Barndominiums, known for their open layouts, metal construction, and rural charm, are a fast-growing trend in custom home design. But one thing barndo owners often notice is how sound travels—loudly—through metal walls, open floor plans, and high ceilings. If you’re building or remodeling your barndominium and want a quiet, restful retreat, learning how to soundproof your bedroom is essential.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through practical, effective soundproofing strategies for your barndominium bedroom. Whether you’re trying to block out noise from your kids playing in the great room, the hum of the workshop, or just want to sleep peacefully through storms and wind, this post will cover everything you need.
Why Soundproofing Is Especially Important in Barndominiums
Barndominiums, typically constructed with metal framing and sheet metal siding, aren’t naturally soundproof. Unlike traditional homes with wood framing and insulated drywall throughout, barndos often lack the materials that absorb and block noise. This can lead to several sound-related issues:
- Echoes and reverberation due to hard metal surfaces
- Outdoor noises (like wind, rain, and animals) penetrating the thin exterior
- Indoor noise traveling easily between rooms due to open plans
- Workshop sounds (grinders, compressors, tools) carrying into living areas
A bedroom should be your sanctuary from all of this. Fortunately, you don’t have to rebuild your entire home to fix the noise problem. With the right strategies, you can significantly reduce sound transmission and improve comfort.
1. Understand the Types of Noise
Before diving into materials and installation, it helps to understand what types of sound you’re trying to block:
- Airborne Noise: This includes voices, music, TV, and dogs barking. It travels through the air and penetrates walls, ceilings, and doors.
- Impact Noise: This includes footsteps, slamming doors, or anything that causes vibrations.
- Flanking Noise: This is indirect noise that travels around barriers—like through ducts or gaps around doors and windows.
Effective soundproofing addresses all three types.
2. Start with the Walls
Barndominium walls are often made of metal panels with little insulation. To soundproof effectively, you need to add mass, insulation, and dampening layers.
- Add Insulation: Fiberglass or mineral wool insulation inside wall cavities can absorb airborne noise. Mineral wool (like Rockwool Safe’n’Sound) is especially effective because it’s denser and more fire-resistant.
- Add Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV): MLV is a flexible sound-blocking sheet that can be installed behind drywall. It’s dense yet thin, making it a great way to add mass without using multiple layers of drywall.
- Double Drywall with Green Glue: Another highly effective method is installing a second layer of drywall with Green Glue in between. Green Glue is a noise-dampening compound that absorbs vibrations between layers. This technique dramatically reduces sound transmission.
- Isolate the Studs: For maximum effectiveness, consider using resilient channels or sound isolation clips when hanging drywall. These decouple the drywall from the studs, reducing the path for vibrations to travel.
3. Soundproof the Ceiling
If your barndominium bedroom is on the first floor and there’s living space or a workshop above, ceiling noise can be a major issue.
- Use Insulation Between Joists: Install batt insulation or spray foam between ceiling joists to dampen airborne noise. Again, mineral wool is a top choice.
- Install Resilient Channels: Just like in the walls, using resilient channels helps decouple drywall from the ceiling structure.
- Add Soundproof Drywall: If you’re remodeling or building new, consider using specialty soundproof drywall like QuietRock. It’s more expensive, but it combines mass and dampening layers in one material.
4. Soundproof the Floor
If your bedroom sits above a shop, garage, or communal space, floors need special attention.
- Use Underlayment: For carpet, laminate, or engineered wood floors, install a high-density soundproof underlayment like QuietWalk or cork. This reduces impact and airborne noise.
- Carpeting: Wall-to-wall carpet with thick padding absorbs foot traffic and ambient sound better than hard flooring.
- Floating Floors: If you’re doing a full remodel, floating floors can be installed over an isolation layer to further reduce vibration transfer.
5. Soundproof the Doors
A common oversight in soundproofing is the bedroom door. Hollow-core doors offer almost no sound resistance.
- Replace with Solid Core Doors: Upgrading to a solid wood or solid-core composite door adds significant mass, which blocks sound effectively.
- Seal Gaps: Install weatherstripping around the door frame and a door sweep underneath. Sound travels easily through cracks and gaps—even tiny ones.
- Add a Door Seal Kit: For the best results, install an acoustic door seal kit. These create a tight seal on all sides of the door and are commonly used in recording studios.
6. Don’t Forget the Windows
Barndominium bedrooms with large windows can let in a lot of exterior noise.
- Install Double or Triple Pane Windows: If your windows are old or single-pane, upgrading to double or triple-glazed windows can make a huge difference in noise reduction.
- Use Soundproof Curtains: Heavy, thermal-lined curtains can reduce outside noise, especially when combined with high-quality windows. Look for products specifically labeled “soundproof” or “noise-reducing.”
- Add Window Inserts: Acoustic window inserts (like Indow or CitiQuiet) are installed inside your existing frame and reduce sound transmission by creating an additional air barrier.
7. Seal the Gaps and Cracks
Sound travels through the path of least resistance. If your walls, ceiling, or floors are well-insulated but gaps around pipes, vents, or outlets are left open, sound will find its way in.
- Acoustic Caulk: Use acoustic caulk (like Green Glue Sealant) around all gaps, including where drywall meets the floor or ceiling.
- Foam Gaskets for Outlets: Install foam outlet and switch gaskets to reduce sound leaks through electrical boxes.
- Seal HVAC Ducts: Line HVAC ducts with acoustic duct liners to reduce flanking noise from other rooms.
8. Add Soft Furnishings and Decor
Once your structural soundproofing is complete, don’t forget the finishing touches. Soft materials help absorb sound and reduce echo inside the bedroom.
- Area rugs on hard floors help dampen footfall
- Heavy curtains or acoustic panels on walls
- Upholstered furniture and throw pillows
- Bookshelves filled with books act as natural sound absorbers
This layer of sound absorption is especially important in barndos, where tall ceilings and metal surfaces can cause sharp echoes.
9. Consider White Noise Machines
If you’re still dealing with occasional noise—maybe from the wind or a distant workshop—a white noise machine can mask disruptive sounds and improve sleep quality. This is a helpful solution when perfect soundproofing isn’t possible.
Final Thoughts
Soundproofing a barndominium bedroom may take a little extra effort, but it’s well worth it. Whether you’re retrofitting an existing room or planning from scratch, you now have a range of options—from structural changes to simple DIY fixes—that will help create a peaceful, restful environment.
With the right combination of insulation, mass, isolation techniques, and soft furnishings, you can turn your metal-structured barndominium into a quiet, cozy sanctuary.
If you’re building or remodeling your barndominium, take time to consider soundproofing in the design stage. It’s much easier (and often cheaper) to include these strategies early than to retrofit them later.
Need help with your barndominium design or layout? We offer custom barndo design plans that can include soundproofing strategies tailored to your lifestyle. Contact us today to start building your dream quiet space!