How to Cut the Outside Noise for a Quieter, Soundproof Home
Living
Imagine: It’s late at night and you’re trying to sleep. Instead of blissfully floating away to dreamland, though, you’re staring at the ceiling. It’s too loud.
No, not in your own house – it’s too loud outside. You can hear everything from your neighbor’s late-night TV binge to a dog barking, to traffic on the street.
What do you do in this situation? Do you simply live with it, awakening each morning like a zombie risen from the grave?
Nope. It’s time to invest in ways to create a soundproof home.
Soundproofing Your Home: 4 Ideas to Get Your Peace and Quiet
You may be suffering from noise pollution in your home for many reasons. Maybe the windows and doors are inadequate, or your insulation isn’t enough to dampen the sounds. There could be any number of ways sound is infiltrating through your walls, floors, windows, and doors.
There are ways to dampen, absorb, or block the sound. They range from inexpensive to investment status.
1. Put Up Curtains and Lay Down Rugs
For a quick way to absorb the unwanted sounds, put up drapes made of a heavier fabric, like wool or velvet. You can also put down rugs with sound-absorbing padding. Adding more soft surfaces, like blankets, pillows, and other textiles, will also help with sound absorption.
2. Soundproof Your Home with Flooring
If you’re really desperate, you can install wall-to-wall carpet with a cut-pile, which absorbs sound better than loop pile. If you’re one of those people who hate carpet, cork flooring is a good alternative with great acoustic qualities. Plus, it works well to keep a room insulated during the winter.
Another option is a floating hardwood floor. It’s installed with a gap between the subfloor and the wood, which helps create a barrier that dampens outside noises.
3. Invest in New Windows or Doors
If you’re living with old, single-paned windows or cheap doors in your home, these provide next to no soundproofing. In your case, replacing the windows and doors could make a huge difference.
For windows, go with triple-paned options. This lets you open it wide to let fresh air in whenever you want, but once it’s closed, the window will block sound. For doors, you need ones made with a solid wood core. Cheaper options are more lightweight, but that’s because they’re hollow.
4. Get Ear-Plugs
Okay, this last one might be a bit of a joke. But, if you’re at your wit’s end and low on funds, ear-plugs are always an option. You could also crank up your music and drown out the noise – but if peace and quiet are what you’re after, you probably need to invest a few dollars.
A Soundproof Home Is Possible
If you’re willing to spend some money, you can soundproof your home. Of course, it’s important to remember if your home isn’t ideally located, there’s only so much peace and quiet you can achieve. For instance, living next to a busy highway, airport, or pedestrian area will never be as serene as a peaceful country meadow. Keep your expectations realistic – expect quiet, not silence.
