Home is considered to be a safe haven for all. After a long, hectic, and tiring day, it is the home that everyone wants to retreat back into. It is the ultimate goal at the end of the day. Therefore it becomes very necessary to make sure that the house we live in is free from any form of disturbance, and especially unwanted sounds and noise.
No one is particularly fond of noise, be it from the super loud vehicle passing down the road, the construction work across the street, or the party-loving noisy neighbors who live next door. It not only disturbs everyone but is also harmful to their health. Noise affects the ability to concentrate and makes people irritated and agitated. People only address noise to be acute and super loud, but many a time, they fail to recognize the damage done by long-term exposure to the subtle background noises.
There are many simple ways to soundproof the house, the simplest being the one from The Blinds Source. Stated below are a few more ways that can be adopted to make homes a quieter and much more comfortable place to be:
1. Move the furniture to the walls
While as simple as it might sound, it is one of the oldest tricks to block sound from entering the rooms. Just arrange the furniture, like the cupboards and the bookshelves, to the wall from which the maximum sound enters the room. This way, the furniture can absorb a large part of the sound waves entering.
2. Cover the floors with rugs
Another simple yet efficient way to reduce and bounce back of the excessive sound waves in the house is to add rugs to the floors that trap the sound waves, prevent them from traveling everywhere, and add to the decor of the house.
3. Installing acoustic panels
These are specially designed panels that help in absorbing or distributing the soundwaves into space. Generally used at movie theaters and concert halls. Acoustic panels are now being used at offices and homes, where the outside noise is simply too much to handle.
The panels come in many different varieties to suit the nature of the sound as well as to match the decor of the house, making it a win-win situation for the consumers. They can be fitted on the walls or on the ceilings, depending upon the need of the client.
4. Seal the windows
You can check for cracks and holes near and under the windows and doors. These are the entry points for a majority of the noise into the house. Getting them fixed through a handyman might be expensive. Alternatively, this has a cheaper solution. You can reseal the windows with a silicone or rubber sealant. These are easily available at a hardware store at very reasonable rates and are very easy to fit.
Resealing the windows and doors not only prevents the noise from entering into the house but also keeps the temperature and insulations maintained according to the season, thus, helps in saving up the electricity bills.
5. Check the floorings
Keeping track of the floor, checking for creaks, and repairing them whenever necessary can also help in reducing the noise. There is hardly anything more irritating than a squeaking floor that makes a lot of noise whenever anyone passes by it. A simple repair or update would reduce a lot of noise. One can also install soundproof panels at the time of flooring.
6. Soundproof the appliances
Investing in higher quality appliances can dramatically reduce noise production at homes. Higher is the quality, the more silent that appliance or gadget would be. This can be tricky as changing appliances is not going to be cheap. But if one is adamant about having a good night’s sleep, then they might just as well be a little more cautious when shopping for appliances.
Acoustic panels can help in situations like these. Simply place one near to the gadget that makes the most noise, a washing machine or a blender, for example, and it would absorb most of the sound produced or dissipate it into space, making the home a much quieter place to be.
7. Add heavy drapes
Adding heavy curtains at the doors and windows and drapes all over the house can significantly reduce the sound transmission. This has multiple benefits to it rather than making the house quiet. Firstly, drapes can be complementary to the decor of the house and add to the class of the same. Secondly, drapes and curtains can help in the insulation of the house, thus cutting the electricity bills.
Fabrics like wool, velvet, and silk can be used as they are known for their sound-absorbing properties. They are cheaply available, easy to maintain, and are available in endless prints and varieties.
8. White noise
This is relatively a new way of cutting the unwanted sounds in the house, in which the noise is blocked or masked with a static sound. The white sound is usually a calming sound, ranging from a breeze of air to the rustle of leaves. This way, instead of reducing the noise, people are covering it up with the sounds they enjoy.
Conclusion
In this busy lifestyle, it is important for everyone to have a peaceful, uninterrupted, and sound sleep, without which it is very hard to concentrate and function properly. Lack of sleep and proper rest also affects the decision-making capacity of a person, making them unfit for their work field. Therefore, it becomes very important for everyone to maintain a peaceful ambiance at home, especially in the sleeping areas or bedrooms.
People cannot control the external noise, but they surely can control its entry and propagation in their houses and workplaces. If people plan to renovate a place or build a new project, they should keep soundproofing at the top of their checklists.
