Soundproofing Home Theaters

Have you ever noticed that, aside from people who talk a lot during movies, movie theaters tend to have a whole lot less ambient noise? I mean really, you wouldn't even know that there was a movie going on next door unless it got exceptionally loud. The reason for this is because of soundproofing. If you are thinking of having a home theater, then why not ensure that you get this same level of sound quality? Soundproofing home theaters is relatively easy, as long as you take care to follow a few steps.

1. Start bare. To properly ensure that your home theater is completely soundproofed, it is best to start bare. This means that you need to remove anything extraneous from your room. If at all possible take your walls and ceiling completely down to the wallboards (or drywall as it is also known). Doing this will give you a blank slate to work from, and ensure that you haven't missed anything.
2. Measure twice. Once you have your room prepped, it is time to begin measuring. Measure the room at least two times to ensure that you get the proper dimensions. There is an old saying that goes "Measure twice, cut once." This is will help ensure that you have the proper dimensions for your materials, and help cut down on the number of mistakes that you may make while installing the soundproofing material.
3. Get your materials. After you have your dimensions, it is time to get your materials. Most local home improvement stores will offer all the materials that you need. However, if you can't find all the materials that you need, you can always find them online with a simple web search. Typically all that you will need is enough drywall (or wallboard) to cover your entire room, and a sound dampening material. While you can get expensive materials from online, if you simply purchase some cork, about 1/4 inch in thickness, you will have a wonderfully soundproofed room.
4. Install your materials. Get your materials home, and then begin installing them. Be sure that you have help to install the materials, since your wallboard can be pretty heavy. Start by installing the cork. Place some construction adhesive along the wall, and then begin pressing the cork against it. Secure the cork in place by using a few screws or nails, though you want to ensure that you are using screws and nails that are meant for drywall (less likely to damage the drywall that way). Once you have your cork in place on all the walls, it is time to cover it up again. Simply install your wallboard as you normally would, start in one corner of the room and working your way around.
5. Finish the room. Once you have installed the last of the wallboard, it is time to finish the room. This means that you should install any carpeting or flooring necessary if you haven't already; as well as painting the room the color that you want it to be.
6. Decorate the room, and enjoy. After you have installed the flooring and painted the walls in your home theater you only have two things left to do. The first is to decorate it in the manner that you want, and the second is to sit back and enjoy your new soundproofed home theater.