If throwing darts is a hobby of yours, then you know how loud it can be, especially if you share walls with a neighbor.
Your neighbor will be able to hear all the impact noises caused by the darts slamming into the targets. Luckily, there are quite a few things you can do to make a dart board quieter.
There are the most obvious ways and then the not-so-obvious ways. Usually, the best place to play darts is in your garage. This is a no-brainer.
The garage is isolated from the rest of the house, and the doors and walls are thick. This isn’t the best solution for everyone, though.
Some people may not have a garage or want to play in a garage. A garage can also be full of cars or stored items. Not to mention that it can also get quite hot.
Making your dart board quieter depends on the location you will be playing in. It also depends on if you are willing to do a little handy work.
I did a lot of research on many forums about this topic and have found quite a few unique ideas to help reduce dart board noise.
Relocate Your Dart Board to Another Area
This is the most obvious solution to reducing the noise made by playing darts. Take a look at who is complaining about the noise and what rooms they are in.
If you have a dart board installed in your bedroom and the room next to you is always complaining, then try moving it to another wall. The primary type of noise from a dart board is called impact noise.
This happens when the darts smash into the dart board. All the force has noise that has to be absorbed somewhere, and that somewhere is the wall.
This will cause vibrations and echoes. This is simply resolved by moving the dartboard to another wall. Try moving it to a wall that is completely opposite the problem wall.
Another thing you can do is relocate your dartboard to either the backyard or garage. Depending on where you live, this may or may not be an option for you.
The garage or backyard are usually the best options because they tend to be the farthest away from living quarters. This means they will reduce echoes and reverberations that go into your home.
If you live in an apartment where you don’t have a yard or garage, then you will need to focus on quieting the noise down with alternative methods.
If you live in an area that constantly has rain, then it may not be a good idea to place it in your backyard as your dartboard will get wet and possibly damaged.
Make a Soundproof Dart Board Platform Using MDF
Okay, so you don’t have a garage or a backyard to move your dartboard to. So what do you do in this case? Simple.
You need to find a way to reduce the impact noise made by your dartboard. Here are a few steps on how to do this effectively.
- The first thing you need to do is decide what wall you want your dartboard on. Pick a wall that is farthest away from another person or room. Usually, a wall that isn’t connected to another room. The best wall would be one where the outdoors is located on the other side, like a wall with a window. Using this wall will redirect the noise to go outside instead of into somebody’s bedroom or any other room where people may be.
- Once you have decided which wall you will be using for your dartboard, you will then need to gather the materials needed to sound deaden the wall. You will need an MDF board like this one from amazon. The next thing you want is adhesive pads to stick on the back of the board once you are done.
- Cut the MDF board to the same size as your dart board. Once it is cut to the correct size, go ahead and place four adhesive pads around the back of the board.
- Once you stick the dart board onto the board, you can then add extra pads to the back of the board to hold it onto the wall.
I found this method from this forum post. Check it out for a few pictures of what the finished product should look like.
Fill up the Room
If you are stuck keeping your dart board in a room, then nothing spells echo louder than an empty room.
Let’s use a new home as an example. Before you actually move in all your furniture, every room will echo.
This is solely due to sound bouncing off the walls with nothing to stop or absorb it. The same goes for the room where your dartboard is.
If your dartboard is in an empty room, then there will be a lot of echoes and reverberations.
The best thing to do to help soak up this excess sound is to add furniture. Couches, tables, desks, a bed, or anything else that would fit well in the room you are playing darts in.
This is probably the cheapest way to reduce the amount of noise your dartboard will make in a room.
Although this won’t directly help whoever is on the other side of the wall of your dart board, it is still a good way to reduce the echoes throughout your home.
Sound Deaden the Wall Your Dart Board Is On
This is an alternate method to using an MDF board behind your dartboard. There are a few different ways to sound deaden the wall you are using your dartboard on.
The first thing you can do to help reduce the thumping and impact noises from your darts is by using a dense foam material.
Dense is the keyword here. The more dense your material is that you are using, the more sound it will absorb.
The easiest way to do this is to use a dartboard backboard. Once you have a backboard, you can then add a sound-deadening mat to the back of it.
You have the choice of cutting the mat to the same size as your backboard, or you just cover the wall with a slight larder radius of your dart board.
Both methods will work just fine. The first method will look a lot cleaner and more professional since it will be cut to size.
Once you have the installation portion figured out, you will then need to place it onto your wall. If you use the sound-deadening mat that I recommended above, then all you need to do is peel and stick.
It has a self-adhesive backing which makes it super easy to install onto your wall.
Once you have the material on your wall, it would be a good idea to double up and add some of the sound-deadening material between the dartboard and backboard.
Once everything is together and on the wall, you will drastically notice reduced impact noise and echo.
Put Your Dart Board on a Stand Instead of Using a Wall
If you want to take the easy or lazy route, then you can skip soundproofing your wall altogether. You can effectively do this by taking your dartboard off of the wall and placing it on a dartboard stand.
This dartboard stand from amazon is a great alternative to hanging your dart board on a wall. The main downside to this method is that it is pretty expensive compared to just sound deadening your wall.
Another downside to using a stand is that it can take up a lot of space if you have a small room as it is.
The stand itself isn’t too bulky, but it will still be a little awkward in your room compared to just hanging the dartboard on a wall.
One of the main benefits of using a dart board stand is that you will have effectively eliminated any noise on your wall. You will still have to echo throughout your room, but the impact noise will be greatly reduced.
Another benefit is that you can also move your dart board around to many different areas that you couldn’t otherwise if you were to hang it on a wall. You can effectively play dart outside in the open, away from living quarters.
If you don’t mind spending the extra money and you don’t want to build or make your wall soundproof, then this is hands down the best option for you.
Throw Longer Darts
I bet you are wondering what long darts have to do with reducing the amount of sound from your dart board.
This idea I came across from another forum for dart enthusiasts. Using a longer dart actually reduces the amount of impact or thumping noise the darts make when they come in contact with the board.
This is mainly due to the fact that the energy has to travel further before it gets to the dartboard and wall. This effectively decreases the amount of noise after the darts hit the board.
The general effect is it takes more time for the energy to go through an object that is longer than if it were going through an object that was shorter.
Some of the impacts are lost during this transfer of energy. This is what makes using a longer dart more effective in reducing impact noise.
Now, this method isn’t going to magically make your dart board silent, but this method can be taken into consideration on top of other methods.
It’s always best to try and incorporate as many methods as possible when it comes to soundproofing anything in general.
Use an Acoustic Panel on Your Dart Board
This is another method to reduce the noise from your dartboard on your wall. It’s actually a pretty simple method you can incorporate.
All you need to do is cut the inside part of an acoustic panel with a knife and place your dart board inside. Now there are many different types of panels on the market, so which one should you use for your dart board?
I found this acoustic foam to be a good size to work for almost all generic dart boards.
This foam also has just the right amount of thickness behind the dartboard to help absorb the impact.
When the darts hit the board, instead of echoing throughout the wall and the room, they will be absorbed by the foam.
This is why it is crucial to select a foam that is thick enough. You want it to be thick even after cutting a chunk out to place your dart board into.
To stick the foam to your wall, you can use any standard adhesive or glue. Make sure it is safe for walls before you purchase it.
If you have a fairly large dartboard, then you may need an extra foam panel or two to make sure it will cover the entire dartboard effectively.
Final Thoughts
It can be a little bit of work to sound deaden the wall that your dartboard is on, but in the end, it is well worth it. It is also pretty cheap when you do it yourself.
Using a dart board stand is the easiest way to defer the sound from your wall. Unfortunately, this is also the most expensive.
I recommend using the dartboard backboard with a sound-deadening mat. It is well balanced when it comes to price and difficulty putting together.
It is easy enough to install even if you aren’t a very handy person. On top of being easy to install, it is also very cheap to do compared to buying a whole stand.
If you want to spend the minimal amount of money possible, then going the acoustic foam panel route is the way to go. You can always experiment with different methods.
If none seem to do the trick for you, then you can bite the bullet and purchase a dartboard stand. Using a stand will eliminate any impact noise on your wall altogether and also makes your dart board mobile.