A noisy home is never a good sign, except for the case when it’s full of children or dear friends. But hearing the TV upstairs or a conversation from another room is something that takes away all the comfort that one would expect when thinking of home.
If the house you’ve just moved in fits the description above or if the one you’ve been living in for a while started to alter the noise, keep reading. The team at Noise Stop Systems has shared with us a couple ideas to help you soundproof your home.
Isolate the source of the noise
The first thing you need to know is what causes the sound that you don’t want to or shouldn’t be hearing. Is it noise coming from another room or amplified sound from the room you’re in? Because soundproofing doesn’t always mean blocking the noise outside. It also means stopping the noise from getting out.
Answering this question will help you figure out the solution and decide whether your space needs to better absorb sound or just block outside noise.
If sound absorption is the issue, here are some tips to help with reverberation:
1. Buy Thick Rugs or Heavy Curtains
Rugs, curtains and other similar soft surfaces absorb the sound and reduce the echo effect in a room. Rugs also block the noise coming from downstairs, if the case.
2. Put a Vase in the Corner of the Room
Or rearrange the furniture. Empty walls and corners are the best surfaces for noise to reflect from and create the illusion of ampler sound.
3. Add Some Furniture
Whether we’re talking about a new armchair, a bookcase, or a similar item, this can be a cool way to redecorate your room, but also absorb the extra noise. Not only you fancy up the room, but it’s also efficient.
On the other hand, if the problem is caused by outside noise that needs to be blocked out, here are a few tips:
1. Repair Possible Wall Tears
Noise can get in a room through cracks and holes. Check all the walls and make sure there aren’t any spots that favour sound leaking. Your best soundproof allies are stud walls and the Soundbreaker bars, which create space in the wall and allow the sound to dissipate before entering the new room. Creating a free stand wall can also be a solution, especially for larger rooms.
2. Insulate the Doors and Windows
When the joints aren’t well insulated, the probability of sound escaping or entering the room is far higher than normally. You can use silicone, rubber or other insulating materials to seal the joints and reduce the probability of flanking noise.
3. Fix the Floors
A squeaky floor not only causes more noise, but it also contributes to amplifying the noise coming from downstairs. Floating floors and Barrier Shield High Density Mats can reduce both airborne sound and structure-borne sound.
4. Check the Ceilings
Sometimes, soundproofing the floor upstairs isn’t enough to prevent excessive noise. This can happen especially if the sound is transferred through the building structure. If that is the case, what you need is a system similar to a stud wall, that will create space between the real ceiling and the end layer.
Choose the Right Soundproof System for Your Home
Need more advice on how to create the perfect soundproof system? The team at Noise Stop System is here to provide you all the solutions you need. Whether you need to soundproof your walls, ceiling or floor, they offer a wide variety of materials for different noise levels.