Your home is meant to be a retreat from the world — quiet and relaxing.
However, that peaceful setting can quickly turn to chaos when unwanted noise enters the picture.
The good news is that you can do several things to prevent unwanted sounds from interrupting your activities, whether you’re resting, working or enjoying some much-needed leisure time:
• Use soundproofing insulation in your walls and ceilings. This typically has the most dramatic effect in reducing sound than any other strategy.
Opt for insulation that has a dense composition and nondirectional fiber structure for better sound suppression. For best results, install resilient channels before applying drywall.
• Replace older appliances with quieter models. If your dishwasher sounds like a freight train running through the house, then it might be time to replace it.
Fortunately, many of today’s dishwashers are designed with quiet technology, reducing the noise level by half or more.
• Decorate with sound-absorbing materials. A vast array of products are available to help your sound-reduction strategy.
Try using decorative acoustic ceiling tiles, carpeting and area rugs or sound-blocking drapes. Opting for materials that absorb sound will help reduce echoes and reverberations from within a room.
• Ditch the hollow-core doors. These often come standard, especially in new homes. Replace them with solid-core models. They’re more expensive, but they make a remarkable difference. Some solid-core doors even use such premium-core materials as stone wool, which increase fire resistance, as well.
• Keep noise under wraps. Calm the sound of noisy pipes with plumbing insulation. Air ducts can also cause nuisance sound. Duct wrap is an inexpensive solution. Apply where possible, and insist on it during the installation of any new HVAC system.
• Let in light, not sound. If you need to replace your windows, you’ll notice a significant difference in the way newer models stop sound from infiltrating your home.
If you’re not ready for the expense, a tube of acoustic caulking and weather stripping can soften unwanted outdoor noise.