Living in a busy area is fun. You are close to work or school or a great shopping district. It might even be the best place to invest into housing real estate. But the one thing you won’t have is peace and quiet. If you own a property on a busy road or planning to rent or buy a home, then you might want to consider a few things that will help you soundproof your house from the never-ending traffic noises.
Exterior Walls
The wall facing the road is where you would need to start considering options of soundproofing. Nothing absorbs noise like a fat wall of books. Consider moving your bookshelves to line your outside walls so the books will help absorb some of the street noise. If its possible try and see if your storage closets and cupboards can be towards the street side.
Reinforce your windows
A lot of noise seeps in through windows. You can consider getting soundproof windows like the UPVC variety. If you cannot switch over completely then consider installing thicker glass. If you are in a rental apartment and you are unable to do either then consider a temporary solution like cutting some sheets of acoustic foam to fit the windows that you can put in place at nights so that you get a good rest. Also, windows tend to have gaps. Ensure you examine the windows and fill in these gaps.
Thick curtains
Heavy curtains can also help dampen sound. The thicker and heavier the curtains, the more effective they’ll be. You can even buy special noise-absorbing curtains designed to help cancel out annoying sounds.
Using your garden
If you have a garden, then consider setting up high fences and growing a thick line of trees or shrubs. These create a natural barrier for sound. The idea is to get plants that grow into thick shrubs and no ornamental ones that are too thin.
Seal gaps
Check your house thoroughly to see if there are any air gaps or unsealed openings, especially around windows and doors. No matter how small the cavity is, eliminating the space altogether is key.
Sound Proofing
The majority of the soundproofing options are designed for home studios where the sound quality within the room is important. However, some of these are also useful in blocking out sound from outside. For example, you can consider soundproofing tiles which are installed on your exterior wall and then plastered over, giving you a wall that looks normal but has excellent sound insulation properties.
Earplugs
If all else fails, then we suggest you invest into a good pair of ear plugs.
Street noise may be inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck listening to it. Implement a few of these soundproofing tips and experience the sound of silence.
