All homes experience some form of noise from time to time, whether it’s loud music at the neighbors, traffic, or train tracks. This noise pollution is especially prevalent in homes that are not located in remote areas.
Noise pollution is one of the urban menaces that affects you in your daily life. It can cause problems in many essential aspects like privacy, safety, communication, and health. Too much noise can affect our listening capacity and cognitive functions and cause stress and headaches.
One solution for this is to soundproof your home. Soundproofing is the process of isolating sound through the use of an insulation material. It can improve your quality of life by reducing the noise that you get in your home and giving you maximum relaxation.
How Does Soundproofing Work?
There are three ways that soundproofing works. The first way is by blocking the noise through the addition of mass to a structure until sound energy is converted into heat by the mass of the new structure. The second way is to de-couple one structure to stop the sound from traveling to the second structure.
The third way is when sound is absorbed by a material that helps reduce the amount of sound that travels through a structure. Effective soundproofing is ensuring that no gaps are left in which any unwanted noise can filter through.
How to Soundproof Your House
To effectively soundproof a room, you can combine the use of sound-absorbing and sound-blocking materials and techniques. Sound blockers prevent noise from traveling through the doors, walls, and other openings, while sound absorbers, as the name suggests, absorb sound waves and control reverberation in enclosed spaces.
Here’s a closer look at these two soundproofing techniques.
Sound Absorbing
Sound absorbing soaks up the sound to prevent it from bouncing from one place to another. This is necessary for soundproofing and the use of materials that feature similarities with air like spray foam are the best soundproofing materials.
Sound Blocking
This technique relies on materials that help stop or lower the transfer of sound. Fiberglass, for instance, provides a solid barrier against the noise created inside or outside the home. Sound blocking materials work by reducing the level of sound you hear by blocking the frequency waves.
Unlike the porous and lightweight sound absorption materials, sound blocking materials are usually heavy and durable. They help create an environment wherein the noise within the room stays there, while the external noise stays out.
Here are soundproofing tips for all areas in your home.
Soundproofing a Room
Choose Soft, Sound-Absorbing Materials
Prevent echoes and reverberations that cause unnecessary noise by using things with soft materials like rugs and upholstered furniture. You can also opt to add carpets and padded curtains. Avoid hard materials like tiles and hardwood to minimize sound bouncing in the room.
Simply adding rugs can help prevent a resounding effect as they help absorb harsh noises. You can also hang a thick ornamental rug or quilt on the walls of your room for a more effective sound-absorbing quality. Even a baby blanket or comforter can actually make a difference in eliminating unwanted noise.
Use Sound-Absorbing Acoustic Tiles for Walls
Sound absorbing materials like acoustic tiles can help improve sound quality in a room. Usually, lightweight, porous and soft materials help reduce noise, which is why they are used in music rooms, home theaters, or recording studios. They are also great for softening sounds in the kitchen or recreation room.
These tiles also come in various sizes, textures, colors, and designs that enhance your space aesthetically. They also serve as an attractive feature that you can use to conceal unsightly objects like pipes or wiring.
Install Sound-Blocking Doors
Opt for solid doors to help block sound. They feature a solid core interior or exterior that effectively blocks noise due to their density. A thicker door better reduces noise transfer, and they usually have ½-inch thick particleboard, interlocking thresholds and sweeps, and an inner layer of lead.
Solid doors also help control acoustics and minimize outdoor noise that help you concentrate better. They’re also good for insulating and avoiding heat loss due to their thicker density. You can also opt for weatherstripping that can help create a strong seal around the door or an under-door stopper that can muffle sounds.
Install Soundproof Window Inserts or Acoustic Quilts
For an inexpensive way to absorb interior room sounds and lower outdoor noise, choose sound-blocking curtains. They are most effective if you choose sizes that reach from the ceiling to the floor, and they are usually heavy and tightly woven. Ensure that you cover a large area around the window so that the folds can act as a seal around the sides.
Soundproofing a Wall
Put Batt or Blanket Insulation
Placing batt or blanket insulation between studs or joists is an effective way to soundproof walls or ceilings. It absorbs the sound that would otherwise go through the air pockets of the wall framing. It’s also one of the most common types of insulation made from small fiberglass fibers and is usually installed in spaces with fewer obstructions.
Blanket insulation also helps lower your energy bills by reducing the amount of energy required for heating and cooling. Less warm air escapes your home during winter, and less cool air escapes in the summer. It also helps to keep the home comfortable all year long while reducing the noise between rooms and floors.
Install Acoustic Panels
These sound-absorbing panels are reduce background noise, reverberation, and echo in a room. In smaller rooms, sound waves usually bounce first against the wall. Wall-mounted acoustic panels help absorb the sound and lower the number of waves sent back to the room.
These are also used for controlling internal acoustics to help calibrate and equalize. When placed correctly, they become more effective and since they come in various designs, shapes, and colors, they are also aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Fix Gaps or Holes with Acoustic Caulk
Seal gaps between your walls with acoustic caulk to help avoid sound transmissions. Air can flow through gaps, around windows, and under doors, so caulking is effective in creating a seal around the gaps so air and sound can’t pass through.
Keep in mind to get soundproof caulk instead of regular caulk to provide you with better results. It’s non-flammable and flexible since it’s latex-based and can last a long time. It also adheres tightly once applied so it’s very effective at reducing sound.
Soundproofing Windows
Replace Single-Pane Windows with Double-Pane Alternatives
While single-pane windows have one piece of glass in the frame, double-pane windows have two pieces of glass with air in the middle. The air helps lower outdoor sound to vibrate against the glass to reduce noise.
Another benefit of double pane windows is less condensation compared to a single pane window. It helps avoid mold buildup that can be toxic and expensive to remove.
Install Window Inserts
Custom-made soundproof window inserts help reduce the level of noise by absorbing and blocking the sound. They also serve as an added layer of protection by blocking microbes from entering your windows.
They work by stopping sound vibrations while providing insulation. Placing soundproof window inserts creates a cushion of dead air which isolates the frame and ultimately eliminates noise.
Benefits of Soundproofing
Aside from reduced noise, here are other advantages of soundproofing your house.
Added Privacy
With a soundproofed house, you’ll be able to block noise from the outside and also let you have parties without disturbing your neighbors. Using noise-reducing furnishings like sound-absorbing curtains also prevents anyone from having a view of your home from the outside.
Avoid Health-Related Issues
Overexposure to very loud sounds can cause hearing impairment. It’s considered a handicap once a person has a hard time communicating or understanding. This can cause various difficulties in the person’s daily life.
With soundproofing, you can avoid hearing loss problems and other health effects of too much noise like sleep disturbance, cognitive impairment, stress, and even heart disease.
Soundproofing your house can result in improved concentration and productivity, lowered stress levels, and increased relaxation. Avoiding harsh noises in your home on a daily basis can result in long-term health benefits.
Improving Conversations
Harsh noises can be a huge turn-off for people who wish to have peaceful conversations with others. Having acoustic panels installed can help make your space less noisy and more enjoyable. These panels also have different colors and designs that make them decorative and eye-catching, making your home more aesthetically pleasing.
High-Quality Soundproofing Insulation Company
A+ Insulation offers soundproofing insulation services that will effectively lower the noise levels in your home. You’ll get exceptional customer service and the best approach from our experts to find out the type of insulation that’s also suitable for soundproofing your home.
Contact us today for a free inspection and estimate by calling 913-281-2250 or 816-265-1947. You can also fill out our online form.