A Guide to Reducing Noise at Home

A lot of people have been recently forced to stay at home either because of major layoffs companies had to enforce or due to business owners urging their employees to work from their homes because of COVID-19 concerns. Staying at home all the time could be frustrating at times. Living in a noisy household certainly can make work harder for you. That’s why a lot of people are now looking for strategies to reduce the level of that noise in their houses. If you’re one of those people, here is a guide that will help you find solutions to this dilemma. 

Sound proof Construction

If you’re thinking of renovating your living space, you can do this with soundproofing material. It is always easier to insulate or silence floors and walls before installing them. But if renovating your house, it is high time that you think about the acoustics of the rooms and how to alter that element to enhance the sound quality. 

Walls

When it comes to reducing the noise, construction workers typically use a thin metal channel and attach it to the wall, which will reduce the sound waves vibrating from the drywall and to your room. Some people also add foam or glass wool to their wall to reduce the noise. However, many people are opting for newer, better options. To ensure effective noise reduction, people use noise-reducing dry walls, which are made of two cores of gypsum and separated by a layer viscoelastic polymer. To soundproof your walls completely, make sure to fill the cavity with sustainable insulation.

Ceiling

If noise can’t make its way through the walls, it will surely find its way through the ceiling. Luckily there are multiple solutions to reduce noise coming from the ceiling. First, you can use perforated gypsum boards and attach them to the ceiling. Second, if you’d like a more modern-esque style, you can install fiberglass panels on your ceiling, which will look similar to a false ceiling. Of course, you can use acoustic plaster boards, but these cannot be used on their own, so you’ll need more products to work in conjunction with these to achieve optimum soundproofing.

Sound proof Doors

Unlike soundproofing walls and ceilings, soundproofing the doors in your house won’t cause much trouble for you. If you live in a quiet neighborhood, then your biggest worry is probably the daily ruckus caused by other members of your family. This noise can be easily channeled to your room with the door open, but if the noise is unbearable even when the door is closed, it is time to make some soundproofing upgrades. The folks at Silent Home Hub urge homeowners to use simple and effective soundproofing methods, such as using door gaskets, which significantly reduces noise from reverberating through the door and into your room. Attaching door sweeps to your doors should also help prevent noise outside from leaking in. However, the most important step is to seal cracks and gaps in the door, which you can easily find by turning off the lights on your side and turning them on the opposite side. The light from the opposite side will file through cracks, which you’ll have to seal with an acoustic caulk or a commercial sealant.

Quieter Appliances

Another reason why your house is filled with noise is the constant humming and buzzing of certain appliances. You might not notice that these sources of noise are constantly breaking off your focus until you turn them off. Luckily, some appliances can be replaced with better, quieter types, which you can easily find online or in the nearest appliance store. Here are a few appliances that could be the source of noise in your house.

Vacuums: While they aren’t exactly soundproof, some of the best models will reduce the noise to a great degree.

Air Purifiers: If you’re using an air purifier in your home office, a better, quieter replacement (with a noise level of 20-25 decibels) might be what you need.

Dehumidifiers: a lot of allergic and asthmatic people need dehumidifiers to make breathing easier. So having to put up with the noise of dehumidifiers all day isn’t as practical as using a quieter option.

Air Conditioners: Your HVAC unit may not be the cause of noise pollution in your house as much as other appliances. However, if you’re about to purchase a new one, getting a quieter model will contribute to reducing noise in your house.

Avoid Hollow Spaces in Your House

An effective way of reducing sound from reverberating every which way in your room is reducing the amount of hollow spaces. For example, long staircases, hallways, and high ceilings will create that effect and encourage noise to travel further into your house. Sure, hollow spaces might look fancier and make your house look spacious, but it can also make different sounds and noises bounce back and forth through your house. To remedy this, you can choose cozier rooms, with false or low ceilings. However, if high ceilings and spaciousness suit your tastes more, make sure that you have multiple windows or ‘outlets’ for the noise to be released. 

Utilize White Noise

A new method of combating persisting noise is by using white noise to mask it. White noise has become increasingly popular in recent years. You can easily find tracks on Spotify, YouTube, and many other platforms, which feature nature sounds, the sound of moving air, etc. to help you sleep. Some people use white noise to help their infants sleep if they live in a particularly noisy area. What’s even better, if you have a quiet appliance in your house, like a quiet air purifier, the noise coming out of it can be a soothing source of white noise. Finding the best white noise tracks might require a little bit of experimentation though, as not all tracks can work for you.

Unwanted noise can be the bane of our comfort. It can easily prevent us from getting a restful sleep after a long day of work. Thus, finding methods to get rid of that noise is crucial, especially if you’re hypersensitive to loud sounds. There are various ways with which you can reduce the noise level at your house. So, whether you’re renovating, or doing simple upgrades, make sure to follow one of the noise-reducing practices mentioned above.