Roads towards a Quieter Home
The cumulative presence of noise around us on a single day often induces stress and uneasiness, and large number of people nowadays are constantly exposed to its harmful impact. I’m sitting at a laptop right now and I can hear plenty, starting from the blaring TV from my neighbor upstairs, sound of the elevator, people talking at the entrance of my building, the laptop’s fan, my finger tapping the keyboard, and that’s just a warm-up.
To fight it efficiently, we must tackle the interior and exterior sources of noise alike.
Exterior sources
Unfortunately, we cannot cancel out the outside sounds in absolute terms since people are bound to pass by our window occasionally, the cars and buses are not going to stop frequenting the streets and that all adds up to the 100 db noise pollution.
To minimize it, we need to employ all the hacks we know. For instance, the downstairs sounds can be muffled by adding carpets or rugs to your floors. It reduces the echo effectively, particularly if you have wooden flooring and your old-built apartment has no sound isolation.
Walls
Similar method applies to the veteran walls of some older-time condos with minimal isolation, and that’s where we jump in. You have a neat option to place some noise-ousting wallpaper. Its thicker structure is ideal for kids’ or multimedia rooms. An even easier alternative presents itself, and that is to position the bulky furniture on the communal walls. Your bookcases, all-wall closets and shelves filled to the brim wondrously combat the exterior sounds.
Windows
Lastly, the windows can be covered by massive curtains or draping and the sound-minimizing screen is created, simple as that. However, you can advance your sound-isolation game and consider double glazing. Such windows boost the effect of the present insulation and are specifically designed for areas with critical levels of noise.
They work by sealing the micro cracks and replacing of thinner panel with more solid counterparts. Thus the vibrations and air-born clamor are banned from your space. The retrofitted windows can expel more than 65% of the exterior noise and bring the much needed calm and improved health, claim NZ specialists for double glazed windows.
Interior sources
Opposing to exterior sounds, the one originating inside can be tackled and suppressed one at a time. From loud devices to TV, we are in charge of dealing with them all. Once we get to the bottom of understanding the behavior and movement of sound waves across a room, the identification and reduction of weak spots will be a breeze.
Laundry facilities are the most noticeable culprits, holding the two loudest machines in the house, a dryer and a washing machine. This issue is not unsolvable as some foam isolation can easily do the trick. Even the expenses are not considerable as such rooms are usually modest in size.
Additionally, if you detect the rest of the noisy devices and appliances, it is recommended to relocate them into a sound-proof or distant area. If the fridge must dwell in the kitchen, the waste disposal unit can be stationed in the garage, while basement can accommodate the food processor.
Finally, a few multipurpose spaces you use such as home cinema, the office and library can be merged into one. This would help us select the sources of noise we want to annul.
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Additional actions for a quieter home
When I want to increase my productivity, I start with turning off the music and TV. On the contrary, I shut off my laptop when I want to watch a show on TV. The pleasure factor will go up along with the productivity levels, and the whole setting will be far less distracting.
When other techniques are in question, I suggest you give the noise-reducing headpieces and gentle earplugs a go, or just turn of the air conditioning unit and similar buzzers. A great deal of apps now proved the measurement of sound levels and can notify you when the alarming numbers are reached in a certain room.
If you get equally upset by the constant rumbling of the world around you, and especially in the working hours, this set of tips and advice could save the day.
Exclusively Written For Homes Re-Imagined, LLC By Lillian Connors