Last updated: January 30, 2023 at 12:08 pm
Bathrooms are notorious for experiencing the most amount of echo, especially when compared to every other room in a house or a standard building. The materials that are typically used to build bathrooms are not very soundproof and tend to lack insulation (leading to noise and echo issues).
The sound waves can bounce off these surfaces and cause an echo. This can be especially amplified if you live in a noisy area and have thinner walls in general. There are many ways in which you can stop echo in a bathroom.
Whether you’re building the bathroom from scratch or renovating a bathroom that’s already built, we’ll walk you through all of the above in the article below.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Why Exactly does Echo Occur in the Bathroom?
There are many reasons why echo tends to be amplified in a bathroom setting. One of the main reasons for this is due to the typical materials that are used in bathrooms. Bathrooms are typically enclosed areas with hard surfaces such as tiles or ceramic surfaces.
The sound waves that exist as a result of speaking or other noise will bounce around these hard surfaces, causing an echo. The general solution to this is to ensure the bathroom is fully soundproofed, avoiding unnecessary noise and thus, echo.
Building from Scratch
If you’re building a bathroom from scratch, it’s important to put aside some money to soundproof the room properly. An inexpensive place to start is by soundproofing the bathroom door.
If you’re choosing a door, you should go for a solid door that will keep the noise in and block the noise out at the same time. While heavier doors can be quite expensive, it’s a good investment for future privacy in the bathroom. These kinds of doors are a great idea if you have yet to pick one out for the bathroom and want to invest in a soundproof door.
Similarly, if you’re starting fresh with a bathroom, we’d recommend installing rubber flooring from the get-go. Rubber flooring is a versatile option that not only offers the benefit of soundproofing but also ensures a great level of safety due to the anti-slip materials.
While this is quite an expensive procedure, it’s also worth it in the long run. Rubber flooring will ultimately ensure peace and quiet; no noise coming from the bathroom and no noise entering from outside of it.
Soundproofing a Door
If you already have a door installed in the bathroom, there are still quite a few options for soundproofing it. One option would be to purchase a door sweep to cover any gaps at the bottom of the door.
Door sweeps help to keep noise in and stop noise from leaving the room. They’re affordable and easy to install. Additionally, sealing up any other gaps in the door will aid you in soundproofing the bathroom fully and avoiding echo. Keep in mind that any seals you buy for the gaps in the door should be quite thin so that they don’t block the door and stop it from closing properly.
Placing a blanket in front of the bathroom door should do the trick if you’re looking for a temporary solution and don’t wish to buy door sweeps.
Remodelling the Bathroom as a Whole
Soundproofing other areas of the bathroom will further help to deaden noise and stop echo. Purchasing a rubber mat for the bathroom floor will not only help to deaden the noise of feet walking across the floor. But it will also provide a more comfortable surface to walk on.
Remember:
The rubber mat that you purchase should be water-resistant: an important element for a bathroom.
Along with this, you should also check for any gaps in the bathroom walls. Any potential damage such as gaps or cracks in the walls could be amplifying sound in the bathroom. Seal up these gaps and witness the noise and echo deadening significantly.
Decorate Flat Surfaces
Echo bounces around any flat surface that is bare, such as walls or mirrors that lack decoration. A simple solution is to decorate the bathroom walls and any flat surfaces. This will help absorb some of the sound waves bouncing around the room.
Make sure that the objects you use to decorate the bathroom are soft and porous materials. This way, you can absorb the sound waves and prevent echo. A good piece of advice is to choose darker images if you’re hanging up wall art for this same purpose.
Installing shelves or racks works the same way, so this is another affordable idea to reduce echo in the bathroom.
Insulate Bathroom Pipes
Another cause of echo in a bathroom is the bathroom pipes. If the pipes are loose, this can cause noise such as rattling and quite a loud echo. This is an easy process if the pipes are exposed. But, it will be more difficult if the water pipes are already placed behind the walls.
You can use foam to insulate the bathroom pipes, stopping their rattling and echoing. Additionally, insulation will prevent echo in the wintertime when the cold weather causes creaking.
Use Acoustic Tiles for the Ceiling
If you have the choice to build and install ceiling tiles from scratch, we’d recommend using acoustic tiles. These types of tiles have the ability to absorb sound waves and also create a kind of barrier between sound waves.
If you cannot afford to remodel a bathroom, you can cover one wall and use some of the other methods listed above for the spare walls. This can work just as well as covering the entire bathroom with acoustic tiles.
Choosing the Right Materials
When building a bathroom or simply remodelling one, it’s important to choose your materials wisely. For example, a fabric shower curtain is a wonderful way to absorb sound and echo in the bathroom.
This is a much better option compared to a plastic curtain and they cost around the same price! Along with this, placing sound absorbing panels around the bathroom walls will contribute to the reduction of echo in the bathroom.
Hang Towels
On a more personal note, a simple solution to stop echo in your own bathroom is to let your towels air dry behind the bathroom door.
These towels will then absorb noise and echo in the bathroom and will also dry faster!
Similarly, you can hang a decorative sheet over any mirrors in your bathroom to reduce echo. This will work wonders for you, especially if you have a large mirror. Again, this is not necessarily a practical long-term solution, but it should do the trick for the time being.
Block Noise and Echo with White Noise
Another temporary solution to stop echo in your bathroom is to use a white noise machine. White noise machines emit a noise similar to static which blocks out all of the additional exterior noises in the surrounding area, including unnecessary bathroom noise and echoes.
This, of course, will not fully stop noise and echo but it can be a temporary solution.
Ensure the Bathroom is Ventilated
Another way to reduce echo in a bathroom, whether it’s your own bathroom or you’re building a new one, is to install an extractor fan. Not only will this help to reduce any noise and echo, but a ventilated bathroom will also remove any excess moisture in the air, which can lead to mould.
This can be done successfully by placing the fan directly over a shower/bar or toilet area. A fan creates consistent movement, and this helps to reduce echo or sound waves bouncing around.
Conclusion
The process of reducing noise and stopping echo in a bathroom is much easier if you’re starting to build a bathroom from scratch.
There are ways in which you can adjust a bathroom that’s already been built, in order to reduce the level of noise and echo from both inside and outside the bathroom.
Once these soundproofing methods have been implemented in the bathroom, you can flush the toilet, use a hair dryer, and sing in the shower without causing an echo!
