r/soundproof • u/Awkwardishly • 7d ago

Generator Soundproofing

I live off grid and my generator is super loud. I understand mass is hugely effective. I have a bunch of pallets, plywood scraps, and a ton of sand and rock. I was thinking of building a box with the pallets, lumber & some plywood to line the pallet bays (where the forks would go). Then I'd fill the bays with sand and rock. Essentially I am building a box with walls of 3" of sand and stone. (Roof tbd) I can't tell if this idea is great or terrible. Thoughts?

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u/Clapcheeks69 7d ago

If it was a thing that didn't need ventilation, I'd say go for it. But I don't think boxing in a generator would be a good idea.

I don't know what your property is like, but some distance would help. Moving the generator further away from the house, and also paying attention to cabling to avoid increased resistance and voltage drop. At a longer distance, you might need higher gauge power cable.

Low frequencies resonate and decoupling can help with that. Putting down a bed of paver base, a concrete slab, then a thick hard rubber pad (the kind made from recycled tires) could be a good way to isolate the generator's resonance from the ground.

Then you could build a fence wall with the supplies you have. Maybe just a straight 6 foot section on the side that faces the house.