I messed around with layering cork and neoprene a while back when I was trying to quiet down my air compressor (that thing rattled like crazy). Cork alone helped a bit, but adding neoprene definitely stepped things up. My guess is mass-loaded vinyl would probably do even better since it's denser. Just don't go overboard—too many layers can get pricey fast, and honestly, after a certain point, you're chasing diminishing returns...
"Just don't go overboard—too many layers can get pricey fast, and honestly, after a certain point, you're chasing diminishing returns..."
Yeah, I learned that lesson the hard way when I tried soundproofing my laundry room. Thought I'd be clever and layered up foam panels, cork, and even some leftover carpet padding. Sure, it helped a bit, but honestly, after the first couple layers, I couldn't really tell the difference. Makes me wonder if mass-loaded vinyl would've been the smarter move...but hey, live and learn, right?
Yeah, mass-loaded vinyl probably would've given you more bang for your buck. I did something similar with my workshop a few years back—went nuts layering foam and insulation, thinking it'd muffle my table saw noise. Like you said:
"after the first couple layers, I couldn't really tell the difference."
Ended up realizing that sealing gaps around doors and windows made a bigger difference than piling on materials. Lesson learned, but my wallet wasn't thrilled...
Yeah, sealing gaps definitely makes a bigger difference than most people realize. I went through something similar when trying to quiet down my garage door opener—spent way too much on vibration pads and foam panels. Like you said:
"my wallet wasn't thrilled..."
In the end, swapping out the opener for a belt-driven model and tightening up the door tracks did way more than all that extra padding. Sometimes simpler really is better...
Totally agree about simpler being better sometimes. Did you notice a big difference in the noise from just tightening the tracks? I've found with my older carriage-style doors that alignment matters more than padding or insulation... might be worth checking if anyone else has older doors too.
