There’s nothing quite as relaxing as peace of mind. It’s hard to achieve peace of mind if the outside noise around your home is keeping you up at night or waking you up prematurely. Especially if you live in a busy city, this can be maddening and affect all areas of your life if you can’t get enough sleep.
Whether it’s to avoid highway noise, construction, rowdy nightlife, or anything other uninvited noise, soundproofing your home could be the solution to your problem. Through soundproof panels, you can absorb much of the noise trying to penetrate your house. But that’s not the only route you can take.
Your health is the most important thing. Noise pollution can be dangerous. In fact, nearly one in six adults in New York City alone claim hearing loss or ringing in the ears, and about 20% of residents say noise at home usually disturbs them.
In this article, we’re going to break down five innovative ways to soundproof or sound-dampen your living space in a way that results in less noise pollution and more peace and relaxation in your home.
You’ll be surprised at the peace that can be achieved by introducing some new furniture or technology to your structure’s walls or foundation.
Table of Contents
1. Blackout, Sound-Dampening Curtains
You’d be amazed at the effect curtains can have on a room. Not only can you block out the constant city lights and sights, but sound-dampening curtains can keep much of the noise out of your room, especially if you have drafty windows.
They can even help you save money by eliminating drafts and keeping heat or air conditioning in the room. They work by deadening sound. This means the sound is stopped from echoing or reverberating, keeping the room a quiet oasis.
The curtains are thicker than normal curtains and are generally heavier and tightly woven to absorb sound. This is a relatively cheap and easy way to effectively reduce sound in a room or living space.
2. If You Can, Add Insulation
This is a tough option if you don’t own the space you’re living in and are unsure if you can make changes to the structure or not. But adding insulation to a home is an easy way to eliminate or absorb outside noise.
But it’s just beefing up the barrier between your home and the outside world. Every New Yorker knows what it’s like to have thin walls and to be bothered by the sounds of your neighbors throughout the day or night.
Insulation also will keep your house warmer or cooler in the winter or summer, which is a bonus for saving money and staying more comfortable when it’s less than pleasant outside.
3. Try Felt Wall Panels
Instead of beefing up the areas inside your walls, consider adding to the walls themselves. Felt, sound-absorbing wall panels can easily be hung on the walls of your house, apartment, condo, or single living room.
These are another relatively inexpensive option for limiting sound and creating a more peaceful space. Plus, many companies that sell them allow you to customize them by design, color, pattern, or shape.
This way, you can personalize your room to your taste while also improving the amount of noise you’re exposed to. You’ll enjoy designing them online, opening them up when they arrive, and collaboratively hanging them up with family or roommates.
Because these can be used in any type of living space, they’re likely the most versatile solution for soundproofing any home.
Creating an additional cushion between your walls and the walls of your neighbors, family members, or the outside city noise is an easy way to help block some sound from entering your space.
This can be in the form of a large bookshelf, a dresser, or any other large piece of furniture that will absorb noise and fill a large space.
Books in particular are perfect for absorbing sound because they provide instant sound insulation when they fill up a bookshelf. Filling empty spaces in the home in general is a good idea to limit potential echoes or sound bouncing off hard surfaces like walls around the room.
5. Use Inserts for Doors & Windows
This last one may seem obvious, but adding window inserts or filling gaps under or above doors will largely limit outside noise coming into your home. Plus, it will keep light and outside air from coming in as well. Make sure to seal existing cracks or holes in your structure, and use seals to reinforce your windows.
This is a good option especially if you live in an apartment complex or a shared living space where several other people are walking through the building at all hours of the day and night. It’s also perfect for those that live a door away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Filling the gaps you already have in your home should be the first step before you invest in more sound-dampening materials. You may find with a little renovation, you don’t need excess equipment or insulation.
Final Thought
Many people put off soundproofing their homes, or accept that noise pollution is just part of living in a city or busy area. But they don’t need to settle. Many wish they had soundproofed their homes years ago.
With a few simple fixes, your home can go from a chaotic, noisy situation to a cozy, quiet oasis that’s easy to sleep and relax in.
You need to protect your sleep and health in general. You aren’t doing yourself any favors by simply getting used to the sound that bothers you. Maybe you need a simple renovation for cracks and holes in your living space. Maybe you feel the need to implement sound panels all over the house.
No matter your living situation, eliminating noise pollution from the outside world is sure to make for a happier home, and a happier you.
To recap, try out one or several of these five simple remedies.
- Fix and seal existing cracks and holes
- Try sound-dampening curtains
- Try felt wall panels
- Add insulation to walls if you can
- Implement more large furniture to shared walls