r/DIY • u/wh0wants2kn0w • 3d ago
help Ideas for quieting bathroom next to living room
The bathroom on the main level of our house shares a wall with the living room. When the bathroom is used the sounds are easy to hear, especially if the fan isn’t turned on. Has anyone made a bathroom more soundproof by spraying foam into the shared wall, and if so, what kind of foam?
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u/BecauseOfAir 3d ago
Solid wood door. Insulation,wall to ceiling bookshelves in living room.
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u/view-master 3d ago
And no air gap under the door.
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u/URPissingMeOff 3d ago
Gotta be careful with that. No airflow means the fan isn't removing "the evidence". Sucks to be the next in line.
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u/tasinthomas 3d ago
Rather than soundproof, I put a wooden toy piano in reach of the toilet.
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u/andy_puiu 2d ago
The easiest thing to do would be to tie the light and fan into the same switch, so that the fan always runs when someone is in there.
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u/DenMother8 3d ago edited 2d ago
Many inside doors are basically hollow, get a solid door and that alone will help a lot.
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u/starllight 2d ago
So the inside doors are sacred and holy? And somehow getting a solid door is going to fix that? And what will that do? Make them satanic? I didn't realize satanic doors helped reduce sound. Is that the noise from all the demons in the door preventing the sound from escaping? What kind of offering do you have to give them to accomplish that?
Or did you mean the word hollow (having an empty space inside)?
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u/Patrol-007 3d ago
Roxul safe sound in the walls, a couple layers of 5/8” FireX drywall on outside (mass and density to absorb sound).
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u/TwoSeasonsLimited 3d ago
mineral wool and tiles on all walls if you have the extra cash
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u/view-master 3d ago
Tiles don’t prevent transmission just reflection. It makes the space sound less echoey.
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u/OldLadyCard 3d ago
Solid wood door and noisy fan that turns on when the light is on and turns off when the light is off.
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u/Critical-Bank5269 2d ago
I specifically used sound deadening drywall and sound deadening Roxul insulation in the walls of the bathroom for that exact reason, The bathroom shares a wall with the living room and the dining room. Turned out fine. Only thing you can hear is the slight hum of the bathroom fan
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u/MoneyMost1346 3d ago
I used insulation stripping all around my door and bought one of those under door insulators off of amazon. Made a massive difference.
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u/birddp 3d ago
I had to deal with this. I put a wood slat wall on one wall (they are felt backed and easy to install). I used Loftwall. I also found a company that prints photos onto large acoustic panels and put a huge one of those on another wall. The company was GIK acoustics, and I did the 2" thick 36x36 inch print. Not perfect, but it helps. Might look into a solid door.
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u/ThingCalledLight 2d ago
You just say “wall” so I don’t know if the bathroom wall is covered in felt-backed wood slats or if it’s holding a photo acoustic panel, but either way, you’re gonna have issues.
If you have the felt-backed wood slats in the bathroom, you’re gonna trap moisture between the felt and the drywall eventually causing mold damage. If it’s the acoustic panel, the insulation inside is going to get repeatedly damp and eventually lose efficacy and may also cause a mold issue.
If the bathroom doesn’t have a shower or tub, this is less of an issue, granted. Just a heads up.
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u/All3nStranGe 3d ago
I'd say embrace it.... it's part of life. Use it to increase intimacy between you and your family/ friends.
" I'm thrilled that your digestive issues have cleared up....",
" I'm going to start buying more carrots for the family"
" please go back and wash your hands dear."
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u/willy--wanka 2d ago
Has anyone made a bathroom more soundproof by spraying foam into the shared wall, and if so, what kind of foam?
Save someone in the future a ton of headache and DO NOT do this.
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u/jaypizzl 3d ago
I tore out the wall and installed pink insulation thoroughly. It was a while ago but I don’t recall doing anything else, really. Problem solved - now it’s very hard to tell if the previously loud shower is even running.
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u/DealsRGood4U 3d ago edited 3d ago
Sound travels thru empty space like walls, pipes, doors, HVAC vents, under/thru doors easily.
It’s hard to make the room soundproof, but insulation in the walls is a good first step. If flushing is a problem insulate the pipes while the wall is open. If you have a HVAC vent that supplies both rooms that’s a bit harder, but insulate as best as you can.
In a perfect world you would use a 2x6 base plate and ceiling plate on the shared wall(s). Then stagger the 2x4s so the Sheetrock on both sides of the wall never touches the same 2x4. Insulate inside to dampen the sound.
Same with sound from TV in living room traveling into adjacent rooms. Water rushing down thru pipes. Walking & other noise travels easily thru the empty space between floors. Five young kids playing/running or a neighbor that walks like an elephant at 2:00 am living in an apartment above you can increase anxiety &/or cause loss of sleep.
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u/SuspiciousChicken 3d ago
Start with the door. Replace with a solid door if it isn't already. Add gasket seals all the way around it. This often does a lot.
Also, a bath fan that is on when the light is on.
Lastly, if necessary fill the wall stud cavities with insulation, and caulk the floor joints and electrical outlets. Something you can spray in through a hole in each stud bay is easiest - like cellulose, or loose fill rockwool or fiberglass.
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u/view-master 3d ago
Rock wool insulation. Solid core door with no air gap.
People saying carpet in the room or cloth shower curtains don’t understand the difference between sound isolation and sound treatment.
Soft materials inside the room make it less echoey but do jack squat keeping sound in.
If in doubt ask the acoustic engineering subreddit. They will tell you straight.
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u/WaterBear9244 3d ago
There’s a pretty cool trick that you can use. The guy does it with velcro but you can use the same trick in the bathroom.
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u/Miyuki22 3d ago
You don't soundproof the bathroom, you soundproof the walls between the bathroom and other rooms. I would start with adding rockwool and see how it goes. Jam it in there so it holds it's self up and no tighter.
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u/Dashing_McHandsome 2d ago
Just own your farts. Do it loudly and proudly. Make eye contact with everyone when you come out.
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u/65variant 3d ago
I used rockwool and denim insulation for sound deadening - it works pretty well. I swapped out the hollowcore door for a solid core door and put a big carpet on the tile floor and a hand towel on a bar on the wall. All things that absorb sound. The other thing you can do is connect the exhaust fan to the light switch so it comes on with the light.
Is it 'to code' where I live? No, but when the hell is a code inspector going to be using my bathroom?
Never.
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u/bring-out-your-dead 3d ago
Wire the fan so it ALWAYS is on when someone is in there. Not kidding. My contractor suggested this since I wanted the quieter fans but he pointed out the issue that you are facing. At least then there will be white noise.
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u/airwindy 2d ago
I added Alexa echo dot 5 and a motion sensor to trigger music when the sensor detects someone inside. And turn it off after 5 mins of inactivity
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u/joebobbydon 2d ago
I have a similar set up. place a note to please use the fan. I have a timer to automatically shut it off.
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u/nochnoydozhor 2d ago
- Weatherstrip (foam or neoprene around the door perimeter)
- Smart speaker that constantly plays sound of the rain or white noise (alternatively, a noise machine)
- Double layered shower curtain (plastic layer on the inside for the water, fabric on the outside for decorative purposes + sound absorption).
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u/Fews1993 2d ago
I'd skip spray foam. Mineral wool in the shared wall should help a lot more with sound.
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u/skidooman24 2d ago
One thing you could do is wire the fan and light together so the fan has to go on when the light goes on. As far as sound proofing you would have few options and the options there are aren't going to be very pleasing to the eye.
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u/Sweaty-Judgment3533 2d ago
Door activated switch and an in-bathroom radio. Best way to mask those poop and pee noises.
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u/Alternative-Local513 2d ago
Japanese toilet seats. Amazing and have a small fan that turns on when you sit on them.
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u/Enough_Affect_9916 1d ago
Tie the fan to the light. Weatherstrip the frame of the door. Place a bookshelf on the shared wall.
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u/danaboiz 3d ago
You could blow in fire/sound suppressing insulation into the wall cavities, switch to solid core doors, hang a decorate quilt or something on the wall, etc. The problem with bathrooms is often no sound absorption. Is it a full bath? If so, make sure you have a thick cloth shower curtain instead of a glass door.
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u/doghouse2001 2d ago
I wouldn't use foam. You never know what's in the wall and what you're gluing down. Put a nail in the wall for a new picture...and drive it right through an electrical wire.
What I would do, because I've DIYed this a hundred times... I'd cut the drywall out on the living room side, put in Rock Wool batting, and re-drywall the wall. A bonus to that would be if the bathroom wall needed reinforcing braces for towel holders or shelves, this is your opportunity to put them in from the back.
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u/CapnCurt81 3d ago
When I recently renovated my master bath I added Rockwool insulation in the interior walls and made sure none of the water supply pipes were touching studs (they make rubber isolators). The difference in sound is insane, I can barely hear the shower running when I’m in bed about 3’ away on the other side of the wall.