Soundproof the floor aboveĬheck out my article on ways to reduce impact noise from the floor above. Therefore, sealing it with some Green Glue will help to reduce the issue. Use it whenever you’d need to seal a gap, such as between the lighting fixture and the ceiling.Īlong with sound escaping through the light fitting itself, the join between the light and the ceiling is going to be the worst source of noise pollution. It’s quite elastic and converts sound waves into heat energy, which reduces sound transmission. Green Glue is a noise damping compound that can be used in place of normal caulk sealant. When it comes to actually fitting the lights, it’s worth using Green Glue (Amazon link). While it’ll compromise a level of sound absorption, it’ll reduce the problem overall. You can easily cut holes in it with a craft knife and then install the insulation around the recessed lighting. Mineral wool is an amazing insulator, so while it’ll absorb sound waves it’ll also prevent the lights from cooling down. I’d recommend cutting out holes for the lighting fixtures at the very least, if not avoiding them altogether. It’s great at absorbing sound and has the added benefit of being fire and heat resistant. The best product for this job is mineral wool insulation (Amazon link). You just have to be careful with where you place the insulation. It’s entirely possible to insulate the ceiling cavity without impacting the recessed lighting. Insulate the ceiling cavity as much as possible But bear in mind that this might compromise the effectiveness of your soundproofing solutions. This is the only way to reduce the issue of a fire risk as much as possible. The suggestions I offer don’t specifically soundproof the recessed lighting fixtures themselves but work around the area. Build quiet boxes for the light’s housing.Fit the recessed lights using Green Glue.Insulate the ceiling cavity as much as possible.Here are some options to soundproof recessed lighting: I consider this in the solutions I offer below, but if you have any doubts about fire safety in your home, avoid the issue altogether. So when it comes to soundproofing recessed lighting, you have to find the careful balance between effective soundproofing and allowing the lights to operate properly. There currently isn’t an industry-wide solution to the problem because it presents a fire risk. This is why soundproof light fixtures don’t exist. Fibrous materials are great at absorbing sound waves and heat energy, which might be helpful in a wall cavity but becomes a problem around lighting. Thermal and sonic insulation share many of the same properties. As soundproofing is effectively insulation, padding recessed lighting out with loads of mass becomes a big fire hazard. Even energy saving light bulbs produce a lot of heat.Īnd this heat needs somewhere to dissipate. It’s a symptom of the electrical resistance passing through the lighting filament. This can be the perfect place for sound transmission because it increases the size of the break in the ceiling.īut perhaps the biggest problem with soundproofing recessed lighting is the excess heat.Īlmost all lights produce a lot of heat as waste energy. It’s thin and fairly rigid, meaning it vibrates easily when sound waves pass through it.Īlso, your recessed lighting might be a small bulb in a big casing, which means lots of empty space. The housing will often be made of a material such as aluminum, which is great at transmitting sound. The first reason is the lights themselves. But why are recessed lights such an issue? Finding the right balance between soundproofing and light installation can be a big challenge. So by making a cavity for the recessed lighting to sit in means you’re basically opening up a space for sound to escape through. This is true regardless of whether it’s an electrical outlet, screw fixings, or something like recessed lighting. If you’ve come across this problem, you might be wondering how to soundproof recessed lighting.īut before I go into the methods, let’s look at why recessed lighting is such a problem when it comes to soundproofing.Īlso read: How to Soundproof Existing Electrical Outlets Effectively Why is Recessed Lighting a Problem for Soundproofing?Īny break in a surface is an issue when it comes to soundproofing. While recessed lighting can be a great design feature, it can compromise any soundproofing efforts you’ve made.
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