Are you living in a noisy neighborhood and wonder how to soundproof a room from outside noise?
Many people prefer enjoying the quiet in their house to being forced to listen to the next-door distractive television sounds or phone calls.
That is why I would like to provide you with some of the best methods to soundproof your house. Scroll down for the full details!
Main ways to prevent the outside noises coming into your room (Source: maramani)
How To Soundproof A Room From Outside Noise? A Quick Answer
There are seven main ways to have a comfy and noise-free room so. First, think about modifying the walls and insulating the noise air vents. Otherwise, checking the windows and the door would help to ease the sounds. Suppose those methods do not work, solving the outside noises, and you would regain the quiet home you desire.
How Do Sounds Come To Your Room?
Before coming to the central part, it might be helpful to have a quick look at how the sounds come to your house.
In theory, noises travel through the airwave. Hence, you can not escape totally from the sound outside.
But, to decrease its effect is possible for it mostly depends on the room’s items to change its reaction. For instance, the sound moving through the air is around 15 times slower than steel.
That is why you can use lead, concrete, soundproof curtains, or other heavy materials to prevent the noises.
If you hope to know more details about the house’s sound insulation, pick up the Sound Transmission Class (STC). It can measure the quality of the sound waves through walls and ceilings pretty well.
Why Should You Soundproof Rooms?
There are a few reasons why people soundproof their houses.
First, they want to prevent the noises from coming in or out.
Suppose you have a house or an apartment on a noisy street; you might, indeed, understand how disruptive it is. A mess of screeching tires, sirens, horns, shouting, and working engines could make you mad all day and decrease your sleeping quality.
Besides, the rudely noisy neighbors sometimes force people to soundproof their houses. That could be non-stop night parties or the loud TV disturbing their relaxation.
Those who have a recording place in their houses, such as vloggers or musicians, need to stop the noises from getting out. Then, soundproofing the home is a great option not to disturb their neighbors.
What’s more, people want to get their houses soundproofed to increase the properties’ values from time to time. Notably, the well-soundproofing buildings on noisy areas or the main road could have higher prices than others.
After all, most people require a peaceful time when they come to their houses.
How To Soundproof A Room From Outside Noise?
How To Soundproof A Room From Exterior Noise?
1, Modify the walls
First and foremost, you should think about modifying the walls if the noises outside have been too loud for a long time.
Following some reviews, high-quality sound isolation clips such as the SoundproofingMLV and hat channel combined with new drywall often bring the best effect. Keep in mind to tear down walls before installing those products.
Plus, given that you have used the interior walls for a long time, holes, cracks, and gaps might appear on them. That allows the noises to come to the room faster and easier. You should purchase a sealant to seal the cracks and holes to solve the problem.
Besides, there might be a chance that the walls are too thin, leading to a weak soundproofing ability. That is when you need to add a couple of extra layers of drywall. It is made from suitable materials that can absorb sounds effectively. Hence, people often use it on ceilings and walls to decrease the noise.
Of course, the drywall’s cost is a bit higher than usual. So if the din is not too awful, purchasing for one layer might be more than enough.
Also, there is another cheaper way to solve the noise: hanging wall decorations such as Rustic Scones and heavy quilts on the walls. While it might not be as favorable as the drywalls, it still helps remove the number of sounds coming into your house. For some, they move the furniture closer to the walls alike. It adds another layer to prevent annoyance.
2, Soundproof air vents
Look at the unclosed air vents in your house, and you might find the origin of the noises. They contain large holes, which allows the sounds and air to arrive in easier.
Suppose you find the air vents unnecessary, blocking them or filling the gaps with a filler spray like the Rust-Oleum or the drywall.
On the other side, given that the air vents are still needed, soundproof them with a honeycomb and a good maze. Not only do those items keep the air flowing, but they also decrease the amount of noise.
3, Insulate floors and ceiling
To insulate floors and ceilings is another best way to soundproof a house from outside noise.
This method might not be helpful in a story house, but it can help in apartment buildings. After all, there is no need to isolate yourself from your family members.
Concerning the items to soundproof the ceiling, consider the drop ceiling as the first option. Not only does it offer a reasonable cost, but it is also easy to install. It can prevent your house from vibrations of noises coming from ceilings pretty well.
Plus, having access to the wires and ductwork would be easier when you get the drop fixed. Keep in mind to purchase a few acoustic hangers to support the tiles.
My advice is to make use of rubber mats and thick fluffy carpets about the floors. To enhance the effect, putting on a few heavy items on the floor and another ground carpet would help.
Some acoustic clouds and ceilings are also worth considering, like ZHERMAO or TroyStudio.
4, Check old windows
Apart from walls, floors, or air vents, huge windows are also the main reason for unwanted noisy sounds from outside.
Check them and notice if the frames contain any holes or gaps. Suppose that is the case; using the window inserts would ultimately reduce the sound. Primarily, it is beneficial in the case of the windows with old woodwork.
You might be surprised by its advantages of the long-time savings and energy efficiency. Plus, it offers a low cost alike.
Some windows might contain small gaps, holes, or cracks. That makes the noises coming to the house easier. Then, use the weatherstripping or caulk sealant and seal those gaps.
5, Fix thin windows
There might be a possibility that your windows only have a pane, making the noises coming to your house easier. Buying another glass pane that has an airtight seal could solve the issue. Add in the airspace between those two panes to have a better result.
The whole process of installing an extra pane only takes around 20 to 30 minutes. Keep in mind to prepare a drill and a couple of metal trim pieces.
What’s more, suppose you want to save money, using the window plugs is my advice. Not only can they protect your room from loud noises, but they also avoid light and air. Do not forget to measure the windows’ size before making those plugs.
I also use heavy and thick curtains like JSFLY to soundproof my room from time to time. While it does not allow the lights to come in, it is amazingly effective at night.
6, Change the door
Can you soundproof a house from outside noise?
Changing the door can tackle the problem, especially if it has a hollow structure inside.
When buying a new door, add extra door sweeps and good seals alike. Bear in mind that the door should have a solid core to increase its soundproofing ability.
Another cheaper option is to use soundproof blankets. Hang them at the door’s back. Use adhesive and tacks to hold them tightly. Then, you would have a practical item to block the sounds.
Those blankets might not be as appealing as other methods on the other side. So, I suggest utilizing them in the rooms that are not visited often to destroy the present interior theme.
The last thing you can do with the doors is seal the cracks and gaps. Using the caulk sealant would boost the effect.
7, Use a white noise machine
The following method is to use a white noise machine. It is handy for students or people who work from the house because the soft music can reduce stress and give you a better mood. Plus, white noises can mask any background noise as well.
When using a white noise machine, put it near you to overwhelm the streets’ sounds. Some people often download calm sounds with the device to solve their sleeping troubles. Following some studies, the sounds of nature such as the birds chirping the water flowing, ocean waves, or rainfall have a positive effect on our relaxing process.
How to soundproof a room from outside noise? (Source: maramani)
8, Work with outside areas
Now it comes to the items outside your house. While few people think about it, placing many barriers between your homes and the sound source could reduce the noise pretty well.
Besides, you can grow trees and tall plants around your living area. Other stuff like a waterfall or a Windscreen4less fence can result in drowning out the annoying sounds.
Keep in mind that its height should be more than eight feet when you use the fence. The higher the wall is, the better.
That is another answer to how to soundproof a room from outside noise.
9, Other methods
While soundproofing can be an excellent way to help you avoid loud noises, there might be other options alike.
For instance, you can try to detect the source of the sounds first. Try to solve it directly instead of blocking yourself from the outside. If that is the loud phone calls or the neighbor’s dog barking mad, talk with your neighbors to tackle the issue. Most of the time that works with me.
Take a look at this video to know more about preventing the annoying sounds from coming into your room:
How To Soundproof A Room From Outside Noise? People Also Ask
1, What are the best items to reduce the outside noises?
There are eight things you can consider to block the outside noises. First, use the caulk sealant to seal the gaps or holes on the windows or the walls. To cover the gaps below the door and beneath the windows, use the door sweep and the weatherstripping.
Plus, soundproof blankets, soundproof curtains, window inserts, acoustic panels, and seal kits are worthy of making your house peaceful again.
2, Can I hear the sounds from soundproof rooms?
Of course, in the case of a standard soundproof room, you can not hear it outside.
Whether it is the music or a source of audio, only the people inside the said room can listen to them. That has its roots in the unique items, such as a thick wall with high-quality Amazon drywall patches, helping block those sounds.
3, How to prevent noises from getting through walls?
There are eight methods to stop the loud noise coming through walls.
First, I suggest using noise-reducing curtains or placing a few pieces of artwork on the walls. Some people choose to re-organize their furniture and hang soundproof blankets to solve the issue.
Besides, acoustic foam panels or acoustic fabric panels can do great work.
Cover the cracks or gaps in the drywall and add extra soundproof materials into the walls if possible.
Conclusion
To sum up, above is my full answer related to soundproofing a room from outside noise.
One of the most common solutions to cease the disruption is to work with the windows.
Purchasing window inserts or another windowpane can stop any loud noises while saving your money in the long term.
Besides, I often modify the walls when tackling the noises. Not only is the method effective, but it is also easy to apply.
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