Many people who want to soundproof a space find themselves to be looking at egg cartons, wondering if they could be a way to achieve this without having to hire outside help.
The DIY egg carton soundproofing theory has gained widespread popularity in recent years.
Egg crates are only designed to help reduce vibration and cushion eggs.
While Egg cartons can reduce echos, and sound resonance at certain frequencies, they simply will not help to reduce sound effectively.
About Soundproofing with Egg Cartons
If you are trying to save some money when soundproofing a room, using egg cartons may sound like a good idea.
After all, if you are already purchasing eggs on a regular basis, you probably have access to an inflow of these cardboard or styrofoam cartons.
I can see why using readily available and inexpensive materials like egg cartons to soundproof a small or medium-sized room probably seems like a very reasonable idea.
So does egg carton soundproofing really work?
That’s a good question, and we have the answer.
Below, we will take a look at how soundproofing a room using egg cartons works and if it is a viable soundproofing solution.
I will also go over some other solutions that are readily available to weekend warriors or DIY experts.
How effective are egg boxes in reality?
In theory, egg cartons could be used to soundproof a room by blocking sound waves from penetrating the walls. We can see how this method sounds like a good option.
Egg cartons that are made of cardboard are inexpensive and should theoretically be able to defuse soundwaves through their shape and the paper materials that they are made of. However, egg cartons aren’t actually good for soundproofing. They do defuse soundwaves by spreading them out and changing the way that they move, but they don’t actually block sound very effectively.
The egg carton myth started as a result of the shape and appearance of egg cartons.
They look like the soundproofing acoustical foam used in music studios.
They are similar in shape, size, and appearance.
However, the acoustic foam that has the same shape as an egg carton is made of a material that has been engineered for soundproofing and sound wave diffusion.
Egg crates are only designed to help reduce vibration and cushion eggs.
They do not have the same acoustical value as soundproofing foam materials do.
While they can reduce echos, and sound resonance at certain frequencies, they simply will not help to reduce sound effectively.
Soundproofing with egg crates isn’t actually a very smart solution.
Egg cartons are a decent solution for echo reduction, but they won’t do much to help with actually reducing noise.
What can egg crates do?
While they aren’t the most effective option, egg cartons do have some noise reduction properties.
Egg cartons can help to reduce echoes. They also are decent at helping to deaden sound, though you could also deaden sound by putting a layer of cardboard over your wall.
This is because the fibers cardboard is made up of can help to absorb the impact initially made by certain sound frequencies. However, you’d be better off simply putting two layers of cardboard on your walls. In theory, that would be much easier and faster than saving up egg cartons for months and months.
For the most part, egg cartons can only really help to reduce echo. Obviously, they also can help to protect eggs. For soundproofing though, they really aren’t the best option. They aren’t cheaper or easier to come by than any other kind of foam or cardboard.
What are egg cartons unable to do?
Egg cartons don’t actually help reduce sound in a viable way. They may deaden certain sounds by absorbing sound waves and frequencies, but as far as effectively reducing noise, they aren’t very helpful.
They also aren’t the best option for insulating a room from exterior noise. They simply aren’t designed to be used this way.
Here’s an article that details how egg carton soundproofing is a myth that has been scientifically disproven.
To read more on how soundproofing works in a scientific way, check out this Wikipedia article.
Are there better alternatives?
While egg cartons aren’t the best materials for soundproofing a room, there are many great alternatives that are both cheaper and easier to come by. Even if you’re getting egg cartons for free, the time and hassle that it takes to acquire them may be better spent in other ways.
Remember, as so many authoritative sources have stated in the past, “time is money.” The time that you’d waste saving up hundreds of egg cartons could be spent simply picking up some materials that have been specifically designed to actually block and absorb sound.
Many of these materials will also insulate a space and may even help to make it more energy efficient.
A few materials that can be used to effectively block soundwaves and reduce noise in order to make a room quieter include:
• Acoustic Curtains
Acoustic curtains are revolutionary sound absorbing types of drapery that can effectively absorb sounds better than decorative curtains.
You simply hang them in areas where you would like soundwaves to be prevented from penetrating from one area into another.
See more on Acoustic Curtains here.
• Moving/ Soundproofing Blankets
Moving blankets, also now marketed as soundproofing blankets, are large insulated pieces of fabric that resemble blankets.
These blankets are used to reduce vibration and insulate materials from moving, shaking, and thermal fluctuations.
They may be used to reduce sound in many ways and are often also used to protect large instruments like pianos and cellos.
See more on Moving/Soundproofing Blankets here.
• Door Sealing Gasket & Sweep Kits
These kits available on Amazon do a fantastic job of stopping noise from entering into another space through cracks under doors or unsealed areas around windows.
They are used for insulating and soundproofing.
• Mineral Wool
Mineral wool is a substance that closely resembles matted sheep wool. It is made up of inorganic mineral materials.
It can be used for packaging, insulation, or soundproofing.
• Acoustic Foam
Acoustic foam is a scientifically engineered material that has been created specifically to absorb and diffuse soundwaves. It is effective in soundproofing both in shape and material design. It is lightweight and usually made of polyurethane foams and materials like polyether or polyester.
• Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels are a simple and effective option for people who want to defuse sound in an easy and attractive way.
These are large padded panels that can be hung to reduce noise.
These are just some of the materials that can be utilized to reduce or even eliminate soundwave noises.
What are some of the least expensive soundproofing methods?
If you have been considering soundproofing a space using egg cartons, we are willing to bet you are a frugal person who doesn’t like to waste money. We totally get that. Here are a few ways that you can soundproof a room without breaking the bank.
• Soundproofing Drywall
If you are already remodeling a room, it may be wise to just invest in better drywall.
You can either purchase insulating drywall or put up an extra layer of the material underneath your sheetrock.
If you aren’t already in the remodel process, however, this may not be the most budget-friendly option. You can usually install this kind of drywall yourself.
• Soundproofing Insulation
Soundproofing insulation can cut down on noises in a space drastically. There are many different kinds of soundproofing insulation materials available that can be purchased at a hardware store or even at a chain retail store like WalMart.
These materials are often made of recycled fiber or other for safe synthetics.
They’re a lot like fiberglass insulation materials and are applied in much the same way.
The difference is that these materials are denser and focus more on reducing sound than improving energy efficiency.
That’s not to say, however, that these materials won’t make an area more energy efficient because they almost always will.
This is in part why they are a budget-friendly option; they will save you money on heating and cooling a space in the long-run.
You can stuff these materials inside of walls, floors, and the ceiling safely and effectively increase the sound insulating properties to any room.
While this may seem like a spendy option, it isn’t. These materials are available for bulk purchase and you can purchase and install them for less than it costs to have a room painted.
You can install soundproofing insulation yourself; it really isn’t as difficult as many people would think.
The Verdict on Egg crates
So there you have it!
Now you know how effective egg carton soundproofing really is and what alternatives may be used instead.
Did I miss anything? Please feel free to leave your comments, questions, and feedback!
I am interested to hear what you think and find out which soundproofing methods have worked best for you.
Hi, I live in a duplex with a single dividing wall.
Do you think a sound proof door at the beginning of the passage would lower the sound?
This would be about middle of the duplex & the pensioners in the other duplex would be asleep at the front of the duplex.
Would love to have a bit more volume when they go to bed at night.
Thanks in Advance & Kind Regard.
Carol.
What I have in mind are Bubble wraps but I guess I can combine both with egg crates.
Regardless of their actual efficiency (which I doubt), eggcartons on walls have a significant disadvantage. They are HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. If your bassist drops his joint on one, your studio will go up in flames in 5 minutes
Jim,
What would you recvomend, I am running a tight budget . My garage , which is my office needs sound proofing and insulation. But not I hope at a great deal of money.
My garage is 25′ x 10’x 10′ that is 2500 sq ft .
Can i do this witout breaking the bank?