Cost Effective Ways to Soundproof a Room

When kids are playing, a cloud of noise usually follows them around. Over time, you may get used to the noise and learn to block it out. But what if you live in an apartment?

Noise regulations are common in apartments or townhouses. A possible solution for this is to soundproof a room. You may not need to soundproof all of the rooms, but only those where your children hang out, such as their bedroom and the living area.

Apart from preventing complaints from the neighbours, soundproofing can make it easier to get some peace around the house so that you can relax. It is important be aware that doing your own stages of soundproofing, it is not possible to completely silence a room. However, it can definitely reduce the noise level considerably, possibly even low enough for your neighbours not to notice the noise.

Seal the gaps

The first step in soundproofing rooms is using an acoustic sealant to cover the cracks and gaps on the walls, ceilings and beams. While looking for these small openings can be a little tedious, once you have sealed 85% of the cracks, you should already notice a difference. Acoustic sealant is commonly found in most general hardware stores.

Thick rugs and carpets

A bare floor can increase noise levels in a room and definitely amplifies the noise heard by the floor below in an apartment. This is due to the way sound waves bounce off hard surfaces. A very effective solution using a carpet. If you don’t want to install a full carpet, a rug will work the same way. Thicker rugs should absorb more sound. Strategically placing rugs around a room can really dampen the noise levels.

What about doors and windows?

3515860110_0f9f32c700_z

The door is the easiest part of the room to soundproof. First go into the room, close the door and listen to see how much sound is coming through: You don’t want to put in the effort where it’s unnecessary. To proceed, you can simply line the frame with a foam sealant and apply an acoustic mat. Windows are basically the same idea. It is also recommended to place soft, heavy drapes on the windows for maximum sound absorption.

When you’re done, noise does not have to be as big a factor when your kids are around the house.

(image 1 source / image 2 source)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *