Simple ways to soundproof your home

Living with other people provides many of life's joys, but the sounds created by your partner or family members can become a nuisance if you are trying to accomplish something elsewhere in the house. Many modern homes are poorly insulated against sound pollution, and many people do not realize how sound waves travel through a space. Together with a glowing report from a home inspection company, a soundproofed home will communicate a sense of structural solidity to potential homebuyers and make your life more enjoyable. Rather than suffering whenever your housemates pick up a guitar or turn up the television, consider some of the following tips to dampen sounds in your home: 

What leads to a noisy home?

To understand effective soundproofing techniques, it's necessary to consider how sound is transmitted. Air particles physically transmit sound waves, and the waves can bounce off of hard or flat surfaces, which makes it possible for sound to easily travel around corners. 

With this in mind, it is easy to evaluate your home for acoustic issue. A room full of windows and framed pictures, for instance, will probably produce many echoes, and the sounds produced in that room will likely make their way elsewhere in the house. An echoing room presents two issues because it both amplifies sounds that travel through the house and makes it difficult to hear people during conversation. This leads people to yell, which can compound the first issue.  

Furnish your home completely

It's a simple change, but filling rooms with furniture, bookshelves and other items can have a huge impact on how sound travels. If you're specifically looking to cut down on sound transmission, you'll want to focus on items that will absorb sound rather than reflecting it. This includes upholstered furniture, fabric wall hangings and even plants. Carpets and rugs are particularly useful because they stop sounds from bouncing off the floor. 

Shut gaps between rooms

As you work to soundproof each individual room, you'll want to cut down on sound transmission between spaces as well. If you have a room that tends to be particularly noisy, consider weatherstripping the door even though it's inside. While you won't be keeping inclement weather out, you will eliminate the gap that lets sound creep around the door frame. 

The same idea applies to windows that face the outdoors. A surprising amount of noise enters our homes from outside, and working to seal any window gaps will save money on your heating and cooling bills in addition to making for a quieter home.