can always adjust it later on.
Guide to Soundproofing Air Vents
Method 1: Home Renovation
Do you have a ton of money at your disposal?
Do you feel like getting your hands dirty?
How about knocking down portions of your home?
If you answered yes to any of the above, then completely removing above-door vents from your home may be the solution to your noise problems.
By removing these vents and replacing the drywall above your door, you can almost completely guarantee that you can remove any and all noise issues that the vent previously presented.
The problem with this method is that it is difficult and costly.
You will need to spend money on different tools, drywall, and other accessories, and will have to put in a good bit of back-breaking labor.
With that in mind, this may be the best solution, but not the easiest or most convenient solution to your sound-proofing problem.
Method 2: Block the Vent
By far the easiest method for soundproofing your above-door vent is to block off the vent in some way.
This will help to insulate your vent to keep sound out and is a process that takes no more than about 10 minutes of your time.
To do this, you will want some sort of sealant to put inside your vent.
While there are plenty of sealants you can use, we highly suggest GREAT STUFF gap filler, which will is both effective in blocking out noise inside of your vent and affordable at just over $10 dollars.
To block your vent, you will first have to remove the vent covers on both sides of the vent.
Next, use your sealant of choice and coat the inside of your vent, being sure to leave no gaps that sound can escape through.
Finally, simply replace the vent covers and you are done.
However, another pretty popular option is using drywall to block off the air vent.
You can consider this to be more of a permanent than the temporary way which comes with one big benefit.
The benefit is the ability to shape and sand the drywall (and even color it) to match it to the wall color and finish.
Lastly – it’s very easy and affordable!
Method 3: Sound Maze
As we said, completely blocking the vent is possibly the easiest method in which to soundproof an above-door vent, but it also compromises the air-flow capability of the vent.
To prevent this and still soundproof your vent, we suggest creating a “sound maze”.
This method uses layers of insulation that leaves openings on the ends in order to allow air to still flow through the vent.
When using the right material to insulate the vent you will still be able to deaden the sound coming through the vent while still maintaining a steady air-flow.
What You Need:
How to Create the Sound Maze
First, make sure to cut your wood in four pieces that measure a few inches shorter than the inside of your vent.
This will help to make sure that there is both enough space to fit the wood inside of your vent and to allow air to flow through.
Second, take the cotton or foam material that you are using and wrap the wood planks in the material, affixing them to the wood with glue if needed.
Next, put some wood glue on the end of the wood plank and place the first one inside the vent, attaching it to the wall of the vent with the glue.
Keep doing this with the other three pieces of wood, making sure to glue them about half an inch apart from each other and with openings on opposite ends that creates a zig-zag like pattern, as seen in the image above.
Finally, replace the vent covers on the vents and enjoy the rewards of your labor!
With the options detailed above, it should be no problem at all to block the noise out of your above-door vent.
With a little time and elbow grease you will be sitting inside of your soon to be much quieter home in no time!
Do Soundproofing Curtains or Blankets Work?
Air vent is probably not the only thing you’ve been soundproofing around your house.
And if you have any extra soundproofing curtains or blankets – the good news is you can still be able to use them for your air vent.
In fact, they’re a great temporary solution which doesn’t require a lot of installation.
It’s a preferred method by people who rent rather than own homes since not all landlords are allowing a lot of wall installation or air vent customization.
There are plenty of quality soundproofing curtains and blankets available, and if you’ve used them before – you already know that the installation is fairly simple.
The good thing is you don’t need a lot of material since most air vents are pretty compact.
Therefore, any leftovers you have from your last home soundproofing attempt is most likely going to be enough.
However, keep in mind that you would still need to cover the vent and let the curtain go all the way down the wall for the best efficiency.
And if you decide to give this method a try (if the first 3 methods aren’t an ideal fit for your needs), we highly recommend installing curtains or blankets by nailing them to the wall or ceiling at the top, near the air vent.
You need to just a tiny bit of space above the air vent for this to work – but keep in mind that you can always attach it to the ceiling and let the soundproofing material drop.
The installation shouldn’t take you longer than 20-30 minutes, but it’s definitely worth a try.
Due to the thickness of the curtains and blankets, they’re specialized to do exactly what you’re trying to do here – eliminate the noise coming from the vent.
What method did you decide to go for?
Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below, but we’d also like to hear back on your progress – so don’t hesitate to leave a comment!
How to Soundproof an Air Vent
Do you have a noisy air vent in the bedroom? Here's your guide to soundproofing air vents so you can have a peaceful time for resting.
Instructions
- Method 1: Home Renovation
- Method 2: Block the Vent
- Method 3: Sound Maze