Soundproofing a garage is a great space modification to limit noise from cars, workshop tools, or even musical instruments. If you or your family want to use the space for a loud project, you might want to learn how to soundproof a metal garage yourself.
Not all garage soundproofing techniques are equal. In this guide, we’ll explain the different types, their benefits, and how to tackle an installation project. In no time, your garage workshop, auto body detail center, or jam headquarters will be ready to use without the risk of bothering the whole family or the neighborhood.
Why Soundproofing a Garage Is a Good Idea
Whether you use your garage as a workshop, space to park, home office, or something else, many garage activities are loud.
Soundproofing helps keep noise down, whether you have an attached or detached garage space. It does this in two ways:
- Stopping soundwaves in their tracks by closing gaps they could pass through
- Absorbing sound waves and limiting how many hard, flat surfaces they can bounce off
No matter how you use your space, garage noise reduction has some nice benefits, like:
- Trapping noise inside when you don’t want to disturb your family or your neighbors with loud garage activities like working on cars or using power tools
- Keeping noise outside when you’d rather have peace and quiet in the garage, like if you use it for an office space or you’re working on a complicated project
- Reducing echo inside the garage in case you or someone else uses the space for band practice, improving the sound quality of your space
Plus, if you live in a noisy area near a highway or a manufacturing facility, soundproofing your garage and home might even improve your resale value in the long run.
How to Soundproof a Metal Garage
Proper soundproofing of a garage is slightly different than soundproofing another room in your home. The garage door is usually thinner than a typical door and has more joints where it folds as it opens—meaning more space for sound to get in or escape.
You should also look around to note any special features in the garage that might affect your soundproofing project:
- What’s it made out of? Wood and metal garages are common, but they reflect sound differently, potentially changing the type and amount of material you’ll need.
- How many windows and doors does it have? Both areas allow sound to enter or escape, so the more you have, the more creative sound insulation solutions you might need.
- What’s the garage door like? Sliding, barn-style, roll-up, tilting, or sectional doors all have different soundproofing considerations. Additionally, how often you use the door may change the type of soundproofing material you need.
Tools You Might Need
Usually, the following tools will best help you finish the job:
- Protective gear
- Tape measure
- Straight edge
- Hammer and nails, and/or staple gun
- Hacksaw
You might need a few different tools depending on the type of soundproofing materials you’re installing, as well as the type of garage you have—whether it is made out of wood, brick, metal, or another material.
1. Start with the Garage Door
Most garage doors aren’t very good at absorbing or stopping sound waves. If you have a door that tilts, slides, or opens up barn-style, you should be able to add soundproofing material directly to the door.
On the other hand, if you have a sectional or roll-up garage door, you might need to hang a sound-dampening material behind the door to capture sound waves because the material won’t adhere directly to the door.
2. Next, Check the Space around the Door
No matter what kind of garage door you have, you’ll need to ensure that the space around it forms a tight enough seal if you want a truly soundproof space. This has the advantage of creating a more weathertight seal to keep the garage cool in warm weather and warm when it’s cold out.
3. Add Soundproofing to the Walls and Ceiling
The walls and ceiling are large surfaces that sound waves love to bounce off and cause echoes. You can add soundproofing insulation if your beams and rafters are exposed to prevent this. If you have sheetrock walls or another flat surface, you can apply soundproofing foam to absorb extra sound.
4. Soundproof the Floor
Your garage isn’t on the second floor of your home, so why soundproof the floors? Garage floors are usually the largest and flattest surfaces to worry about, and they can reflect lots of sound waves that add significant echo.
A simple solution is to switch up your garage flooring material by installing a durable carpet. Carpet absorbs more sound waves since it’s not as hard and flat as concrete or most other garage flooring.
5. Don’t Forget the Windows and Doors
Garage windows aren’t usually designed with peace and quiet in mind. To skip an expensive replacement with something more solid, like storm windows, you can add soundproofing tape or acoustic tape to close any gaps. Thick, multi-layered curtains can help block some extra noise, too. Blackout curtains will typically do the trick here.
Doors can also have gaps around them for sound to creep through. Sweeps and door seals can help block some sound from entering or escaping. The material your door is made from can also impact how sound travels through it. Denser materials like solid wood are best for the most absorption, but you can also affix soundproofing foam panels to doors for a quicker fix.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re getting ready to reduce sound travel in and out of your garage, check out these frequently asked questions about soundproofing.
How Much Does It Cost to Soundproof a Garage?
Soundproofing a garage costs anywhere from $1,900 to $14,4001. Since garages typically have less insulation than rooms in your house (or none at all), they can be a little more expensive to seal up.
Can You Completely Soundproof a Garage?
In most cases, you cannot completely soundproof a garage without a process called decoupling which is similar to building a room within a room. This is because it’s very difficult to soundproof a garage door completely, especially if you have a roll-up door that can’t hold soundproofing material.
This probably isn’t the best option if you want to use your garage for other things besides band practice. However, it is possible to soundproof a garage very well so not much noise gets in or out.
Does Soundproofing Block Noise from Power Tools?
Yes, soundproofing can block noise from power tools and various other garage activities.
Build Your Perfect Garage
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