Family Handyman

Soundproofing Solution: Do Putty Pads Block Noise?

Electrical junction boxes are a weak point in your wall for soundproofing. One solution is to wrap boxes with “putty pads” to block noise. Some pads are labeled for fire blocking and others for sound, but they’re essentially the same stuff: sheets of putty that you mold over the box. They’re easy to install, but do they really work? To find out I bought a box ($60 for 10 pads), installed and tested them. Here’s how to soundproof an entire room.

The homeLAB Test

With the junction box bare, I placed a decibel meter against the outlet on one side of the wall while playing my favorite music on the other side. I checked the decibel level with the music playing, then installed the putty pad and checked it again.

The Results

Family Handyman

The putty pad worked much better than I expected. The pad sealed the junction box and blocked the music on the other side of the wall. If you’re putting in a new wall, putty pads are a relatively inexpensive and effective way to reduce sound transmission.