I need to soundproof my loft.

[Keverian FireCry]

So, I recently moved into an apartment with a friend of mine and I'm paying 1/3 of the rent because I live in a small loft above our large living room/kitchen area. The problem is that sound has been a much bigger problem than I had imagined.

The loft I sleep in has a "half-wall", about 3.5 ft tall, which means there's about 4 feet of nothing that lets sound right in(and out). Due to the acoustics of the space, it also seems like the sounds from the kitchen below are amplified. When my roommate closes a cupboard, etc, it sounds like he's slamming it in my face. He's a pretty quiet guy, but sounds are hard to control.

There plenty of other issues regarding privacy which I'm sure you all could imagine.

Anyhow, I imagine that someone has run into similar problems and may have some ideas(or particular products). I either need to find some kind of acoustic curtain to hang from the ceiling or paneling that I can use to make my half-wall into a full wall. I've researched and found some products that could work, but most of them are a bit more than I can afford atm.

So yeah, any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Truant]

Those moving blankets that uhaul give you to cover your furniture will work fairly well on the cheap. The downside is that they're ugly, but you can put a cool sheet up or something in front of it for a more appealing visual.

Just hang them across the opening, leaving as little gaps as possible.

[Keverian FireCry]

How do I get them, aside from stealing them from Uhaul?

[Fairweather Pure]

I'm kind of a prude when it comes to the look of my living space, so hanging moving blankets from anything would never fly with me!

Stack some glass blocks in the gap between the wall and ceiling! Put a colored LCD rope light among them and hook it to a dimmer switch for a nice night light.

I'm not sure what your budget is, but those blocks cab get pricey depending on how many you would need.

EDIT: You could also go to Peir 1 and get loads of the very large, colored glass vases and line the entire wall. I have 3 large window boxes that lead down to my spiral stairs and my wife has a beautiful collection of colored glassware that fills each window. It looks fantastic when the sun shines in.

The other idea is instead of glassware, you get anything large and decorative to fill as much of the space as you can to blunt the noise. Stainless steel, wood, or anything else should make a difference.

Just some suggestions.

EDIT 2: Fuck. 4 feet? Get a thick curtain. Hell, get 2 think curtains and sew them together

You might could also make a japanese style divider and build it into the wall while you are there. Once agin, depending on how large of an area you're talking about, that could get pricey.

Something like this, but use your imagination when making it yourself: http://www.orientalfurniture.com/orient ... Doors.html

[Kluden]

Completing the wall is the only way to truly isolate, obviously, so short of that, do the cheapest thing possible...hanging thick drapery, two or more layers.

Completing the wall would actually be cheaper than you think, though, if you just call up a carpenter in the phone book, my guess, during this economic downturn, you could turn that loft into a bedroom for around $400 to $600 or so...assuming I have the dimensions right in my head. about 4 feet tall by about 15 feet long, and only one side of the room.

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

One really good noise proofer is acoustical ceiling tile. One could drill a hole through them and use grommets to link them together into a "wall" that size and use paracord to lash them together. I would guess under $20 for everythign involved.

[cadalano]

simply lock your roommate outside forever

[Truant]

How do I get them, aside from stealing them from Uhaul?

Pretty sure you can buy them at any moving/moving supply/box/storage place. Hell, a Uhaul would probably sell you one or two of them if you explain your situation to them.

[Aslanna]

Completing the wall would actually be cheaper than you think, though, if you just call up a carpenter in the phone book, my guess, during this economic downturn, you could turn that loft into a bedroom for around $400 to $600 or so...assuming I have the dimensions right in my head. about 4 feet tall by about 15 feet long, and only one side of the room.

A half-completed wall is part of the appeal (and definition) of lofts. I doubt most apartment complexes are going to let people complete the wall in any sort of permanent fashion.

[Spang]

Noise-canceling light pillars.

[Bubba Grizz]

Move.
Wear Headphones all the time.
Decorate the walls with egg cartons.

[Kluden]

Sorry, thought it was a condo! Woops!

[Canelek]

In my garage band days, we used mattresses and carpet.

[Winnow]

Stack up the lint balls you accumulate over time from your belly button.

[masteen]

Two blankets. Do not sew them together. Attach one on the outside of the half wall, one on the inside. Basically gives you two planes of sound interruption.

[*~*stragi*~*]

buy a bunch of guns and shoot them through your floor whenever you hear a noise its probably a democrat coming to steal the guns you just bought