According to the report of the National Institute of Health, noise is the second most common environmental pollutant that affects human health. It can disturb sleep, cause heart problems, and even lead to hearing loss.
That is why, if you are living in an apartment, and your furnace closet is located near your bedroom or any other room where you spend most of your time, you need to soundproof it as soon as possible.
But how you can do that? That’s why you need to read this article. Because in this article I have covered 7 simple ways to soundproof furnace closet. Also, a step-by-step process to do this correctly.
This is going to be very interesting so don’t skip any point.
Let’s Get Started!
Table of Contents
Is It Going To Be Expensive?
Many people ask this question, so indeed you have to invest money in soundproofing, but it’s not extremely expensive.
We shared some budget-friendly ways, and even the materials we shared are pretty cost-effective, easy to install, and give you the best results.
In total, you don’t have to invest a lot of money, but you get the best results.
Estimated Cost Range for Soundproofing a Furnace Closet:
Soundproofing Element | Estimated Cost Range |
---|---|
Acoustic Materials | $200 – $500 |
Door Upgrade | $300 – $800 |
HVAC Silencers | $500 – $1,500 |
Vibration Isolators | $200 – $600 |
Professional Installation | $500 – $1,000 |
Total | $1,700 – $4,400 |
7 Ways To Soundproof Furnace Closet: Which One Is Great!!?
Let us start with the seven easiest ways that anyone can try to soundproof a furnace closet.
1. Add Mass Near The Machine
It’s the basic fundamental of soundproofing. The more mass you add, the more noise it will absorb and help you get a soundproof furnace closet. Now adding plywood, sheets, or any mass won’t work.
You need a material that absorbs sound. Some budget-friendly options include heavy carpets, clothes, and more. However, I will suggest you invest in acoustic panels or soundproofing blocks.
An acoustic panel is made of foam in multiple shapes and sizes. It’s easy to install, and you have to place the sheets correctly. Stick them using a good-quality adhesive or place them in those tight places. It works the best.
Soundproofing blocks are also a similar material specifically designed to absorb noises and give you the best experience. You can even place sound blocks on the floor.
- These materials are budget-friendly.
- They give you the best experience and are easy to install.
- You can find them in the local store or order online.
However, using this single method doesn’t guarantee the best experience. Even acoustic panels are not sure and allow a subsequent noise to pass. You have to take another measure on this list as well.
2. Use Drywall To Cover Walls
Drywall is an excellent material that works best for soundproofing. Even professionals recommend using them, but it can be an expensive solution.
A drywall is used to construct ceilings or walls. It acts as an extra layer between your machine and the closet walls, which helps absorb noises and gives you the best experience that other materials cannot.
You need to purchase drywall sheets from the market, cut them according to your needs, and fix them on the walls near the closet.
You can either make a wooden frame to fix the drywall (using nails) or directly stick it using an adhesive. It works in both cases.
- It is the best option to completely soundproof the closet.
- Little expensive, but it’s worth investing the money.
- You can DIY it. No professional help is required.
There are some issues with the drywall usage like you have to take the furnace out, it needs time and a lot of effort, and you have to invest in hardware, like the wooden frame, adhesives, and nails.
3. Soundproof The Floor
Making the floor thick helps a lot in soundproofing, but it will also help you reduce the vibrations.
A thick floor is extremely important as soundproofing the walls will help reduce noise. but I’m sure the vibrations and the grumbling sound are annoying.
Making the floor thick is not expensive at all. You have to use as many carpets as you can. Make them properly fixed on the floor to absorb most vibrations, and it will give you a soundproof environment.
Even the carpets will block the bottom of the door, which usually allows a lot of noise. Make sure you get the thickest carpets of all.
If you can invest a little more, we suggest buying anti-vibration pads. You might have seen these pads for washing machines, which help reduce vibrations. You can use big anti-vibration pads for your machine for the best experience.
- Covering the floor will get half of the work done.
- The carpets of anti-vibration pads help reduce noise and vibrations.
- These items don’t cost you much but drive the best results.
If you have decided to install the anti-vibration pads, it will increase your work as you have to take the machine out and then install the pads. You will need external help.
4. Use Vibration Mounts
Like the anti-vibration pads, a vibration mount helps in reducing the vibrations, but they are used for walls and not the floor.
These are special metal objects covered with rubber with a spring attached. You can easily fix them on your wall touching the machine.
These mounts will absorb all vibrations, giving you the best vibration-proof environment and saving you from the grumbling noise.
The greater the number of mounts you use, the better your experience. They are not expensive and super easy to install. You need to fix them on the wall using iron nails and touch the machine to solve the purpose.
- Vibrations mounts save you from the grumbling noise.
- The equipment helps a lot in soundproofing.
- You can easily purchase them at a local store or order online at a lower price.
Professionals recommend using vibration mounts and says it enhances the overall experience. They got multiple benefits!
5. Make The Door Heavier
A lighter door will surely allow a lot of noise to pass, making all your soundproofing efforts go in vain. With all other methods, you need to make sure that the door is heavier and efficiently blocks noises.
The multiple ways to make the thick door include
- Add an extra sheet of plywood on the back of your door. This will solve the purpose and won’t affect your door’s design or finishing.
- Use acoustic panels to cover the back of your door. They are made up of foam and the best budget-friendly material to block noises.
- Cover the back of your door with thick clothing or foam. It’s the cheapest option but may not provide the best results.
A heavier door is extremely important and acts as a major part of the soundproofing process. Without a heavier door, it’s impossible to get a soundproof furnace closet.
Even it doesn’t require a lot of effort or investment. It would help if you had an adhesive and some nails for hardware, and you can easily DIY the soundproofing of your door.
6. Look For Any Holes
A furnace closet is a room that contains a machine, and builders have to make holes to pass wires.
Sometimes they leave bigger holes that you cannot notice but become the major reason for passing noises out from the room.
You have to check for those holes or any other dents in the room. Fix them using cement, high-quality adhesive, or cloth. Please make sure you tightly pack them to get the best experience.
It may not sound like a huge deal, but it leaves a considerable impact.
- A single hole can ruin all the efforts you put in for soundproofing.
- If you don’t properly pack the hole, it will allow a lot of noise to pass.
- It’s very easy to fill up these holes.
It might be harder to find any holes in those tricky corners, but you have to take some time to look. These small things make a major difference.
7. Fill All Kinds Of Gaps
Here comes our last point to soundproof furnace closet. Filling gaps is like filling holes but different.
You need to check the top and bottom of the door, examine the space between the door flaps, and check the sealing for any cracks.
- The top and bottom of the door are the usual places where carpenters leave spaces for smoothness. You need to make sure it tightly packs when the door is closed. Use carpets for the bottom and extra wood for the top.
- If you have a single door, then great, but if you have two door flaps that close on each other, check if they are tightly closing. If not, then stick rubbers on the corners so that they seal properly.
- Look for cracks in the wall and fix them with some hardened material to enhance the overall experience.
It’s easy, and sealing the room properly will give you the best results. Make sure you thoroughly examine the furnace closet room.
Some Other Ways To Soundproof A Furnace Closet
Before jumping into the soundproofing material, let us check some easy ways. If you can take any of these measures, you don’t even have to invest in soundproofing.
1. Overhauling
Your furnace closet is a heavy machine that includes an engine, belts, a lot of nuts, bolts, and many parts made of iron and steel.
With time these materials get loose and start making noise. If you can do a little oiling, greasing, and tightening of the loose parts, you can control the noise to a significant extent.
Even a little overhauling will give your machine a longer life, and at the same time, it will save you from annoying noises.
Also, soundproofing takes time and a lot of effort. Starting with this simple step may give you many advantages over the other process.
2. Shift It To Another Location
Most people prefer these heavy machines in their backyard where the noises get distributed in the atmosphere, and you barely hear anything.
If you are designing the home yourself, always place an HVAC system in the backyard. However, if you live in an apartment, you have no choice. For that, you can refer to the soundproofing process we discussed in this article.
Even for extreme soundproofing, you need to take the furnace out, and it would be better if you could shift the HVAC setup to your backyard.
3. Hire a mechanic
Suppose your furnace closet is making too much noise, then even the best soundproofing techniques won’t work. For such cases, we would suggest you hire a mechanic for the overall repair of your furnace closet.
He will fix all the loose ends to make your furnace closet make little to no noise at all. Don’t worry if you continue to face issues because we can take other soundproofing measures and make sure that you get a soundproof environment.
We want you to take these few measures before investing your efforts and money in soundproofing. It’s like your half-work is already done.
Step By Step Process To Soundproof The Furnace Closet
Now that you know the material, you can understand the right process to do it quickly. Also, it makes your job easier.
Step 1st: If your machine is making a lot of noise, do some repairs or go for a complete overhaul. Take professional advice if you don’t know how exactly to do it.
This step is extremely important and completes half of the job.
Step 2nd: Take the machine out and, if possible, shift it to the backyard. If not, then start with soundproofing.
- add extra mass to the walls and near the machine by using drywall, acoustic panels, or soundproofing blocks.
- Soundproof the floor by fixing heavy carpets or clothes.
- Make the door heavier by applying extra wood, heavy paint, foam, or acoustic panels.
- Check for holes and gaps all around. Fix them if you find any.
Step 3rd: Now you have a soundproof furnace closet, and it’s time to install the machine back. While fixing the machine, use anti-vibration pads for the bottom, and after the machine is installed, use vibration mounts that must touch the machine.
Wrap up on How to soundproof the furnace closet
Having an HVAC machine is a blessing when it starts making annoying noises; it feels like a curse. However, now you know how to easily soundproof a furnace closet.
It’s not rocket science and not at all difficult. If you think you don’t have enough experience or don’t feel confident with the process, browse some tutorials on YouTube and get an idea with visuals.
The process is extremely easy, and you don’t need any professional advice. However, never hesitate to reach out to a professional if you still think you need one. It’s better to look for help than make blunders.
FAQ: 7 Ways To Soundproof Furnace Closet
Here is a list of questions that we think are extremely important, and we found a considerable amount of users asking them on the Internet.
Q1. Can I DIY soundproofing of my furnace room?
Ans. Yes, you can easily DIY the soundproofing process using our explained methods. However, you will need a little help shifting the machine out and then fixing it back.
Q2. What to do if I still face issues after using all soundproofing techniques?
Ans. If you applied all techniques and still hear those grumbling noises, maybe your machine is too old or needs repair. For such cases, either shift your machine in the backyard or contact a mechanic for overhauling.
Q3. Does soundproofing bring heating issues because of the closed environment?
Ans. No, as of now, no one reported heating issues because of soundproofing. Also, the cloth and foam materials you use for soundproofing absorb the most heat.