A Brief History of Soundproofing

There are quite a few modern inventions that it would be difficult to imagine life without. Your TV, your mobile phone, and yes, even sliced bread are all fairly recent developments in global technological timelines. One other technological advance of the past that is often overlooked is soundproofing. While we may not always notice the effects of soundproofing, we would definitely live in a much louder and less productive world without it. Therefore, we’ve put together a brief history of soundproofing as a reminder of just how far things have come.

Humans didn’t begin attempting to tame sound until around the middle of the last century. Somehow, we were able to build planes and rockets that could go faster than the speed of sound, but we couldn’t figure out how to control or maintain soundwaves. That is, until we started using the simplest foam prototypes to pad rooms to deaden sound within the room. However, people quickly realized that the silence created by the foam padding inside the room didn’t do much to deaden the sound coming from outside the room.

After realizing that outside noise simply became more apparent when deadening the inside noise, people started implementing materials including sheet lead which could completely block outside sound (as well as radiation) from getting into an enclosed space. However, the amount of lead required to produce this soundproofing capability proved to be more expensive than it was worth.

From this point on, if the average individual wanted to sound proof a room, they didn’t have many professional options. Of course, the popular shag carpet walls became a popular aesthetic choice in the 70s both for their appearance as well as their ability (albeit limited) to provide some soundproofing for a room. Other people got creative by using egg cartons, beanbags, or the traditional foam padding as a way to soundproof rooms.

Thankfully, in the 21^st century, the price of soundproofing has finally been able to keep pace with the technology, allowing for affordable soundproofing solutions that actually work on even the most conservative budget.

As you can see, soundproofing technology has not always been as affordable or efficient as it is now. It took a while for the soundproofing technology available to professionals to make its way into the homes of average consumers without costing a fortune. With current technology, soundproofing both works better than it used to as well as looks better than previous versions of this technology. No longer do you have to deal with bulky, unsightly foam or heavy paneling around your home or office. Regardless of what soundproofing solution you choose, we hope that SoundAway can be your go-to solution for all of your acoustic needs.