Are you looking for a cheap and easy way to soundproof your room quickly? I’m going to share an easy life hack I’ve learned that may change your life when it comes to concealing noise — egg carton soundproofing.
As an instructional designer and eLearning creator, I’ve recorded a ton of voiceovers and podcasts over the years and have noticed that it is common to experience extra noises while recording. There have been a lot of recording situations where I’ve had to improvise and experiment to control the sound in the room to get things just right, and one of the simplest hacks I’ve found is to use egg cartons for soundproofing.
In this article, you’ll:
- Learn if soundproofing with egg cartons is worth it compared to acoustic foam or other alternatives.
- Learn 5 steps to soundproof the room using this extraordinary material.
- Find some other soundproofing options.
Do Egg Cartons Work for Soundproofing?
Egg cartons do work for soundproofing a room, but I must add that it is only a cheap, temporary solution. It is convenient if you need a quick fix to any sounds coming into the room that you are recording in, as egg cartons are commonly found in everyone’s refrigerator.
My advice would be not to use this as a permanent solution and to begin investing in other better products that can soundproof your room more successfully.
Below, I will list the pros and cons of soundproofing a room with egg cartons. This will help you make the decision yourself before you begin implementing this soundproofing method.
Pros:
- Good method for beginners
- Inexpensive
- Most households have egg cartons
- Easy to put on walls
Cons:
- Only a temporary fix for noise
- May not get rid of all noises
- Will need to find something more permanent
- If not put on correctly, it may not work effectively
This will help you make the decision yourself before you begin implementing this soundproofing method.
Egg Carton Soundproofing: A Step-by-Step Guide
I’m going to lay out a step-by-step guide to help you in the process of setting up this unique soundproofing method. It’s not difficult and only contains five steps. Follow these steps to successfully soundproof your room with egg cartons:
Step 1: Gather a collection of empty egg cartons
The majority of individuals and families have egg cartons in their refrigerators or recycle bins because eggs are a common food to eat. So, hopefully you have egg cartons around your home or at your neighbors’ homes that you can use. If not, you can go buy some eggs and take them out of the cartons.
Foam and cardboard cartons are both effective, so it doesn’t matter which type you have.
Step 2: Clean egg cartons
Before executing this plan, make sure you clean the egg cartons. This may not seem like a big or important step, but you don’t want to use dirty egg cartons, especially if any egg yolk or shells are in them.
This will get on your walls and potentially stain them.
Step 3: Prepare the walls
Before attaching the egg cartons to the walls, prepare your walls. This will require adding soft material to the wall to give the room more soundproofing.
A few of the commonly used soft materials are blankets, cardboard, paper, and curtains. You can tape/pin these items to your wall or put up curtain rods.
Step 4: Attach the egg cartons to the wall
The next step is to add the egg cartons to your wall. You can use a variety of different things to do this such as glue, starch, wallpaper paste, adhesive, nails, staples, pushpins, or thumbtacks.
Keep in mind that this may not look very appealing, but it is a quick and affordable way to start soundproofing your room.
Step 5: Look around for other solutions
While egg cartons will be very helpful as you try to treat/soundproof your room, it won’t do 100% of the job on its own. That’s because most rooms have other areas, like cracks in doors and windows, where sound leaks in and out.
You can try to keep your room airtight if the goal is to keep all noises out. This will require checking the windows and doors for any gaps that may be peeking through.
You can fill these gaps with paper, tape, or acoustic sealant.
Other Soundproofing Possibilities
There are other soundproofing techniques you can try if you don’t want to use egg cartons.
I’ll discuss some of these techniques briefly below, and you can decide which way may work best for you and your budget.
1. Foam Panels
Acoustic foam panels cost between $50-$200. They come in three different styles, which are wedges, pyramids, and egg crates.
To determine which acoustic foam panels you should choose, I would recommend checking the noise reduction coefficient (NRC) rating.
This rating is usually a number between 0-10 (10 being the best). A decent NRC rating is around 8, so you should keep that number in mind when shopping for acoustic foam panels.
2. Soundproof Curtains
Soundproof curtains are another great product to keep noise from coming into your room. They may appear to look like regular curtains, but they are specifically created with thicker and heavier materials to help absorb sound waves.
This is a more costly method, as you will most likely spend around $30-$50 per curtain.
3. Soundproof Blankets
Soundproof blankets are an affordable option for soundproofing a room. They prevent air from passing through their fibers, which blocks out any unneeded sound waves.
While you can find soundproof blankets that are cheap, it is best to buy more expensive ones that work better. These range from $30-$200.
4. Anti-Vibration Pads
They are one of the cheapest options on this list, as you can purchase a four-pack for less than $20.
It is worth noting that anti-vibration pads mainly focus on vibration sounds. Therefore, other types of sound waves and noises will not be reduced effectively.
5. Vocal Booth
A vocal booth is an area where the person recording is secluded. All noises and sounds are kept out of the booth, and only the noise coming from the individual recording is sheltered in the booth.
However, vocal booths are the most expensive option on this list. The majority of these booths cost between $900-$10,000. Sometimes, you can find a used one for around $200, but at that price, it may not be very effective. In this article, you’ll find ways to get a vocal booth.
Is Using Egg Cartons for Soundproofing Worth it?
Using egg cartons for soundproofing is worth it if you have a low budget and need something effective fast.
It may take time to place egg cartons on your walls, but you’ll be glad that you did it in the end. Not everyone can afford an expensive product or item to reduce sounds.
Using a handy, easily accessible item in your home, like the egg crate, will do the job well while saving you some money.
If you have the time and patience, I suggest getting started with this useful technique. You will not regret it even if it is just for the time being!
Useful Links
- Why do egg cartons absorb sound?
- How to build an acoustic diffuser
- How to measure noise & sound levels
- Soundproofing vs sound treatment
Final Thoughts
I hope this article answered your questions about using egg cartons to soundproof your room.
While there are better alternatives to soundproofing a room or studio, like acoustic foam panels and soundproofing blankets, this is a simple, convenient, and super cheap way to solve your problem of sound coming into your recording place or the neighbors getting angry at your loud noise.
Regardless, it is a quick, temporary fix and I do recommend finding a more permanent solution in the near future when you have more time, money, or interest in taking your soundproofing up another notch.
Have any questions about egg carton soundproofing? Leave a comment below and we’ll help you out.