Collaborative post
Churchill Home Insurance research reveals that about 424,000 noise complaints were made to local councils across the UK in 2019. Noise is frustrating to live with whether it originates from inside or outside of your home, although it is significantly more annoying when it is external. It is essential to reduce noise in your house if you are a remote worker, have small children, or simply want to have a peaceful environment to relax in. Below are some effective things you can do to lower noise in your house.
- Work on your doors and windows
Noise is generated when sound waves reverberate off surfaces, so sealing any cracks around your doors will significantly lower the external noise that gets inside. You can simply use felt or peel-and-stick foam weatherstripping to create a solid seal around your doors. In addition, you can purchase quality under-door draught excluders to muffle sounds. It may also be prudent to replace hollow core doors with solid core options to block out sounds. Furthermore, windows are great at letting in fresh air but not drowning out external noise due to their design. Therefore, consider installing noise-reducing curtains and soundproofing your windows to block up to 95% of external noise.
- Install quality insulation
Insulation’s most prominent benefit is keeping temperatures consistent enough in your home to reduce your heating and cooling costs. However, insulation can also reduce sound transmission from one area to another, so you can enjoy noise-reduction benefits when you install it. It is important to remember that not all types of insulation reduce noise. For instance, reflective insulation like radiant barriers often installed in houses will successfully reflect the sun’s heat. You can install it right under your roof to keep your home cooler, but don’t expect any sound reduction benefits from this type of insulation. Instead, use foam, fibreglass, and cellulose options since these are great examples of soundproofing insulation materials. Rockwool RWA45 insulation slabs also effectively absorb sound at the surface or impede its transmission, so keep this in mind.
- Invest in a white noise machine
A white noise machine is a great last resort to invest in to block out annoying sounds. These machines are best for drowning out spontaneous but annoying sounds, like rush-hour honking or a neighbour mowing their garden. They offer several soothing sounds like birds chirping, rainfall, ocean waves, and breeze blowing, so you will be less focused on the external chaos. What’s more, white noise machines are incredibly easy to use. You just have to plug them in, select your preferred setting, and enjoy the consistent and quiet background sounds. However, these machines are admittedly not for everyone, and they won’t adequately cancel loud noises like construction.
- Strategically place area rugs in different rooms
Sound waves often echo in rooms with no carpets, but many people still prefer their hard floors without any carpets. Luckily, you don’t have to switch to carpet or replace your hard flooring to lower noise. You can simply position area rugs in different rooms to reduce annoying sounds. However, invest in thicker area rugs since these can absorb more noise.