The bathroom in my apartment seems to amplify everything from toilet flushes to showers to even bowel movements! I needed to find a way to block the sound being generated from my bathroom to a tolerable level so I decided to do some research and experiment.
Here are some helpful tips you can use for soundproofing a bathroom:
- Secure all pipes
- Tighten all valves
- Adjust water flow
- Dampen toilet seat noise
- Furnish your bathroom (4 simple ideas)
- Implement sound masking (4 easy ideas)
- Soundproof the bathroom door with a door sweep
- Insulate the bathroom walls
- Soundproof drywall & MLV
- Seal any gaps
Let’s take a closer look at each of these…
How To Soundproof Your Toilet
The main source of noise in my bathroom was the toilet. This was the first obstacle I decided to tackle in soundproofing my bathroom. I did some research on what can make toilets loud and discovered that it can be a result of a few different things:
- Loose valves & pipes
- Water flow
- Water tank volume
Tighten Everything Up
My first course of action was to tighten up anything that seemed loose. I made sure all valves were securely fastened and all pipes were sturdy. It’s common to find some clamps and valves to get loose with time.
Modify Water Flow
Sometimes your toilet may continually flush or make a flushing noise randomly. My toilet would make a random flushing noise and I had no idea why. I discovered that I needed to adjust the water valves. If the opening is not set correctly this can cause unwanted noise. You want to make sure your water valve is all the way open for maximum speed. Turn it left to keep it open. Turning it right will shut off water to your toilet.
Soundproof Inside Your Tank
The majority of toilet noise comes from the tank as that is where all of the valves are located that allow water in and out. Much the same way you would seal a door to soundproof it, you want to do the same thing with your toilet. Take off the lid of your tank and apply adhesive foam tape around the tank edges and lid. This will help to muffle the noise being emitted from your tank.
Adjust Tank Water Level
To help reduce noise, try altering the level of water in the tank by adjusting the valve positions. Some sounds may be produced erratically because of a high water level in your toilet tank. By preventing the tank from completely filling up, you could possibly reduce noise.
How To Dampen The Sound of Your Toilet Seat
Every time I open or close the lid of my toilet seat there would be a loud clanging noise, which I’m sure you all know by now, especially if you have children. It can be loud and obnoxious. Just watch the video below of how loud my toilet seat is when I open it.
If you accidentally drop the toilet seat not only does it make a loud sound but it can also crack. Here is what I rigged up to prevent damage and noise.
I placed 3M dual velcro lock tape that I found on Amazon in specific areas along my toilet seat, toilet tank, and toilet lid. You can also use these cool sticky gel shoe pads as well, which will probably look better than the velcro tape. I placed the first piece of thick tape on the front of the tank where it makes contact with the lid. I placed another piece of tape on the bottom of the toilet lid cover. The last piece was placed under the actual toilet seat. Play the video below to hear the difference. Notice how silent my toilet seat is now when I open and close it.
As you can tell, installing the double sided velcro tape made a drastic difference. My toilet seat is much quieter now! I know it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing sight in the world but I didn’t really care as long as it worked.
Furnish Your Bathroom
Have you ever yelled into an empty room? Did you notice the echo? When there is no furniture or rugs to capture the sound reverb is inevitable. Therefore you need to furnish or decorate your bathroom. Here are a few simple ideas that actually work.
Use Thick Bath Mats
Believe it or not, adding a couple of bath mats to your bathroom helps to reduce echo. I was surprised by the difference after adding these two small bath mats. Make sure to purchase these thick, plush bath mats on Amazon to help reduce echo immediately. Plus they are extremely comfortable and absorb water very well.
Set Up Towels
If you have a lot of towels then you should make use of them. Hang up a common towel for people to use when they wash their hands. Also hang up a towel on the rack near your bathtub to help absorb the toilet sounds. The more thick and fluffy your towels the better it will be at soaking up noise. A good idea is to use something like these decorative towels in your bathroom to absorb sound. Simply stack them next to your sink or on top of your toilet tank. It also makes your bathroom look more pleasant.
Install A Thick Shower Curtain
I know it may not sound like much but a thick shower curtain will absorb sound in your bathroom. You can even double it up with a shower liner. A thick, heavy shower curtain can help prevent sound from bouncing around your tub and throughout the rest of the bathroom.
Put Up Soundproof Wallpaper
I have mentioned using soundproof wallpaper in my post on soundproofing a baby’s room. You can use the same soundproof wallpaper for your bathroom. It seems weird but I felt like this may have helped a little bit because it is made of thick material.
Hang Up Wall Decor & Wall Art
Art canvas that you can hang on your bathroom walls is not only pleasant to look at while you are relieving yourself but also helps to soak up noise. The larger and thicker the canvas the better it will work for reducing reverberation in your bathroom. I found using something like these canvas wall prints seems to work pretty good in my bathroom. They are small enough so you can hang them easily on your walls.
Implement Sound Masking
Here are some cool and unique ways to disguise sounds coming from your bathroom. These actually do a great job of masking noises so it’s hard for those outside of the bathroom to notice any type of noise.
Install A Sound System
If you have not already, you should definitely set up some type of sound system in your bathroom. Your guests will love it! It does not have to be a complete stereo system setup. You can simply place a bluetooth Bose speaker on a shelf in your bathroom so your friends can connect their phone and listen to some tunes.
Get A Small Waterfall
I recommend purchasing this portable indoor electric waterfall that produces white noise for your bathroom. This not only helps makes your bathroom experience peaceful but also helps to disguise sound.
Install A Noisy Bathroom Fan
Make sure to install a loud bathroom fan if you have not already. Having a louder fan will help to mask bathroom noises and make your guest feel less self-conscious and potentially embarrassed.
Buy A Purifier
You can also get a purifier for your bathroom like the Alen BreatheSmart that has a HEPA filter. It produces a low white noise to help disguise sounds and also keeps the air clean and fresh in your bathroom by reducing odor.
How To Soundproof A Bathroom Door
It is always best practice to install a solid-core door instead of using a hollow core door. The hollow doors do absolutely nothing for blocking sound.
You can also install a door sweep to keep sound from being emitted underneath your door. This is typically where most sound escapes and enters a room. Check out my post on how to easily install a door sweep where I give you step-by-step instructions. It’s very simple to do and won’t take up much of your time but you will notice a huge difference!
Insulate Your Bathroom Walls
I have personally not done this in my apartment because I’m currently renting. I don’t think my landlord would be too thrilled if I started cutting holes in his walls!
However, from the research I have done, it looks like a simple job to complete and is very effective. Home Depot or Lowes rents insulation blowing machines so you don’t have to buy one because they are very expensive. You will also need to buy the tools such as a saw, wood, paint, and spackle.
Use Soundproof Drywall
If you are handy I suggest installing some type of soundproof drywall. If you don’t have the extra funds for soundproof boards, regular drywall will work. For extra sound blocking you can double up on the drywall but it will make your bathroom slightly smaller.
Before putting up drywall, I suggest installing mass loaded vinyl to the studs. From what I have researched, this stuff will help deaden sound drastically and produce a very quiet bathroom.
Fill the Gaps
If there is even the slightest opening in your bathroom wall or door to the rest of your house or apartment, all sound blocking efforts will be compromised. Therefore you need to fill up any small gaps with this soundproof foam sealant I found on Amazon. This stuff is thick and will seal your bathroom airtight to help prevent sound from escaping.
Now you have a few ideas to play around with to help block the sounds coming from your bathroom. Try implementing a couple of these tips and let me know the method that worked best for you. Readers of this blog would also like to learn too!\
Peace & Quiet At Last!
After applying a few of the tips I discovered in this article, my bathroom became much quieter. Opening and closing the toilet lid is now just a slight muffle. Bowel movements no longer reverberate off the walls in my bathroom. My guests now have peace of mind that any unexpected bodily noises would be concealed. Each flush has become stifled and no longer get amplified throuhout the rest of my apartment.
