Soundproofing your home can be a very peaceful way to live in a noisy neighborhood. There are many ways to soundproof a house. Mentioned in this article are various ways on soundproofing windows and doors.
Living in a noisy neighborhood can be very painful. It can hinder your normal activities like studying, reading, watching TV, speaking on the phone, sleeping, etc. If you are living in a city, or in an area of the city where you can hear traffic all the time or your neighbor’s dog barking, then it is time to consider soundproofing solutions. Also, soundproofing is an effective way to prevent noise leaking to other rooms or to your neighborhood. You can play your drums or loud music, without having to be worried about others getting disturbed.
There are many ways to soundproof a room and a house. Simplest of all is to soundproof your windows and doors. This way you can either soundproof an individual room or soundproof the windows and door entrances to soundproof the whole house. Here are various ideas on soundproofing that you can use.
Ways to Soundproof Doors and Windows
The best and the most effective way to soundproof a room or house is by replacing the windows and doors. There are many manufacturers who specialize in soundproofing window treatments. You can check online for these manufacturers to see which is the most cost-effective solution.
Basically, manufacturers offer windows which smugly fit in their frames, so that no noise escapes. Windows come mostly in glass. These are mostly double glazed windows, which offer good soundproofing. But for better soundproofing you can also go for triple glazed window glass. Also, doors can come in solid wood, or medium density fiber wood. These fit smugly on the door frame.
The most practical are the sliding glass windows and doors. Many manufacturers make quality soundproof sliding doors and different sliding window designs. You can hire a contractor to fix these for you. As these doors and windows are made of glass, you might want to hang shades or blinds over them so that you have privacy. Check online for various soundproof windows and doors manufacturers.
However, if replacing doors and windows seem out of your budget, then there are many DIY affordable solutions for soundproofing doors and windows that you can choose from. A simplest solution is to just hang acoustic blinds on the doors and windows. They filter light and sound, and provide a peaceful atmosphere. You can find these drapes in most home improvement stores or look for them online. These fabrics are made of synthetic material and are quite effective.
You can also block sound by covering the areas on doors and windows. This can be done with combination of many small hardware items. You can buy a draft guard for door. They come in metal and foam. Foam is more effective and affordable. Just screw these door draft guards or stick them to the door or window bottom ends and they will block sound and cold too.
On the sides and top of the windows and doors you will see that there is a gap which allows sound to pass. To cover these spaces, simply use foam. You can find it in a hardware store, and stick it on the frame. So, once you close the door and it will block any sounds coming from outside. Finally, to fill up small gaps like between hinges, stuff some more foam carefully. If you want you can also use soundproofing caulk for this purpose.
This was all about soundproofing the doors and various windows of the house. Once you are done installing all the necessary soundproofing equipment, close the room’s door and windows and check. You will observe that the room is soundproof up to 70-80%. If you feel there is still some sound coming inside, then consider soundproofing your ceiling and floor too.
