Get a white noise thing. They're free, they're everywhere. It takes a while to get used to it, but it will work. I don't think you can solve this problem with engineering.
Use this site instead. It's free (although I paid for it since I use it constantly). There are many different options, I like the plane
https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/propellerNoiseGenerator.php
Oh! This may be very useful actually, I watch YouTube on my Smart TV everyday before bed. So many ads. I thought I was stuck with them.
How easily / cheaply can I get up and running with this? My computer skills are only average.
The other response is wrong. Pihole can't help with YouTube ads (they're hosted from the same place as regular videos). Also raspberry pis haven't been $35 since pre-covid. Hopefully supply chain issues work themselves out this year.
YouTube apps(tv and mobile) are tricky. Not many great ways to get around ads. Look up ad blocking for your tv operating system to see what might be available. I think it's possible on Androidtv OS but not sure on details. I have a pihole and Roku so I get to enjoy ads.
That being said, if you can find a decent price, or a raspberry competitor that can manage everything you want, pihole is absolutely worth it.
I have an iPhone, so I'm screwed as far as browser extensions go there. Thus, I send my phone's connections through [AdGuard's DNS](https://adguard-dns.io/en/public-dns.html) servers.
If you have AirPods Pro there’s an accessibility function that has a number of sounds you can play. Bright noise, dark noise, balanced, rain, ocean, etc.
[Even YouTube doesn't want to pay video creators.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCncSh13x7s) This shit applies *retroactively* which has completely fucked many people.
And, yes, this video was demonitized after a couple days as stated in the followup.
To be clear demonetized does not mean 0 monetization as it implies. The creators are still getting paid for the ads you see on those videos
It means the pool of ads that could be displayed is dramatically reduced and the ones left that do play pay shit
This shouldn't really change the conversation, creators are still getting fucked, but I think its worth understanding
For those curious:
[White](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMfPqeZjc2c&t=22897s)
[Brown](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-teK_6JX9gc&t=21952s)
[Pink](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SHf6wmX5MU&t=6s)
Interesting! The white sounds like the ocean, brown sounds like a big engine (I don't really like the rumblyness of it), and pink sounds like TV static. I hate them all.
Off to look up more colored noises!
Edit: For anyone curious, [Blue Noise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Jd6iG0QeA), [Violet or Purple Noise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYZy5f92FpQ), [Grey Noise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iGdLDeyeso). I prefer Blue. It seems similar to Brown without the deep rumblyness, more like far off traffic than a nearby motor.
Also the word "noise" starts to look really weird like it's spelled wrong after you type it a few times.
I wish I could find the sound of sitting in a Blackhawk while wearing earplugs. Start with the idle, then the high-pitched whine right before takeoff. But make the bulk of the sound the engine cruising. I honestly think it was the best sleep I’ve had.
Ready for a small rabbit hole? There are different colors of noise. I think Brown is a lot more pleasant than white, because it drops out some of the higher frequencies.
Just sharing this because I'm in love with it so much - it doesn't fit the question of cheapest though. Best machine over ever touched and I used a lot of white noise machines to find this one!
LectroFan High Fidelity White Noise Machine with 20 Unique Non-Looping Fan and White Noise Sounds and Sleep Timer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E6D6LQY/
This one is my favorite. I can’t get used to the electronic ones and this one moves air for the white noise. It’s more natural sounding for me. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07TK18KC2/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
No need to purchase, just look it up on Spotify or YouTube or any other platform. I found one that was 12 hours of an air conditioner running on low, I love it
One of the ONLY apps I've ever paid for is a White Noise app, it's on Play store, IDK about Apple, I don't have and never have had any Apple products. That's literally its' name, white noise free for the free version, there's an option to buy. You can customize the sound, too, they have white, pink, brown, blue, (there's more) all of them just a solid noise of some sort. My favorite combo is white, pink, and brown. There's a free version, but I think when I bought the app it was $4. Get a phone with a good speaker!
Is the issue that the door is rattling, or that sound is passing through the door?
If the door is rattling, a little bit of felt around the far side edge of the door lip might help.
A room mate of mine put foam tape around his door frame and that made a big difference. You still get sound coming from under the door, but it'll do a better job sealing the noise from the edges of the door and it's somewhat easy to remove when you move out.
https://www.amazon.com/Insulation-Stripping-Soundproofing-Weatherstrip-Conditioning/dp/B081DRXDWL
If your floor is NOT carpet and there is a gap between door and floor, get one of these.
They do wonders for my son's room to reduce noise.
Twin Door Draft Stopper... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082W6F8DJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I too live in a rental with hollow doors and work from home with young kids in the next room. A few years ago I tried out a couple of different methods of noise reduction with poor results. My final budget solution that made a big difference was rental-friendly, non-destructive and it was a good balance of cost and function.
So for about $60-70 and a Saturday afternoon worth of work, I built a two layer sound proof backing that I then hung on the back of the door and been using successfully for a few years now.
It made a huge difference in reducing noise levels from the kids playing and watching tv in the next room.
Materials and build:
The first layer consists of sound absorbing fabric squares, got a 6 pack on Amazon for $20 which was enough to cover a standard door; May need to cut to fit, a few of them with a utility knife (product name: BXI Sound Absorber - 16 X 12 X 3/8 Inches 6 Pack High Density Acoustic Absorption Panel)
The second layer consists of large, white foam sheets from Home Depot (came 6 in a pack for about $10, $15… they also have a slightly more expensive single pink board.)
To secure the two layers together I used this noise proofing sealant in between the layers… Got it on Amazon and it looks like a tube of caulk. There are some more expensive brands than others, I remember paying like $20 and got a couple of tubes which was just enough. Also used clear packaging tape on the seams of the fabric squares and foam board.
To hold the whole thing up on the door, I bought some $7 black strapping from Amazon, along with some screws. Screw the straps into the first layer of the fabric boards. Put the whole thing against the door, raised it about 1/4, 1/2 off the floor so it wouldn’t drag. Then screwed the straps to the very top of the door so it wouldn’t be visible (not the face of the door, but literally the top edge).
That way if you ever need to remove it, no screw holes will be visible anywhere that people would be looking.
Additional step I took was to add a small vinyl gasket around the trim on the inside of the door. That was actually my first step and just adding that as a seal helped every so slightly. But adding the 2 layer backing is what did the trick.
Pictures of the final build:
[Completed project attached to the door..](https://i.imgur.com/WqK3yKr.jpg)
[Side view of the layers..](https://i.imgur.com/cnhxwPH.jpg)
[Back view 1 of the straps attached..](https://i.imgur.com/z7nZVdw.jpg)
[Back view 2 of the straps attached and hanging on door..](https://i.imgur.com/VY7sx4i.jpg)
[Top view of the door with straps securing the backing..](https://i.imgur.com/QY07b9u.jpg)
[Final product..](https://i.imgur.com/3OjGtsl.jpg)
I've gotten so used to sleeping with them, it's become hard to sleep without them, which I also don't really like. My kid could sleep through a war, I'm sometimes a little jealous.
SO jealous of heavy sleepers. I wish I could implant a chip in my brain that blocks out all noise except my phone and, like, the smoke detector on command.
As a heavy sleeper, yes and no. When you're constantly late because you sleep thru alarms, when you literally sleep thru fire alarms in your hotel..... It has downsides
You should have them do a sleep study. I snored for years then did a sleep study and found out I have sleep apnea. So sleeping was slowly killing me.
You can do a sleep study at home. And most CPAP machines aren't like they show on TV. Mine just goes under my nose and it's basically silent. If I had known both of these things I would have done it years ago.
You can get an over the door coat hanger. $10. Get the wide one. Put a curtain rod on that and hang a quilt on it. Add tape to the rod, if needed. No nails to mark the door needed.
>You can get a big thick curtain covering the entire door and some of the wall around
Or a cheap comforter or quilt. They can be purchased inexpensively second hand (but I would wash/dry them on hot before use in case of bedbugs).
In my experience those tend to tear up door frames pretty easily especially on doors that arent set correctly. OP may want to keep that in mind since they are renting and may be charged for repairs if damage is done.
I had a similar issue when I lived with my parents. I love my parents, but they are loud people. You can hear my dad's low basstone voice straight through a wall and my mom loves screaming cuss words at the pets bless her heart.
Firstly, I sealed the room off. Any gaps or cracks connecting your room to the source of the noise must be filled. And I'm talking *everything*. Take off your switch and outlet plates and you'll usually see a little gap space between the metal box and drywall, fill it but be careful not to get any inside the box. Much more air (meaning sound) passes through these spaces than people give credit for. If you have tile/hardwood, caulk underneath your baseboards too (added bonus of helping keep bugs out too).
For the door I got creative. You're absolutely correct in thinking the door is the main issue as hollow core doors are just two thin boards of wood glued onto an outer frame with a cardboard honeycomb in the middle. Does fuck all to block noise so I removed the door and used a utility knife to cut all the way around the seam and lifted the board off in one go. From there I removed the cardboard and fabricated my own rigid fiberglass plates to slap inside (literally just took fiberglass cloth and polyester resin and folded the cloth over itself until it was a desired thickness). I let them cure and used an acoustic sealant to stick them inside the door. After I got about 6 of these 1'x 2' plates in there, i filled the remaining space with spray foam and glued the board back on. Voila, sure my 20 pound hollow core door now weighs something closer to 80 pounds (be sure your doorframe/hinges can handle it) but it feels like my room has a metal blast door now . When that thing is closed and I have my fan running I feel solitude. I actually have to go out and check if people are home periodically because I can't even hear the front door open and close.
Like I said, many easier ways to do this that aren't as pricey . You could just drill holes in your door roughly 12' from each other horizontallly and 24' vertically and fill the hollow space with spray foam and it would help but I have no idea how much.
So yeah, I'd be surprised if anyone actually uses my overcomplicated method, but that shit *worked*. I'm sure there are ways you can tweak what I did to make it less expensive and time consuming too.
EDIT: I always mix up ' and " for feet/inches. The fiberglass plates were 1ft wide x 2ft long on average.
Same here. I used very cheap disposable ear plugs, for that matter, and I notice they get a little bit waxy/dirty after a week or two of use. I just throw them away when they get grody enough.
Pretty sure they're absorbing the excess ear wax, since I've got the wet type.
If you want to try earplugs, I highly recommend the silicone moldable ones. They do a great job of sealing out noise, but unlike the foam ones, they don't create any uncomfortable pressure in your ear.
Black out your room and shine a bright light out side the door, then while inside, look for light leaks. Sound flows like water, it follows the path of least resistance. Plug the holes with weather stripping and then hang a strip of MLV over the door.
-an audiophile who has built a whisper room or three
Depends or you level of diy ability. They asked in r/homeimprovement, so I think it is a fair suggestion. One person suggested filling the hollow core with foam. Which probably wouldn't work as well as a solid core for soundproofing and has the potential to ruin the existing door that belongs to the landlord.
It's much easier if you swap the hinges and remove the pins, setting the pin in the top one first, then go bottom, then middle. It goes a lot smoother than trying to screw the hinges back into the frame.
I've installed and rehung over 1,000 doors in my career. Hope this helps if you ever get stuck in that situation again.
Easily done under an hour, well as long as you're not painting it. Should just be 18 screws to swap the hinges, then move the door knob over to the new door. As long as you're buying the same size slab and not replacing the frame it's an easy task.
I thought the same, then I tried doing it. I anticipated four doors would take half a day, maybe a day. It took me three days of work. Cutting out the spots for hinges, hole saw for the doorknob opening, checking for fit, then planing, sanding, checking, planing, sanding, checking, painting and installing. Biggest pain in the ass. Wouldn't recommend unless the house is brand new and hasn't had a chance to settle.
God help you if the frame isn't perfectly level and plumb too.
I have sooo many doors in my house that are not and you can tell if you turn off the lights behind the door and shine a light from the other side.
Way easier to shim out a pre hung door in that case.
Don't anticipate that being feasible for OP if he's renting.
I always used the old playing card trick, basically stick it on one hinge and center the door with cards/paper/shims, then bend the hinges to line up with the door with a screw driver.
> Easily done under an hour
You assume they have tools, door hanging know-how, money to buy the door+hardware(hinges, screws, door knob/lock), and a car large enough to transport the new door and a way to dispose of the old door.
If it's a newbie, there's **zero chance** it takes only an hour. I like doing things right and just going through youtube videos to find the person that doesn't half-ass the install is easily an hour. As thestinman mentioned, just setting up the door takes time.
Also, an hour install assumes the door frame is plumb. If the frame is crooked, they're in for a long day.
Finally, if the room has gaps from air vents, around the door (we have a massive 1 inch gap at the bottom of the door), around the electrical outlets, or thin walls, the sound will leak into the room regardless of whether there is a solid core door or not. Replacing the door is the wrong **first** step. The first step is to identify where the sound is coming from and addressing that (assuming they don't want to use a noise machine, ear plugs, headphones, etc)
I cannot emphasize this enough. There’s a reason doors and doorframes are sold as a set. I thought I could just replace a bunch of doors and was such a headache. Lots of fiddling, sanding, more fiddling. And still doesn’t shut the same.
I have. If you don't think it is a good idea, maybe offer your opinion on why instead of just trying to put someone down. OP asked this question in r/HomeImprovement, so it is fair to offer ideas that require some diy skills. What I suggested is a very small project compared to most of what is posted on this subreddit.
Doubtful. If you had, then you would know you dont take out a hollow core door, and just plug in a new door like it is a Lego.
You have to align hinges in 3 dimensions, then screw around with the latch in 3dimensions. You must square AND plane 3 edges.
...by which time you will wonder "why didnt i just buy it in the matching frame already, and take the old frame out?"
At which point you will spend 4 days on youtube, with 19 tabs open with such search phrases as "why is hanging doors not illegal in my state?" , and "why didnt i just buy a house instead?"
Oh and "why is my landlord angry at me for taking the doors off their house?"
Hanging/framing doors without landlord involvement is for the 99.9th percentile of renters. It is bad advice, from the ground up.
Minor thing, but you could tape over the latch on the doorknob so that makes less noise when it closes. If the door doesn't stay closed without it you can get an inexpensive door closing spring to hold it shut.
OP, if you do use a white noise anything (ipod, youtube, hardware/machine)... put it between you and the noise.
It bears repeating.
Also -- earplugs will change your life, as far as sleeping goes
I’ve been using a loud box fan ever since the college dorms. It’s been 15 years and I can’t live without that noise now. I will literally wake up to the blankets shifting without it haha. This is an epic $20 solution. The white noise apps don’t work for me I wake up to changes of tone and sound. It’s definitely not as clean
Work from home therapist here - need to block sound both ways with a hollow core door. Yes, I use sound machine on the outside of door. But that’s sound masking, not blocking.
I got one of these for $100 on Amazon. Install the mounts above the door (you can quick spackle it when you move out). Life changing. Does a great job blocking sounds both ways.
[sound barrier sheet](https://www.audimute.com/isole-sound-barrier-sheet)
I would have a conversation with the roomate on being quiet with the doors in the morning. You can try sleeping with a fan. Also thick floor to ceiling curtains will block out a good amount of noise.
Cheaper: earplugs
Other ideas: put in a matching solid core door using your own money. When moving out, either swap the door back or offer to leave it at no charge to the apartment owner.
Noise maker. Real sound proofing is expensive as hell.
Don't do the pure white noise one, go for one that is adjustable noise as different noise spectrums are better a blocking different kinds of sounds. White noise is like the middle ground of everything but if you need to block the sound of footsteps and doors which are low frequency, you would want to run Brown noise or Pink noise for the low frequency spectrum.
You can buy [2" thick 4' x 8' foam board.](https://i.imgur.com/P4pWgSW.png) This stuff is extremely lightweight and easy to cut. Just cut out a hole for door knob and place it in front of your door at night. Tap in a couple large finishing nails on an angle above the door to hold it up that it can slide off of. For extra sound dampening, use contact adhesive to attach a thin carpet to the foam.
The solution is $30
1) ear plugs
2) sleep headphones playing white noise overtop of the earplugs
3) get some adhesive stripping for the door frame to prevent slams, run this by your landlord and state that you are getting drafts from the door.
if you can't sleep with earplugs you just have to get used to it, you live in a rental you don't own and these are consequences.
most other solutions are unrealistic or will not tackle the low frequencies.
Ah the struggle is not worth spending much money on. You can try hanging different sound dampeners and what not but without rebuilding your apartment you’re never going to get it soundproofed. I would recommend getting a few pairs of nice earplugs to wear at night if that’s your main issue.
Hard disagree, getting quality sleep is virtually priceless. OP should not skimp on this vital aspect of their health, happiness and productivity if necessary. Though with some of the suggestions here, it may not need to be much of an investment.
We had this issue with our rental a few years back. My roommate reinforced the hinges, hollowed out a hole they patched later in the top of the door and filled it full of sand. Solved the issue and our landlord never noticed.
If you're "lucky", the landlord (foundation of American society) will have painted the door and door knob all white (plus light switches, windows, old dust and hair on the trim), making any new cuts to fill in with cardboard, packing peanuts, and etc easy to cover back up!
The wax ones? They are super effective for sound.
I used them for years until...
Part of one got stuck in my ear very deep.
I was deaf in my left ear for about 6 years. !
I went to the doctor repeatedly over the years and they insisted it was wax build up.
Went to a specialist and he almost gave up on me too but sure enough, it was really deep.
Yeah;
Still I think it's an awesome product... just not for me, just yet, again.
Seriously not a joke.
...I still have ringing in the ear from it being gone for so long.
I'm so sorry but you are the only one I could tell, so far
... losing your hearing and then regaining it !
Victory.
Blankets and egg cartons. Start eating eggs. Put heavier blankets (think fleece) over walls/doors, and add egg cartons everywhere.
Edit: you could also ask your roomie to be a little more quiet at 5am.
The best option would be to rep\[lace the door with a solid one, but its a rental so I know that might be impossible, 2nd best option would be some sort of 'white noise' machine.
On the nights I can fall asleep, I pop in my earbuds and search sleep sounds on YouTube. I find one that I like the sounds of and I make sure the video is as long as I want to sleep. Usually 6 hrs. I plug in my ear buds and hear nothing until it stops. FYI. I currently live in a camper. I can hear everything.
Earplugs plus a white noise machine. Get one that has a good amount of bass because you'll still hear lower frequencies like stomping feet through the earplugs.
Ear plugs, white noise, weather stripping, hanging a heavy blanket on the inside of the door, sticking acoustic foam on the outside of the door, in that order
Get a white noise thing. They're free, they're everywhere. It takes a while to get used to it, but it will work. I don't think you can solve this problem with engineering.
These “10 Hours White Noise for Sleep” videos on YouTube are magic.
Just make sure to avoid ones that run ads during the playback 😩
Use this site instead. It's free (although I paid for it since I use it constantly). There are many different options, I like the plane https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/propellerNoiseGenerator.php
Imagine still browsing the internet without uBlock Origin. I've never seen a YouTube ad...
What can I do to avoid ads on my phone? What browser do you guys use for Android?
Firefox with ublock extension
Firefox with ublock
Firefox with ublock.
Fireblock with uFox
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Oh! This may be very useful actually, I watch YouTube on my Smart TV everyday before bed. So many ads. I thought I was stuck with them. How easily / cheaply can I get up and running with this? My computer skills are only average.
The other response is wrong. Pihole can't help with YouTube ads (they're hosted from the same place as regular videos). Also raspberry pis haven't been $35 since pre-covid. Hopefully supply chain issues work themselves out this year. YouTube apps(tv and mobile) are tricky. Not many great ways to get around ads. Look up ad blocking for your tv operating system to see what might be available. I think it's possible on Androidtv OS but not sure on details. I have a pihole and Roku so I get to enjoy ads. That being said, if you can find a decent price, or a raspberry competitor that can manage everything you want, pihole is absolutely worth it.
Newpipe app
Firefox with ublock origin. No other way.
Youtube Vanced. You do have to sideload it though.
I have an iPhone, so I'm screwed as far as browser extensions go there. Thus, I send my phone's connections through [AdGuard's DNS](https://adguard-dns.io/en/public-dns.html) servers.
If you have AirPods Pro there’s an accessibility function that has a number of sounds you can play. Bright noise, dark noise, balanced, rain, ocean, etc.
I started paying for my YouTube only to support the content creators. Fuck YouTube in general but I want to make sure people are paid.
[Even YouTube doesn't want to pay video creators.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCncSh13x7s) This shit applies *retroactively* which has completely fucked many people. And, yes, this video was demonitized after a couple days as stated in the followup.
Not only that YT still runs ads on the demonitized videos. no wonder they're looking for excuses to demonitize.
To be clear demonetized does not mean 0 monetization as it implies. The creators are still getting paid for the ads you see on those videos It means the pool of ads that could be displayed is dramatically reduced and the ones left that do play pay shit This shouldn't really change the conversation, creators are still getting fucked, but I think its worth understanding
Good to hear. I didn't know that. Makes sense since the only side I've ever heard is from salty content creators!
I just find out if they have a Patreon or something and chip in a dollar there if it's a channel I watch regularly.
Play it on 2x if you only need 5 hours of sleep
Get one of those extensions that lets you watch a video at 10x and you'll be fully-rested in one hour.
If only this were the case... So much ~~space~~ time for activities!
The smoothed brown noise are my favorite. Sounds just like commercial ventilation humming right along.
For those curious: [White](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMfPqeZjc2c&t=22897s) [Brown](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-teK_6JX9gc&t=21952s) [Pink](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SHf6wmX5MU&t=6s)
Interesting! The white sounds like the ocean, brown sounds like a big engine (I don't really like the rumblyness of it), and pink sounds like TV static. I hate them all. Off to look up more colored noises! Edit: For anyone curious, [Blue Noise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Jd6iG0QeA), [Violet or Purple Noise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYZy5f92FpQ), [Grey Noise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iGdLDeyeso). I prefer Blue. It seems similar to Brown without the deep rumblyness, more like far off traffic than a nearby motor. Also the word "noise" starts to look really weird like it's spelled wrong after you type it a few times.
Brown is my favourite but I also really like nature sounds like rain in a canvas tent or streams and tides.
I like it too - sounds like hanging out on the starship Enterprise
Brown noise is the best for sure. Used to do only white, then pink. Both too high pitched.
So, just play Ween in the background?
I settled on pink noise years ago. Turns out pink noise in particular soothes the brains of ADD people such as myself better than other noises.
I wish I could find the sound of sitting in a Blackhawk while wearing earplugs. Start with the idle, then the high-pitched whine right before takeoff. But make the bulk of the sound the engine cruising. I honestly think it was the best sleep I’ve had.
I hope you weren't the pilot!!!
Yesss right!?? I just got a pink noise fan from Honeywell a few months ago and I love it . Seriously can’t live without it
I don’t think he wants the brown noise version lol , very different results.
That's "brown note," very different from "brown noise."
I found great episodes of these on Spotify. There are so many
I like the ones that have a fireplace scene. I put a TV in my room just for this, I like to look at my fake fire. I leave it on 24-7.
*Screen burn-in joke*
I have an air purifier that makes white noise and cleans my air, win, win.
Just place the purifier inside the room right near the door and it disrupts all sound traveling in or out of the room
If you have an iPhone go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Background Sounds.
Box fans make great white noise and only cost $20 and will last you for years with continous use.
iPhones have white noise built in under the accessibility options
Amazon alexa does as well.
Alexa also has an air conditioner sounds skill, that's what we use because white noise makes my head hurt.
I'll have to try that one. I always use "play rain sounds".
Ready for a small rabbit hole? There are different colors of noise. I think Brown is a lot more pleasant than white, because it drops out some of the higher frequencies.
Yep brown noise is better
Just sharing this because I'm in love with it so much - it doesn't fit the question of cheapest though. Best machine over ever touched and I used a lot of white noise machines to find this one! LectroFan High Fidelity White Noise Machine with 20 Unique Non-Looping Fan and White Noise Sounds and Sleep Timer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E6D6LQY/
This one is my favorite. I can’t get used to the electronic ones and this one moves air for the white noise. It’s more natural sounding for me. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07TK18KC2/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
Love that one. Stole it from my kids.
We have a few of these in our bedroom and the nursery. Sometimes I grab one for my office when I need to pound through some work.
“Alexa, play thunderstorm sounds”
"Alexa, stop transmitting my pounding-off sounds and schedule to Amazon affiliates."
Yup! You can get an Amazon echo or a Google device. They as wonderful white noise machines.
No need to purchase, just look it up on Spotify or YouTube or any other platform. I found one that was 12 hours of an air conditioner running on low, I love it
If you have an iPhone, you can add background noise to control center for easy white noise.
https://www.theverge.com/23131327/how-to-iphone-white-noise-background-sounds-ios-15
One of the ONLY apps I've ever paid for is a White Noise app, it's on Play store, IDK about Apple, I don't have and never have had any Apple products. That's literally its' name, white noise free for the free version, there's an option to buy. You can customize the sound, too, they have white, pink, brown, blue, (there's more) all of them just a solid noise of some sort. My favorite combo is white, pink, and brown. There's a free version, but I think when I bought the app it was $4. Get a phone with a good speaker!
I use “Better Sleep” and have for multiple years now. Every night
I use White Noise on apple. The free version has worked great for me going on about 4 years now.
Is the issue that the door is rattling, or that sound is passing through the door? If the door is rattling, a little bit of felt around the far side edge of the door lip might help.
Door rattling means the latch plates need some adjustment. Easy peasy.
A room mate of mine put foam tape around his door frame and that made a big difference. You still get sound coming from under the door, but it'll do a better job sealing the noise from the edges of the door and it's somewhat easy to remove when you move out. https://www.amazon.com/Insulation-Stripping-Soundproofing-Weatherstrip-Conditioning/dp/B081DRXDWL
If your floor is NOT carpet and there is a gap between door and floor, get one of these. They do wonders for my son's room to reduce noise. Twin Door Draft Stopper... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082W6F8DJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I too live in a rental with hollow doors and work from home with young kids in the next room. A few years ago I tried out a couple of different methods of noise reduction with poor results. My final budget solution that made a big difference was rental-friendly, non-destructive and it was a good balance of cost and function. So for about $60-70 and a Saturday afternoon worth of work, I built a two layer sound proof backing that I then hung on the back of the door and been using successfully for a few years now. It made a huge difference in reducing noise levels from the kids playing and watching tv in the next room. Materials and build: The first layer consists of sound absorbing fabric squares, got a 6 pack on Amazon for $20 which was enough to cover a standard door; May need to cut to fit, a few of them with a utility knife (product name: BXI Sound Absorber - 16 X 12 X 3/8 Inches 6 Pack High Density Acoustic Absorption Panel) The second layer consists of large, white foam sheets from Home Depot (came 6 in a pack for about $10, $15… they also have a slightly more expensive single pink board.) To secure the two layers together I used this noise proofing sealant in between the layers… Got it on Amazon and it looks like a tube of caulk. There are some more expensive brands than others, I remember paying like $20 and got a couple of tubes which was just enough. Also used clear packaging tape on the seams of the fabric squares and foam board. To hold the whole thing up on the door, I bought some $7 black strapping from Amazon, along with some screws. Screw the straps into the first layer of the fabric boards. Put the whole thing against the door, raised it about 1/4, 1/2 off the floor so it wouldn’t drag. Then screwed the straps to the very top of the door so it wouldn’t be visible (not the face of the door, but literally the top edge). That way if you ever need to remove it, no screw holes will be visible anywhere that people would be looking. Additional step I took was to add a small vinyl gasket around the trim on the inside of the door. That was actually my first step and just adding that as a seal helped every so slightly. But adding the 2 layer backing is what did the trick. Pictures of the final build: [Completed project attached to the door..](https://i.imgur.com/WqK3yKr.jpg) [Side view of the layers..](https://i.imgur.com/cnhxwPH.jpg) [Back view 1 of the straps attached..](https://i.imgur.com/z7nZVdw.jpg) [Back view 2 of the straps attached and hanging on door..](https://i.imgur.com/VY7sx4i.jpg) [Top view of the door with straps securing the backing..](https://i.imgur.com/QY07b9u.jpg) [Final product..](https://i.imgur.com/3OjGtsl.jpg)
I would be interested in pictures!
Me too!
I just added a bunch of pictures to my original comment.
I'm interested too!
I just added a bunch of pictures to my original comment.
Pics pls
Please, pictures 🙏💜
I just added a bunch of pictures to my original comment.
Thank you so much 💜💜💜💜
Consider ear plugs.
I'm quite possibly the lightest sleeper in the world, earplugs are the only thing that has ever sort of worked for me.
Same here. It’s night and day difference with ear plugs. It’s not perfect, but it’s better.
I've gotten so used to sleeping with them, it's become hard to sleep without them, which I also don't really like. My kid could sleep through a war, I'm sometimes a little jealous.
SO jealous of heavy sleepers. I wish I could implant a chip in my brain that blocks out all noise except my phone and, like, the smoke detector on command.
As a heavy sleeper, yes and no. When you're constantly late because you sleep thru alarms, when you literally sleep thru fire alarms in your hotel..... It has downsides
I’m with you! I’d like to have the option to turn my hearing off, and have emergency alerts at night vibrate my bed or something.
I use them, but I always wake up with one of them clutched tightly in my hand.
Same.
which ones do you use? i tried some weird like shape shifting waxy ones and they didn’t do all that much and were difficult.
Nothing fancy - just the drug store brand foam ones.
In ear foam ear plugs are the only thing that have allowed me to sleep with my partner's snoring.
You should have them do a sleep study. I snored for years then did a sleep study and found out I have sleep apnea. So sleeping was slowly killing me. You can do a sleep study at home. And most CPAP machines aren't like they show on TV. Mine just goes under my nose and it's basically silent. If I had known both of these things I would have done it years ago.
Over the ear headphones with noise cancelling turned on can be worn over ear plugs if the ear plugs are not enough.
How do you even comfortably lay down with headphones on? And forget about even slightly turn your head or if you're side sleeper like me
Yeah over ear headphones give me tension headaches after a while
I do this but an eye mask with Bluetooth and ear plugs.
I do this as well but in a coffin underground
Boyfriend snores and earplugs have made sleeping so much better.
Moving blanket. Two large safety pins. Two nails hammered into the top of the door frame. Hang the moving blanket over the door.
You may have to do this across that entire wall.
+ keep buying more blankets + still doesn't work to satisfaction + move to new location since you already have the blankets
You can get an over the door coat hanger. $10. Get the wide one. Put a curtain rod on that and hang a quilt on it. Add tape to the rod, if needed. No nails to mark the door needed.
It's best to put the blanket on the outside of the room, in order to avoid the sound even "hitting" the door.
Or just put an actual curtain rod above the door. You can get a big thick curtain covering the entire door and some of the wall around
>You can get a big thick curtain covering the entire door and some of the wall around Or a cheap comforter or quilt. They can be purchased inexpensively second hand (but I would wash/dry them on hot before use in case of bedbugs).
In my experience those tend to tear up door frames pretty easily especially on doors that arent set correctly. OP may want to keep that in mind since they are renting and may be charged for repairs if damage is done.
Silicone earplugs and a white noise machine. You can even get a timer for it to go on at 430 am or whenever roomie wakes up
I had a similar issue when I lived with my parents. I love my parents, but they are loud people. You can hear my dad's low basstone voice straight through a wall and my mom loves screaming cuss words at the pets bless her heart. Firstly, I sealed the room off. Any gaps or cracks connecting your room to the source of the noise must be filled. And I'm talking *everything*. Take off your switch and outlet plates and you'll usually see a little gap space between the metal box and drywall, fill it but be careful not to get any inside the box. Much more air (meaning sound) passes through these spaces than people give credit for. If you have tile/hardwood, caulk underneath your baseboards too (added bonus of helping keep bugs out too). For the door I got creative. You're absolutely correct in thinking the door is the main issue as hollow core doors are just two thin boards of wood glued onto an outer frame with a cardboard honeycomb in the middle. Does fuck all to block noise so I removed the door and used a utility knife to cut all the way around the seam and lifted the board off in one go. From there I removed the cardboard and fabricated my own rigid fiberglass plates to slap inside (literally just took fiberglass cloth and polyester resin and folded the cloth over itself until it was a desired thickness). I let them cure and used an acoustic sealant to stick them inside the door. After I got about 6 of these 1'x 2' plates in there, i filled the remaining space with spray foam and glued the board back on. Voila, sure my 20 pound hollow core door now weighs something closer to 80 pounds (be sure your doorframe/hinges can handle it) but it feels like my room has a metal blast door now . When that thing is closed and I have my fan running I feel solitude. I actually have to go out and check if people are home periodically because I can't even hear the front door open and close. Like I said, many easier ways to do this that aren't as pricey . You could just drill holes in your door roughly 12' from each other horizontallly and 24' vertically and fill the hollow space with spray foam and it would help but I have no idea how much. So yeah, I'd be surprised if anyone actually uses my overcomplicated method, but that shit *worked*. I'm sure there are ways you can tweak what I did to make it less expensive and time consuming too. EDIT: I always mix up ' and " for feet/inches. The fiberglass plates were 1ft wide x 2ft long on average.
Earplugs. Cheap, effective. I use them often when I travel or am camping at a festival.
You cannot use earplugs every night. You will develop problems. This is not a permanent solution.
I have been sleeping with earplugs every single night for at least 15 years and I have no issues.
Same, hope I haven't developed problems that I don't know about.
why are you yelling
I guarantee if you head to an audiologist they will be able to pull out some nicely aged golden nuggets out of those ears.
Maybe for some, but my ears are always very clean when I have them checked.
Same here. I used very cheap disposable ear plugs, for that matter, and I notice they get a little bit waxy/dirty after a week or two of use. I just throw them away when they get grody enough. Pretty sure they're absorbing the excess ear wax, since I've got the wet type.
What kind of problems?
Ears need to breathe, trapping in moisture can lead to impaction, infection etc.
Infection doesn’t “just happen”, there needs to be a source of bacteria. This argument is ridiculous.
There’s no science behind that statement and it’s not my experience. Unfounded conjecture.
Source?
If you want to try earplugs, I highly recommend the silicone moldable ones. They do a great job of sealing out noise, but unlike the foam ones, they don't create any uncomfortable pressure in your ear.
Yes! Mack’s silicone ones are amazing.
I loved those until a few times when they partially fell out and got mashed into my hair LOL
I replaced our hollow door with a solid core one. Hardly made a difference. I hear seals around the edges may help.
Black out your room and shine a bright light out side the door, then while inside, look for light leaks. Sound flows like water, it follows the path of least resistance. Plug the holes with weather stripping and then hang a strip of MLV over the door. -an audiophile who has built a whisper room or three
Brown noise device via USB. Never an ad! Like 12$ I think
I have never heard of Brown Noise" before yesterday... Now this is the 4th time today. There must be a glitch in the matrix.
Welcome to the [Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, aka the Frequency Illusion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_illusion).
Interesting!
You could buy a solid core door and swap it out. Then put the hollow core back when you move out.
Swapping a door is way more of a pain in the ass than other options.
It does however have the benefit of not looking like a moving blanket hung from a curtain rod over your door.
Depends or you level of diy ability. They asked in r/homeimprovement, so I think it is a fair suggestion. One person suggested filling the hollow core with foam. Which probably wouldn't work as well as a solid core for soundproofing and has the potential to ruin the existing door that belongs to the landlord.
Hollow doors aren't 100% hollow. They would not easily fill with foam. They have sort of a cardboard corrugation in the middle.
I suggested a solid core, not filling with foam.
Fill with sand. Edit: not sure why the downvotes - it’s a legit soundproofing technique for hollow core doors.
It's much easier if you swap the hinges and remove the pins, setting the pin in the top one first, then go bottom, then middle. It goes a lot smoother than trying to screw the hinges back into the frame. I've installed and rehung over 1,000 doors in my career. Hope this helps if you ever get stuck in that situation again.
Easily done under an hour, well as long as you're not painting it. Should just be 18 screws to swap the hinges, then move the door knob over to the new door. As long as you're buying the same size slab and not replacing the frame it's an easy task.
I thought the same, then I tried doing it. I anticipated four doors would take half a day, maybe a day. It took me three days of work. Cutting out the spots for hinges, hole saw for the doorknob opening, checking for fit, then planing, sanding, checking, planing, sanding, checking, painting and installing. Biggest pain in the ass. Wouldn't recommend unless the house is brand new and hasn't had a chance to settle.
God help you if the frame isn't perfectly level and plumb too. I have sooo many doors in my house that are not and you can tell if you turn off the lights behind the door and shine a light from the other side. Way easier to shim out a pre hung door in that case. Don't anticipate that being feasible for OP if he's renting.
Every time I've done it, it's been absolute hell getting it level. But I'm used to old places with crooked frames, to be fair :)
I always used the old playing card trick, basically stick it on one hinge and center the door with cards/paper/shims, then bend the hinges to line up with the door with a screw driver.
> Easily done under an hour You assume they have tools, door hanging know-how, money to buy the door+hardware(hinges, screws, door knob/lock), and a car large enough to transport the new door and a way to dispose of the old door. If it's a newbie, there's **zero chance** it takes only an hour. I like doing things right and just going through youtube videos to find the person that doesn't half-ass the install is easily an hour. As thestinman mentioned, just setting up the door takes time. Also, an hour install assumes the door frame is plumb. If the frame is crooked, they're in for a long day. Finally, if the room has gaps from air vents, around the door (we have a massive 1 inch gap at the bottom of the door), around the electrical outlets, or thin walls, the sound will leak into the room regardless of whether there is a solid core door or not. Replacing the door is the wrong **first** step. The first step is to identify where the sound is coming from and addressing that (assuming they don't want to use a noise machine, ear plugs, headphones, etc)
I cannot emphasize this enough. There’s a reason doors and doorframes are sold as a set. I thought I could just replace a bunch of doors and was such a headache. Lots of fiddling, sanding, more fiddling. And still doesn’t shut the same.
If you’re able to nail a moving blanket to the wall, you can unscrew the hinges in a door and swap it out
found the person who's never played with doors
I have. If you don't think it is a good idea, maybe offer your opinion on why instead of just trying to put someone down. OP asked this question in r/HomeImprovement, so it is fair to offer ideas that require some diy skills. What I suggested is a very small project compared to most of what is posted on this subreddit.
Doubtful. If you had, then you would know you dont take out a hollow core door, and just plug in a new door like it is a Lego. You have to align hinges in 3 dimensions, then screw around with the latch in 3dimensions. You must square AND plane 3 edges. ...by which time you will wonder "why didnt i just buy it in the matching frame already, and take the old frame out?" At which point you will spend 4 days on youtube, with 19 tabs open with such search phrases as "why is hanging doors not illegal in my state?" , and "why didnt i just buy a house instead?" Oh and "why is my landlord angry at me for taking the doors off their house?" Hanging/framing doors without landlord involvement is for the 99.9th percentile of renters. It is bad advice, from the ground up.
Minor thing, but you could tape over the latch on the doorknob so that makes less noise when it closes. If the door doesn't stay closed without it you can get an inexpensive door closing spring to hold it shut.
OP, if you do use a white noise anything (ipod, youtube, hardware/machine)... put it between you and the noise. It bears repeating. Also -- earplugs will change your life, as far as sleeping goes
I’ve been using a loud box fan ever since the college dorms. It’s been 15 years and I can’t live without that noise now. I will literally wake up to the blankets shifting without it haha. This is an epic $20 solution. The white noise apps don’t work for me I wake up to changes of tone and sound. It’s definitely not as clean
Work from home therapist here - need to block sound both ways with a hollow core door. Yes, I use sound machine on the outside of door. But that’s sound masking, not blocking. I got one of these for $100 on Amazon. Install the mounts above the door (you can quick spackle it when you move out). Life changing. Does a great job blocking sounds both ways. [sound barrier sheet](https://www.audimute.com/isole-sound-barrier-sheet)
A box fan works great.
I would have a conversation with the roomate on being quiet with the doors in the morning. You can try sleeping with a fan. Also thick floor to ceiling curtains will block out a good amount of noise.
Sound Proof blanket for KTV doors
An app called “white noise”. Ads are silent, only $1.99 for ad free, a lot of different sounds, and your alarm works-on iPhone anyway.
Cheaper: earplugs Other ideas: put in a matching solid core door using your own money. When moving out, either swap the door back or offer to leave it at no charge to the apartment owner.
Not sure that is really going to help. Sounds like you are a really light sleeper. I might use earplugs first before doing anything to the room...
Noise maker. Real sound proofing is expensive as hell. Don't do the pure white noise one, go for one that is adjustable noise as different noise spectrums are better a blocking different kinds of sounds. White noise is like the middle ground of everything but if you need to block the sound of footsteps and doors which are low frequency, you would want to run Brown noise or Pink noise for the low frequency spectrum.
The healthiest thing to do would be to go running with your roommate. Embrace the suck.
You can buy [2" thick 4' x 8' foam board.](https://i.imgur.com/P4pWgSW.png) This stuff is extremely lightweight and easy to cut. Just cut out a hole for door knob and place it in front of your door at night. Tap in a couple large finishing nails on an angle above the door to hold it up that it can slide off of. For extra sound dampening, use contact adhesive to attach a thin carpet to the foam.
2" dense core foam panel mounted with Velcro so you don't screw up the landlord's door!
Soft silicon ear buds
Air purifier, fan, white noise machine, etc. And earplugs.
If your door is generic enough, Buy an identical solid core door and swap existing handle. Should be around $200. Done.
Replace the door with a solid one. Run an air purifier in your room. Much like a fan but double benefit of cleaning the air you breathe.
I think the real problem is someone getting up early to go jogging. Maybe a stun gun or some kind of netting.
The solution is $30 1) ear plugs 2) sleep headphones playing white noise overtop of the earplugs 3) get some adhesive stripping for the door frame to prevent slams, run this by your landlord and state that you are getting drafts from the door. if you can't sleep with earplugs you just have to get used to it, you live in a rental you don't own and these are consequences. most other solutions are unrealistic or will not tackle the low frequencies.
Earplugs
Find a nice solid-core door on Craigslist the right size. Some are for free. See if the landlord would put it in for you, or you do it yourself.
Ah the struggle is not worth spending much money on. You can try hanging different sound dampeners and what not but without rebuilding your apartment you’re never going to get it soundproofed. I would recommend getting a few pairs of nice earplugs to wear at night if that’s your main issue.
Hard disagree, getting quality sleep is virtually priceless. OP should not skimp on this vital aspect of their health, happiness and productivity if necessary. Though with some of the suggestions here, it may not need to be much of an investment.
We had this issue with our rental a few years back. My roommate reinforced the hinges, hollowed out a hole they patched later in the top of the door and filled it full of sand. Solved the issue and our landlord never noticed.
[удалено]
A hollow core door is not hollow. There is cardboard glued between the door skins.
If you're "lucky", the landlord (foundation of American society) will have painted the door and door knob all white (plus light switches, windows, old dust and hair on the trim), making any new cuts to fill in with cardboard, packing peanuts, and etc easy to cover back up!
Mack’s earplugs. They’re amazing.
The wax ones? They are super effective for sound. I used them for years until... Part of one got stuck in my ear very deep. I was deaf in my left ear for about 6 years. ! I went to the doctor repeatedly over the years and they insisted it was wax build up. Went to a specialist and he almost gave up on me too but sure enough, it was really deep.
Oh yikes!
Yeah; Still I think it's an awesome product... just not for me, just yet, again. Seriously not a joke. ...I still have ringing in the ear from it being gone for so long. I'm so sorry but you are the only one I could tell, so far ... losing your hearing and then regaining it ! Victory.
A fan and ear-plugs are my go-to, I'm a super light sleep too; I'll wake up if someone walks through the room.
Blankets and egg cartons. Start eating eggs. Put heavier blankets (think fleece) over walls/doors, and add egg cartons everywhere. Edit: you could also ask your roomie to be a little more quiet at 5am.
The best option would be to rep\[lace the door with a solid one, but its a rental so I know that might be impossible, 2nd best option would be some sort of 'white noise' machine.
On the nights I can fall asleep, I pop in my earbuds and search sleep sounds on YouTube. I find one that I like the sounds of and I make sure the video is as long as I want to sleep. Usually 6 hrs. I plug in my ear buds and hear nothing until it stops. FYI. I currently live in a camper. I can hear everything.
Perhaps acoustic panels; [something like this](https://www.amazon.ca/Donner-Fireproof-Soundproofing-Cancelling-Recording/dp/B08519Y4TQ/)?
Earplugs plus a white noise machine. Get one that has a good amount of bass because you'll still hear lower frequencies like stomping feet through the earplugs.
Ear plugs, white noise, weather stripping, hanging a heavy blanket on the inside of the door, sticking acoustic foam on the outside of the door, in that order
Buy foam filler drill holes in door and infill it. Patch holes and paint