How to Make High Performance Sound Absorption Panels for $5
Why Home Improvement Stack Exchange recommends it
DIY Stack Exchange users link it when someone asks about cheap soundproofing or sound absorption, usually pointing to its finding that towels perform surprisingly well.
Recommended by 1 people across 1 different months, 2017 to 2019.
What it is
DIY Perks builds cheap homemade sound absorption panels and compares several materials, including towels, against expensive acoustic foam. He tests how much sound passes through each material and presents the results in a short workshop-style video.
What people said
Recommends peinal · 2019-10 · Home Improvement Stack Exchange · on “Sound coming from lower floor to upper floor”
You might try making some acoustical panels and hang 2-3 in your upstair and stairway. Here a good video on how you might accomplish this on-the-cheap. [this video]
Cites dandavis · 2017-10 · Home Improvement Stack Exchange · on “sound absorption material for home cinema”
[this video] test several materials. spoiler: towels work best. it does seem though, that you want sound proofing, which is different.
Cites christiaantober · 2019-05 · Home Improvement Stack Exchange · on “Would towels under floorboards (for sound proofing) be a fire risk?”
I saw a video on YouTube [this video] that suggests that layers of towels are actually the best sound insulation. I'm thinking about putting folded towels in between the joists under the floorboards on the first floor, so that sound from the room above does not travel to the room below. Do you think this would increase the fire risk to an unacceptable level? EDIT - Some extra details: the towels will be placed on top of the plasterboard ceiling. The room is 12 feet by 12 feet. The room above is a bedroom. The room below is a bedroom.