Ever move into a new apartment or house and realize that you can hear everything that is going on? It can turn your new home from a tranquil retreat from the world to a place too noisy to think in a blink of an eye. It could be kids or pets in your own house that can shake the ceiling and rattle the pictures, or if you are in an apartment not only can you smell what your neighbors are cooking for dinner, but you can hear all about their recent vacation to the Bahamas. We at Carolina Services understand that that is not an environment that anyone wants to live in and have compiled a list on how to soundproof a room.
First, lets address the two types of noises that you would be soundproofing against. The first is structure-borne noise. Examples of this would be noise vibrations such as walking or running or even to loud music coming from inside or outside your home. The other type is airborne noise. This type includes things as conversations, like from neighbors or other guests in your home. How to soundproof a room is to create an environment where the sound has to travel farther to reach its destination.
The first idea on how to soundproof a room is fairly easy and inexpensive, depending on your taste in decor. Fill your house with your things to make it a home. Unpack all of your books and knick knacks from travels and life and line them on shelves on book cases and shelves on the walls. If you happen to have laminate or hardwood floors, cover them with rugs that show off your personal taste. The last thing would be to use heavy drapes. Not only will this help to soundproof from outdoor noises but it will also help keep the heat out in the summer and the heat in in the winter.
The next way to soundproof a room would be for those instances where loud noise is really a problem. You would need to use soundproof panels. These are very easy to make and can be used to decorate your home. You can make them yourself and cover them in any fabric you choose to show off your style. If doing it yourself is not your thing, there are always stores happy to customize soundproof panels any size and style.
The last step in soundproofing would be the hardest and most intensive. How to soundproof a room for a more extreme case of noise would be to build and install a dropped ceiling and a double wall. This would create another barrier that sound would have to travel through before it made it to your ears. The reason why this is the hardest and last case scenario is that it is expensive to do as well as eats into the space in your existing room. This would not be a good idea for a small room. It is also recommended to insulate the added structure not only to help with noise but also to help heat and cool the space.
Living in a home with too much noise can be easily fixed with some small decorating tweaks. However, if your situation is more extreme please come by today and talk to our staff about how we can turn your house into a home.
Photo by: parkeyparker
