When you go home your main aim is surely to get some much needed respite in peace and quiet after a long day at work. The last thing you want is to try to sleep or rest and start hearing unwanted sounds or noises from your neighbours or from outdoors.
If you are dealing with such a situation, you should seriously consider soundproofing your home. In truth soundproofing does not require much expertise, and with the following soundproofing hacks you should be able to enjoy more tranquility and serenity in your apartment. Acoustic report strive to maintain competitive prices and make my services accessible to repeat customers.
1. Soft Furnishings Make a Big Difference
Sound travels through vibrations, and whenever it hits a hard surface it will end up echoing all the more. So, if you increase the number of soft surfaces in your apartment, such as by adding carpets, curtains, drapes, fabric upholstery and any other soft materials and fabrics, you would be absorbing the sounds and automatically make your apartment quieter.
You could drape fabrics onto your walls, or invest in curtains that are specifically made for soundproofing. Apart from making your apartment look cosier you would be soundproofing it too!
2. Plug Gaps in Doors
A common solution, which is simple yet very effective, is to plug up the bottom of your doors.
That small space between the base of the door and the floor allows noise to pass into your apartment. So plugging it up is a good way of reducing noises. You could do this by means of a thick towel, a fitted rubber gasket or by purchasing fabric draft stoppers.
3. Seal Windows & Doors
This can be done quite easily by applying soundproofing sealant along the doors and windows of your apartment. Acoustical caulk is generally used to do this. Sealing doors and windows will block a considerable amount of noise.
4. Add bookshelves
Bookshelves loaded with books could work really well to reduce sound. This is because paper manages to absorb a good amount of vibrations. For better results you may wish to install sheets of foam rubber behind the bookcase, so as to further absorb sounds.
5. Foam Insulation
Foam insulation works very well to reduce noise from neighbours. This can be used on the walls as well as on ceilings in case you live at ground floor level and the apartment above you is noisy. Such foam is not that difficult to install and it is not that costly either.
6. Sound Reduction Paint
Instead of using regular paint to decorate your apartment, you could try using sound reduction paint. This kind of paint includes ceramic in its composition. This helps to capture sound waves. It is also non toxic and easy to clean up.
Read More: 5 Best Side Tables For Apartments
7. White Noise Machines
When a sound or noise irritates you, it is normal to end up focusing on it. You could work your way around it by distracting yourself by means of a white noise machine. This will help your mind to focus on the sound generated by such a machine, instead of on the humming of your neighbour’s appliances, or the sound of traffic outdoors. Such a machine effectively blocks out background noises and it is worth a try.
8. Acoustic Flooring
You may wish to invest in acoustic flooring. This is another type of soundproofing material that could work well, especially if most of the noise is coming from neighbours living beneath your apartment.
Such flooring decouples the main floor surface of your apartment from the subfloor, and so noise transmission is reduced considerably. Cork and felt work well for acoustic flooring, and there are various other specialised products that are used for this reason too.
9. Acoustic Panels
Soundproofing materials are broad and diversified, and a common option are acoustic panels.
These are essentially sound absorption boards that can be installed on any surface, be it a wall or a ceiling. They also come in various colours and designs.
10. Replace Existing Windows & Doors
This is a solution which entails a higher cost, so you may wish to consider trying out the above mentioned ideas first.
Solid core doors, unlike hollow doors, will block the sounds coming from outdoors much better. So you may wish to invest in such doors.
When it comes to windows, nowadays there are thicker windows which are made with double or even triple glazed frames. These help to block sound effectively. You might also wish to consider buying window inserts.
Conclusion
Dealing with noise is rather tricky, but it is not an impossible feat. There are some relatively simple options you could try out, as we discussed above. Most of these do not entail any considerable expense, and in most cases you can do the job yourself too. The end result will depend on the amount and type of noise you are dealing with. But for general disturbances and common noise coming from neighbouring houses, applying one or more of the above hacks could work well enough
