DIY Noise Insulation
Soundproofing your home can be a do-it-yourself project. While the addition of acoustical ceiling tiles and wall insulation will certainly improve the control you have over noise inside the house, you can get a similar effect by doing other things that are less invasive and easier. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Curtains
- Weather-stripping
- Closet items
- Throw rugs
- Anti-vibration flooring materials
- Fencing
- Plants
Instructions
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Invest in heavier curtains to soundproof a home against external noises. Closed draperies made of material that is not sheer act as a barrier between outside noises that you don't want intruding.
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Add weather stripping to your doors and windows. Weather-stripping not only helps to insulate against noise from the outside, you also get the added benefit of insulating against the loss of hot or cool air.
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Stuff a closet that borders your living room with heavy coats, your extra blankets and anything else that can act to dampen the travel of sound waves. Soundproofing a closet in this way will help to keep the noise from interrupting the activities taking place in the living room.
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Put down throw rugs over a floor with a hard surface such as wood, stone or ceramic. Hard floors carry sound throughout the house, especially when walked upon by hard-soled shoes. Adding a few throw rugs over the most heavily trafficked areas can significantly reduce the noise that is produced by echos that bounce off them.
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Invest in a material that will help to cushion the sound produced by vibrating appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and clothes dryers. The sound created from the vibrations may seem like background white noise that you hardly notice until you cushion the vibration and learn just how much noise they produce. Place rubber pads on the feet of the appliances or use sheets of fiberglass to deaden their vibrations.
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Install solid core doors to replace hollow doors. The addition of more solidly constructed doors throughout the interior of the house will allow you to close off a room either to reduce the noise coming from it or noise from outside the room coming in.
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Build a fence to protect the house against a high level of outside noise. A high, solid wooden fence can reduce the noise coming from your neighbor or the sound of prevailing winds that blow against your house. Planting shrubs and trees can accomplish the same thing.
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References
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