From time to time I receive questions via the Soundproof Guides website, and this month was no different, with this question I received from Max in England.
“I live in a flat with neighbors on all sides. I have a dartboard and practice every evening but am getting complaints from my neighbors about the “thud thud thud” noises darts make when they hit the board. I can’t move the dartboard anywhere else without there being someone to possibly annoy so just don’t know what to do next. Have you any advice on how to soundproof a dart board or put something behind it to help the noise?”
Thanks for the email Max, I’ve got some suggestions on how you can reduce the “thud, thud, thud” from a noisy dartboard.
Keep reading on for my advice on how you can soundproof your dartboard, with an image further down the page on how you can build a soundproof dartboard cabinet.
How to Soundproof Your Dartboard – 2 Simple Steps
If you want to stop your dartboard vibrating though your walls, upsetting your neighbors, of keeping your kids awake at night, then with the simple steps below you should be able to significantly reduce the noise complaints.
The main take-out from these steps is that you don’t want the hard back of the dartboard touching a wall, or cabinet, as that’s what will cause sound to go through the wall into the next room.
The tips below are based on the assumption that you will either have a dartboard set inside of a cabinet. If your dartboard isn’t cased inside of a cabinet, then I would advise you buy one as it can help the process of reducing the noise of darts hitting.
Handy Hint: Check out the cabinets and dartboards on Amazon that might already have soundproofed padding in – view on Amazon
If you do not have a cabinet, then I will give further advice after these steps on dartboard noise reduction on what you can do instead. Read further down the guide to see steps on soundproofing a dartboard in the absence of a cabinet.
Meanwhile, here is the main guide for making your dartboard cabinet soundproofed.
Step 1: Stick Sound Deadening Mat Behind the Dartboard
You will need to buy sound deadening mat – view prices on Amazon US – the brand doesn’t particularly matter as long as it’s large enough to be cut to size.
If your dartboard has 3 rubber feet that attach to the back of the board then also use the sound deadening mat in that location too.
Please note: UK visitors can get a similar sound deadening mat on Amazon UK – click here for UK product.
Step 2: Stick Sound Deadening Mat Behind the Cabinet
You will also need to take the cabinet down from the wall, and glue the same sound deadening mat to the back of the cabinet before re-attaching it to the wall.
By sticking the mat to the back of the cabinet, as thickly as possible (you might even want to double-it up in thickness) then you will get some decent noise reduction.
And that’s it – dead simple!
How to Make a Soundproof Dartboard Cabinet (Illustration)
If after trying these soundproofing techniques you still aren’t getting the desired affects you need – typically this will be if your walls are very thin or made from plasterboard – then you might want to take a look at this image below, which shows you can how you can make your own soundproof dartboard cabinet using the steps in the guide above.
Dartboard Noise Reduction Without a Cabinet
If you cannot afford to buy a dartboard cabinet or don’t have one, then you can instead mount the board onto some MDF wooden board, and place the soundproof matting behind the board.
I recommended using 10mm thick MDF board, with thin mat stuck to the wall side.
This should lead to a much quieter darts session, with happier neighbors as a result.
I have heard of darts players using carpet as a dartboard silencer, instead of sound deadening mat. My experience of soundproofing projects as this doesn’t really have much affect, even if doubled-up.
Update: Potential Problems
Since writing this guide, Max emailed me back to say that despite adding soundproof matting to the back of the board and cabinet, he was still getting a loud knock from the darts.
I asked him to email a photograph of his set-up, and quickly saw what the issue was.
His dartboard had a heavy particle-board back, which was then attached to a hard mounting that pierced the cabinet and was then screwed into the brick. There were also 3 metal leaf springs keeping the board tightly onto the cabinet.
I simply asked him to remove the leaf springs, cover the particle back-board with the sound deadening mat, and then remount the whole thing.
After taking my advice his emailed me back to say that he now get a very small thud sound instead of the loud knocking sound he was getting before – success!
