Dampening dartboard noise: darts without bothering the neighbours
Every dart that hits gives a tap that can reach your neighbours through the wall. In a flat or terraced house especially, that is the reason people do not dare start a dartboard. Needlessly: with the right setup you play without hassle.
Why your neighbours hear every throw
The problem is not the tap you hear, but the contact noise: the dart makes the board vibrate, the board passes that vibration to the mounting bracket, and the bracket to the wall. A wall carries vibrations surprisingly far, especially in concrete. Dampening is therefore about breaking that chain somewhere.
The key choice: which wall
Never hang the board on a wall you share with the neighbours, and preferably not on a bedroom wall either. An outer wall or an inner wall within your own home immediately saves the biggest part of the nuisance, even before you dampen anything.
Five ways to dampen the noise
- Backboard with spacers: fit a panel (cork or wood) on rubber spacers between wall and board, so the vibration barely reaches the wall
- Rubber or felt behind the mounting bracket: little effort, dampens the key contact point
- A dampening layer (foam or cork) directly behind the board absorbs the impact on the board itself
- A dartboard stand: the board no longer touches the wall at all, ideal in a rental
- A surround ring: the loudest noise is often the dart hitting the wall, and the surround catches that
Realistic expectations
Darts will never be completely silent. But the combination of a good wall choice, a dampened contact point and a surround makes the difference between 'the neighbours complain' and 'the neighbours did not even know you have a board'. In doubt? Have someone listen on the other side of the wall while you throw a few darts.
Frequently asked questions
Is an electronic dartboard quieter for the neighbours?
In the room itself, plastic actually clicks louder than the dull tap of sisal. For the neighbours it is about contact noise through the wall, and you solve that the same way for both types of board: dampen or decouple from the wall.
Can I hang a dartboard in a rental?
The two small screw holes of a mounting bracket are filled in five minutes when you move out. If you want nothing in the wall at all, choose a stand. Protect the wall with a surround regardless.
How late can I still play darts in the evening?
With a well-dampened setup, normal play until around ten is perfectly doable. For later hours: the better your dampening, the less discussion.
