8 SOUNDPROOFING SECRETS TO MAKE YOUR HOME QUIETER
You know how annoying it is to sleep when you can hear the TV in the next room. Study becomes difficult if you can’t focus on your work due to the children playing outside. Examples of such day-to-day problems are unlimited. Therefore soundproofing becomes another of our agenda and we bring you a few points as help.
1. Front door weather-proofing
Seems easiest, but very effective. If you hear a lot of noise from across the main door, one of the possibility is that there are air gaps around the front door. Yeah, you need to take care of it. You can seal the air gaps. You must have been seeing people having large sized thick doormats near the main door. That doormat can help fill the gap under the door and keep the noise out. But there may be some serious gaps that are not easily fixable by anyone. We need specific equipment for those workers. Like if you have a large gap under the main door of your apartment, using commercial grade sweep can help. Those have thick rubber strips that seal against the threshold and create a fit obstruction for noise.
2. The book silencer
Using bookcases to muffle sound is a great idea that can be worked on by anyone with a spacious room and have the desire to accommodate books in a good bookcase. Sometimes apartments that you rent or buy in the market nowadays have very thin walls except being decorative and accommodative. In those places noise is more prone to pervade barriers easily due to weak structures. Basically you can get rid of this irritant noise by reinforcing the structures such as by fixing wall-mounted bookcases. Minute vibrations often create a domino effect which we are trying to avoid. For proper fitting, you can get a case made up according to your own measurements. Make sure the gaps between the racks or showcase or panels and the walls, ceiling and floor are fixed properly. Wall-to-wall faux built-in are very good options.
3. Install Acoustic Panels
As beautiful as it is after installation, it is equally effective in case of soundproofing. There are a number of acoustic soundproofing panels available in the market and also in various design and material variation. Acoustic wall panels are best to use in this scenario. Although cheap acoustic panels are available in the market, you should choose carefully because in the long run, they may show weaknesses. Apart from those for the walls, don’t forget about the ceilings for which you can buy acoustic ceiling panels. Another function of the interior walls is to provide desirable décor. In this regard the faux interior stone wall panels come in handy. Sound-proofing materials are available in many forms of panels and accessories. An example can be taken off the retractable panels hung at the entrance to cancel noise.
4. Use of soft material
Use of soft materials is advised on the ceilings, walls, floor etc. to reduce the reflective noise that is generated due to reflection from the bare surfaces inside your home. Hard surfaces are the main culprit in this case, but exacerbating the issue is the bare nature and your negligence. Soft materials can be used to cover those bare segments of interior décor that can absorb and lessen the annoying noise you hear. Textile mats on the walls, heavy shaggy rugs on the ceiling, fluffy floor mats can give you the feeling of luxury as well as the comfort of peace and tranquillity.
5. Anti-vibration pads
Many household items make uncomfortable noise like vibrations that are often ignored by people during their usage of such items. In hurry you start it and use it, but you realize later what you have missed. Fridge, washing machine, dishwasher many times make noise due to their contact with the hard floor. Most common solution people find is to use carpet. But, honestly that is not the appropriate choice for this kind of situation. Buy a few anti-vibration pads that are available at affordable cost. After placing those under the buzzing machines you can feel the difference of sound inside your house.
6. Furniture arrangement
Smart arrangement of furniture can be beneficial in case you are wondering which point you forgot to touch while trying to make your home a little bit quieter. Furniture is hard objects and are a major component of an indoor ingredient. You should place them carefully so that the final set-up can cancel the echo generated by the hard surfaces inside the room. If you have a bench or large luxury chairs you can keep them next to the wall and you can set-up the TV table enclosing the wall and the two bookshelves on both sides. A small seating area in your bedroom can have one chair alongside the wall and the second in normal positioning while the coffee table can be placed just in front of the window. Also use canvases to hide the gaps between such arrangements.
7. The bedroom door
No one wants the annoying noise and the resulting disturbance when he sleeps or relaxes in his bedroom. Doors often have a small or sometimes a huge gap under them which allows sound from other rooms to pass into another room. Just like that if you are trying to take care of the gap under your bedroom door, then buy a few draft stopper. Or you can make them yourself. You can select something matching your décor. People often use elastic bands for the same purpose.
8. Door curtains
Door curtains lessen noise significantly. They also give you a range of options to choose from. You just have to care about the material and the placement of these curtains. As they account for a huge visible part of interior décor, their color and theme also become important. Curtains are good for layering as their use is another line of obstruction for noise after what you have arranged for the doors. Heavy blackout curtains are very helpful if you have large size doors and have significant space in them. They minimize the sound felt inside by absorbing most of it.
A quitter home is a not-so-significant task on your list. But subconsciously the peace of mind and tranquillity is that what makes a home a sanctuary of relaxation and happiness. So, start paying attention to minor details and work on easy solutions.