Photo courtesy of Nyul – iStockphoto
All around us, life is getting louder. But home should be a place to relax and unwind.
(StatePoint) — All around us, life is getting louder. But home should be a place to relax and unwind. Between televisions,
cell phones, computers and video games, it’s sometimes hard to find peace and quiet within the walls of your home.
Luckily, with a few do-it-yourself soundproofing projects, you can reclaim your home as a place of respite no matter what’s going on in the rooms around you.
• Fabrics: For a quick fix, think fabric. In addition to complementing the look of a room, soft rugs, carpeting, curtains and tapestries make great sound absorbers. And just a few rugs can spell a lot of disturbance-free foot traffic.
• Furniture: Give rooms a unique touch and a powerful sound barrier by placing thickly-upholstered chairs in each corner.
Large bookcases against common walls can also help block noise.
• Surface texture: Rough surfaces on walls and ceilings, such as sprayed-on texture, a textured paint job or even wallpaper can help reduce sound waves in a noisy room.
• Insulation: The simplest, most effective way to soundproof is to reduce airflow between rooms with a high-density stone wool insulation that’s specifically designed for noise reduction.
For example, Roxul Safe ‘n’ Sound, for use between interior walls, in ceilings, and between floors, traps sound waves and vibrations in the thousands of interconnected spaces created by its fiber
structure. Because it can be cut precisely with a serrated blade, it can be trimmed for the best possible fit, meaning maximum
sound absorption.
Installation is easy and will go a long way to reduce sound transmission with the added benefit of improving your home’s fire resistance. And because stone wool insulation is mold resistant and doesn’t slump or settle inside walls over time, it is maintenance free. More information can be found at www.Roxul.com.
• Cracks: Sound can burrow through crevices and cracks. Seal cracks around baseboards and in drywall, and block slits around window seals and interior doors.
While homes are getting louder, there’s good news — many sound-proofing techniques have additional benefits, from aesthetic appeal to improved energy efficiency. Take steps today to make your home a more peaceful, comfortable place to live.