How Do You Soundproof a Kitchen Sink?
Does your kitchen sink make a loud hollow tinny sound whenever the water is running?
Or maybe it’s that unbearable banging sound caused by cutlery and plates being cleaned in the sink bowl.
Excessive noise coming from a poorly insulated kitchen sink can quickly become an annoyance for everyone inside the home — especially if you live in a smaller house or an apartment.
Thankfully there are some easy DIY soundproofing treatments you can apply to your new or old kitchen sink to help reduce how loud it sounds when it’s in use.
Why Soundproof a Kitchen Sink?
Kitchen sinks are made from a range of different materials, and also come in a variety of different shapes and sizes.
Granite, porcelain, and ceramic kitchen sinks are very dense, so they can naturally absorb sounds and vibration.
Stainless-steel kitchen sinks are much thinner by design and can act as a drum that will amplify the sounds.
With stainless-steel kitchen sinks in particular, loud noise occurs because the underside and walls of the thin metal sink allow for more vibration than a thicker granite sink would.
And if your kitchen sink has two bowls, the open space between them on the underside can act as a cavern for noise, amplifying the sound as it bounces back and forth.
So when soundproofing a kitchen sink, your main goal is to try and decrease vibrations in the kitchen sink bowl.
Best DIY Methods for Soundproofing a Kitchen Sink
The best DIY solutions for soundproofing a kitchen sink involve applying a vibration dampening material to the underside of the kitchen sink bowl — such as rubberised undercoating spray, sound-deadening mats or mass-loaded vinyls.
Below we have outlined the cheapest, simplest and most effective DIY methods for soundproofing your kitchen sink, plus the steps you will need to take to ensure you do a good job.
Cheapestway to soundproof a kitchen sink:RubberisedUndercoating Spray
Rubberised Undercoating Spray, Image courtesy of Amazon.com.au
Applying rubberized undercoating spray to the underside of your sink bowl is a cheap and effective way to soundproof a noisy sink.
Rubberized undercoating spray is a product that is typically applied to motor vehicle undercarriages to protect vulnerable parts from corrosion.
When the spray dries and hardens, it also does a really good job of insulating your kitchen sink to reduce the vibrations and sounds resonating from the sink bowl every time it’s in use.
Follow these stepsto soundproof your kitchen sink with arubberizedundercoating spray:
1. Dismount the sink from the countertop. Clean it and let it dry. Firmly push newspaper, paper sheets or cloth into the holes and gaps of the pipes of the sink. Make sure you areable to take them out easily.
2. Lay a bunch of newspapers on the ground to protect the floor and walls from the spray.
3. Measure about a palm between the sink and the can and thoroughly spray underside ofthe sink.
4.Allow it to dry before removing the newspapers and reinstalling it.
How Much Does Rubberised Undercoating Spray Cost?
The average price for a can of rubberised undercoating spray will cost you about $20.00.
Where Can You Buy Rubberised Undercoating Spray?
Rubberised undercoating spray can be found at most hardware stores, paint shops and places where they sell auto parts or car accessories.
Simplestway to soundproof a kitchen sink: SoundDeadeningMat
Sound deadening mat, self-adhesive, Image courtesy ofWagner Electronics
Using a sound-deadening mat to insulate the underside of your sink bowl is another great option to help reduce the excessive noise coming from your kitchen sink.
Sound deadening mats are typically applied inside cars to reduce the vibration and sounds of the vehicle’s engine and stereo system.
Application for most sound deadening mats will require a simple peel-and-stick process to the underside of your kitchen sink bowl.
Follow these stepsto soundproof your kitchen sink witha sound deadening mat:
1. Measure the underside of the kitchen sink and calculate where you would need to cut the sound deadening mat in order to properly fit it into the noisy sink.
2.Lay the mat on the sink and check your measurements.
3. Most purchasing options include self-adhesive backing, which can easily stick on the surface of the sink. If the one you purchased lacks such, you can use a spray to stick the mat to the bowl sink.
4. Place the mat and stick it to the kitchen sink.
How Much Does Sound Deadening Mat Cost?
The cost of sound deadening mats will vary greatly depending on how much you need and where you buy it from.
It’s also important to note that most retailers will only sell sound deadening mats by a predetermined length and size.
The average cost of a 660x330mm sheet of butyl rubber sound deadening mat will cost about $35.00.
Where Can You Buy Sound Deadening Mat?
Sound deadening mats can be found at most car accessory retailers, soundproofing specialists or online shopping websites.
Most Effective Way to Soundproof a Kitchen Sink: Mass-Loaded Vinyl
Mass-loaded vinyl, Image courtesy of JayCar.com.au
Using mass-loaded vinyl (or MLV) is going to be the most effective method for soundproofing your kitchen sink.
Mass-loaded vinyl is typically used inside cars to reduce vibration and sound. It is also commonly used in building applications to soundproof walls, ceilings, ducts and pipes.
Mass-loaded vinyl is more dense and thicker than rubberized undercoating spray or sound deadening mats. Yet it is still flexible and easyenoughto apply in most situations.
Follow these steps to soundproof your kitchen sink withmass-loaded vinyl:
1. Clean the bottom of the sink and measure how much dampening material you'll need.
2. Use a utility knife to cut the surface area needed to cover the underside of your sink. You will need to cut a circular hole for the drain and a similar holes for the faucet depending on the type of sink you have.
3. Moreover, make sure to use an adhesive that works well on the surface you are trying to isolate. You can check on amazon for suitable choices, read the reviews.
4. Remove the kitchen sink from the sink cabinet and lay it down on the floor, facing the ground. Lay down the MLV on top of it and check whether you've properly measured it.
5. Once you are certain everything is in place, and you can see that the hole for the pipe and the pipe match, you can allow the adhesive to set in and stick the mass-loaded vinyl to the sink.
How Much Does Mass-Loaded Vinyl Cost?
The average costof mass-loaded vinyl will also vary depending on how much you need and where you buy it from.
And again, most retailers will only sell mass-loaded vinyl by a predetermined length and size.
The average cost of a 1350x950mm sheet of mass loaded vinyl will cost about $45.00.
Where Can You Buy Mass-Loaded Vinyl?
Mass-loaded vinyl can be found at most car accessory retailers, soundproofing specialists or online shopping websites.
DIY Kitchen Sink Soundproofing vs. Buying a New Kitchen Sink
Below are some important things you should consider first, before you start buying sound dampening material to begin your DIY soundproofing project.
Are you going to be soundproofing an existing sink that is already installed into a countertop?
To achieve the best possible results with any of the DIY soundproofing solutions we have listed above, you will need to remove the kitchen sink from the countertop in order to apply the sound dampening materials easily and effectively.
The above solutions can also be used with the kitchen sink still connected to the countertop, however this will make the task a lot more difficult to complete.
Do you have the skills and ability to successfully remove an existing kitchen sink in order for you to soundproof it?
Removing a kitchen sink to apply your soundproofing material can sometimes be a tricky task.
If your taps, mixer or faucet are also connected to the kitchen sink you are going to be working on, you will need to make sure you isolate the water before disconnecting any of the water pipes or flexible hoses to remove the sink bowl.
Would you be better off buying a new kitchen sink?
Just like all DIY projects, the results you get when soundproofing a kitchen sink yourself are going to vary widely — based on your own personal skills and your ability to apply the sound dampening material effectively.
There is also no solid guarantee that your DIY soundproofing job will completely fix the problem.
Soundproofing a new kitchen sink which hasn’t been installed into the countertop yet is a fairly simple, quick and straight-forward task.
Removing an old sink from an existing countertop or trying to soundproof your sink while it is still connected to the countertop is a much more difficult, risky and time-consuming process.
Read our guide on “How to Choose a Cheap and High-Quality Kitchen Sink” or browseour range of kitchen sinksif you think you might be better off just buying a new kitchen sink altogether.
Need Help Choosing the Best Soundproof Kitchen Sink for Your Home?
Here at BuildMat, we pride ourselves on supplying only the highest quality materials and expert advice to our customers.
We believe if it's not a kitchen sink we would have in our own homes, then we certainly wouldn't be recommending it in yours.
Feel free to contact us by email at sales@buildmat.com.au if you have any questions about how to choose the best soundproof kitchen sink for your home.
Or call us directly on1300 123 122
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