Various noises like squealing brakes, car stereos or high heels clacking overhead can make you wonder if settling for this apartment was a ‘sound’ idea. Luckily for you, many apartment dwellers have had the same problem – disturbing and unwanted noise is an everyday problem. The good news is that you can reduce the noise inside your home. Here are the best soundproofing techniques for rooms and apartments for every budget.
Seal your front door
It is time to stop every conversation from the building hallway. And you don’t even have to get up from your sofa. By sealing the air leaks around your front door, you can solve the intruding noise problems and quieten the annoying neighbour chatter. If there is a large gap under your apartment door, add a door sweep.
You can even go the extra mile and install two: one on the outside and the other on the inside for extra insulation. Their thick rubber seals won’t only keep the sound out, but also dust, crawlies, draft and moisture. Finally, you can add blackout curtains over the front entrance, which will absorb any noise that leaks through the door.
Soundproof the bedroom door
If your family members are loud, sometimes the bedroom is the only place where you can rest during the day. A draught snake is an easy way to keep the peace in your bedroom and it can become an interesting DIY project. It is known that hard surfaces reflect noise, which can make annoying sounds even louder.
By strategically placing pieces of textile, you can reduce the daily clamour. If you cover bare walls with something soft, sounds like voices and barking won’t reverberate in your room. For instance, rubber textile mats on the walls can soften the annoying noise while absorbing the sounds from adjacent apartments as well.
Noisy corridors
While it is widely known that nothing muffles pesky sounds in high traffic areas, such as corridors, stairwells and room intersections, like a carpet, not many people take extra care to slip a density rug pad underneath the existing one. Even if you have wood floors, you can muffle the walking sounds even more by boosting a thick rug with an insert.
Problem of thin walls
A lot of new apartments have the issue with thin walls. Looking to save money where they can, contractors resort to drywall panels for divisional walls that provide insufficient sound insulation. Muffle the noise from the apartment next door by adding a massive faux built-in book case across the whole wall.
Alternatively, hanging a thick shaggy rug on a critical wall will also work. Finally, there are pre-manufactured acoustic panels that are sold either as boards or fabrics that you can hang on walls. While most of them are designed to stop noises from ricocheting from hard surfaces, some of them are designed to fit on windows and doors as well.
Window inserts
You can block outside noise but not the view from your apartment by using window inserts. They are clear panes of glass or acrylic that are installed over the existing windows. They are designed to create an airtight seal that reduces outside noises up to 50% or even more. There are even renter-friendly options that can be removed easily when not in use.
Soundproof windows
Windows are without doubt the greatest source of noise penetration in buildings. While removable window inserts are convenient for renters, homeowners can get even better sound reduction with retrofit double glazing windows. By adding a secondary system that stops air leaks and has a large cavity that buffers the noise, retrofit sound-proofing windows impose themselves as the best way to reduce the outside noise in your home or office.
Muffling curtains
Heavy-duty window dressings are highly suitable for renters. They will prevent outside noises from ruining your rest on a budget. While it takes some strength to open and close a heavier curtain, there are also solutions that glide along a track for easier manipulation.
Once you soundproof the windows, you can apply some of the budget-friendly solutions for muffling the noise between the rooms. No matter whether you are renting or have just bought an apartment on a noisy avenue, there are many things you can do to reduce both the outside and in-house noises.