DIY: Soundproofing Your Home

Nothing like being quarantined at home that makes you realize you need a bigger home. If you need to remotely work, or simply get some alone time, it can be hard with your whole family stuck at home. If noise is an issue in your home, and simply purchasing a larger home isn’t an option, consider soundproofing your home!

 

 

Why

Noise is an invisible enemy of productivity.

According to a report from Insight, “Over half (52%) of workers are interrupted by noise distractions more than five times in a working day, with 17% stating that they are interrupted by noise more than 10 times”, further stating that “65% reported that noise in the workplace impacted their ability to complete work in an accurate and timely manner”.

As a result of this data, employers have taken precautions to combat this invisible enemy by working with commercial architects, designers, and contractors to decrease the decibels in the workplace.

 

Image: Soundproofing insulation

Adjusting to a change of location and an increase in noise will be tough for many people. While you shouldn’t completely soundproof every room in your home, taking certain measures will ensure a more peaceful and productive home.

Since most exterior walls already block sound fairly well, for the purposes of this blog we will be talking abound soundproofing the interior of your home.

Doors

Like air, sound tends to slip through any tiny opening it can find. This is exactly why a door that is slightly cracked open will allow more sound than a door that is fully shut. To aid your door in blocking sound, add some weather stripping around the perimeter of the doorway. To further muffle sound, consider installing an under-door draft stopper.

Walls and floor

A soft surface will absorb sound and make the room much quieter, while hard surfaces amplify and reflect sound.

A very serious solution, sound absorbing panels are specifically engineered to block sound as well as possible, but you must purchase them. If that isn’t feasible, a cheaper and easier option is to hang up common household items on your walls. Hanging some quilts, tapestries or heavy blankets on your walls will help dampen sound coming from the rest of your home.

If the floor of the room is covered in any hard surface, adding a rug will further dampen any sound trying to enter/exit your room.

 

Releasing your inner carpenter

If you prefer a more effective and permanent solution, you might need to purchase some materials. Chances are you don’t keep any extra panels of ½ in. drywall laying around in your storage, so wear a mask and gloves and head to your local hardware store.

Cover all walls and ceiling with an extra layer of drywall to ensure a quieter room, bonus points for adding insulation and a resilient channel for sound.

Recap

Sound, like air, passes through the smallest cracks and holes. Making a room as airtight as possible will ensure a quieter and more peaceful room. Hard surfaces reflect and amplify sound while softer materials absorb it; place down a rug and hang up some think blankets or tapestries on your walls.

These are meant to be mainly DIY projects, but never hesitate to contact Total Restore for assistance!

Stay safe!

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