Who doesn’t like to come home to a quiet and serene environment where you can relax your mind and take a much-needed rest? Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen if your house is sitting in a noisy neighborhood or near a train station. Your best solution to this dilemma is to soundproof your home and protect it from outside noise.
The Truth About Outdoor Noise
Here’s a hard truth that you may need to understand: you don’t have absolute control of ambient noise, unless it’s coming directly from within your house. Some of these outdoor sounds include vehicle traffic, dogs barking, quarreling neighbors, or a nearby concert venue.
The good news is that you can prevent the entry of sound from the outdoors by properly soundproofing your entire home. Aside from being an integral part of modernizing your home, soundproofing your window promotes a healthier environment not only for you but for the whole family. After all, noise pollution is a real monster, because it can cause hearing loss, high blood pressure, and a plethora of emotional and psychological issues.
Tips to Soundproof Your Home
You don’t need to spend so much to make your house soundproof. You just need to change some parts of your home to help you get rid of the outside noise.
Here are some effective tips to protect your house from the noise outdoors:
Install soundproof windows
If you want to reduce the amount of sound that comes into your home, consider installing soundproof windows. These windows may be a bit expensive than ordinary variants, but they can mute out a significant portion of the outside noise so that you can enjoy a more tranquil environment indoors.
Install thick doors
Block street noise with a thick solid door. Just like soundproof windows, a thick door for your main entrance or garage may help eliminate the sound by at least 50 percent.
Use sound dampening materials
Although not as effective as soundproof windows, sound dampening curtains do a fantastic job in muffling the noise outdoors. If you cannot find this kind of product locally, you may opt for thick curtains or drapes, which can also perform well in noise reduction.
Another good tip is to use sound-absorbing materials in your house, such as acoustic ceiling boards, carpets, and upholstered furniture.
Separate noisy rooms from the quiet areas
If you have a home theater system, place it in an isolated entertainment room and keep it far from the bedroom. The same goes for your laundry and dishwashing area. You may also put thick curtains or soundproofing materials in these noise-generating rooms.
Fix floor squeaks
If you have wooden floors, it is possible that the nails need to be checked. This will ensure that you are safe from injuries and creaking floorboards.
Silence noisy pipes
Make sure that your pipes are working perfectly so that you also eliminate unnecessary noises coming from them. Replace old ones if needed.
Use noise-cancellation headphones/earphones
This quick fix can help you block out the noise anywhere. Of course, this isn’t practical if you have a lot of people in the house wanting to enjoy solitude and quietness.
Talk to the people causing the noise
Sometimes, the noise may be addressed by talking to the people who are causing it. Approach your neighbors who keep on quarreling to keep their voices down. You may also talk to local authorities, if the sources of the disturbing sounds involve government projects or public access construction.
By doing any or most of those mentioned, you can be assured that your much-needed sleep will never be a dream but a reality.
