We have come up with 5 Tips to improve the soundproofing in your home:
1. Fix & Fill
Firstly fix any holes or cracks in your walls. Inspect them and pay close attention to the areas around the window frames, and electrical sockets. If you find any holes or cracks repair them with caulk, if the damage is more severe then you may need to look to address the damage and re-plaster.
2. Mind the gap
The doors in your home can make a huge difference to noise levels inside. Like air, noise will get in through any gap so ensuring your doors and windows seal well is vital. Internal doors are commonly made with 2.5mm skins and are hollow in the centre, which means they don’t effectively reduce noise transfer. It might be worth replacing them with solid doors, this will reduce the amount of sound which is able to pass through.
3. Don’t amplify it
In simple terms, hard surfaces reflect sound waves, whereas soft surfaces absorb them. With floorboards, tiles and marble being popular choices, the noise is not absorbed by anything. If you don’t want carpet then simply lay down a few nice rugs to help with the acoustics. In rooms adjacent to main roads with lots of external noise, then consider putting up heavy curtains, and for a greater difference ensure these curtains also cover the wall below and above the window.
4. Research then replace
Simply replacing your windows will not make a significant impact on external noise, even adding an extra glass layer can have the reverse effect in that the extra layer can vibrate and amplify the noise. In our opinion the best solution is to use an acoustic glass panel – hence why we created Shield Glass in conjunction with GlassSolutions Saint Gobain. In tests Shield Protection sound reduction glass windows will provide a further 20% reduction in decibel levels compared to A-rated sealed units.
5. Don’t wait – Insulate
Installing insulation products in both walls and ceilings can drastically reduce the amount of noise coming in and out of your home.