How to Do Soundproofing with Egg Cartons

The shape of an egg box bears a resemblance to soundproof padding, also known as "acoustic foam." Acoustic foam has a spiky shape with dips and craters and is specifically designed to block and absorb sound waves. Since egg cartons have a similar shape, they have long been believed to be a substitute soundproofing material. Depending on the size of the room, you could easily use more than 100 cartons. Either save the egg boxes you buy at the grocery store or buy them in bulk from an egg carton supplier. Buying the cartons in bulk is often more economical in the long-run.

Step 1

Open the egg carton. Start in one corner of the room and hold the egg box flat against the wall with the bumpy side facing out.

Step 2

Staple the egg box onto the wall with a staple gun, using one staple in each corner of the carton.

Step 3

Repeat steps 1 and 2, work continuously in one direction, either left to right or up and down, in uniform rows until each wall is covered.

Tips

• Styrofoam egg cartons work better than cardboard or plastic. Styrofoam is a common material used in professional soundproofing.
• Some Styrofoam egg cartons might be slightly different in size or thickness, but that will not make a noticeable difference.
• Stapling a layer of carpet over the wall before you hang the egg cartons will further dampen the sound.

Warnings

• Egg boxes are not as effective at soundproofing as commercial grade acoustic foam and padding.
• It may take several hundred egg cartons to soundproof an entire room.
• If you want to professionally soundproof a room and completely block out the sound, you should use professional-grade acoustic foam.