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Regardless of whether you are building a home theatre, or simply want some peace and quiet, there are many ways to soundproof your home, and it may be difficult to decide how you are going to do it. Here are 6 ways to soundproof your home.

1. Use Sound Absorbing Materials

When decorating the interior of your home,  it is possible to soundproof without destroying the interior appeal of your home. Materials like carpets, acoustic plasterboard, and foam or leather are effective ways to make your home more soundproof, while still maintaining a sophisticated decorating style.

2. Provide Sound Barriers

Because sound is the result of sound waves reverberating, one of the simplest methods of soundproofing a room is creating a barrier to eliminate the reverberation. Furnishing your home with padded furniture strategically placed throughout large, empty spaces will assist in suppressing the sound waves, and eliminate excessive noise like echoes traveling throughout your home.

3. Seal Holes and Cracks

Although your home may not appear to need any upgrades, a lot of the excess sound around your home may not even be a result of interior noise, but instead noise from the outside that is leaking through cracks and holes. To prevent noise from the outdoors coming into your home, seal any cracks or holes there may be with polyurethane or latex caulking around windows, doors, and siding. For pipes and wires that enter the home from the outside, fill any gaps with expanding foam or putty. Sealing these gaps will create a barrier for any sounds coming from the exterior of your home, and make the interior quieter.

4. Create a Natural Barrier

Creating a sound barrier around your home out of plants and trees not only increases the curb appeal of your home, and provides shade for your yard, but it will also eliminate a significant amount of the noise that comes from the city streets and leaks into your home. Some of the best plants for noise reduction include evergreen bushes, hollies, and juniper bushes. According to Hellis Arboricultural and Landscape Design, a study conducted in the 1990’s by Huddart concluded that when properly planted, shrubs can reduce noise by up to 6 decibels over a distance of 30 M. It was also noted that the taller the trees, the more the sound was reduced.

5. Use High End, Soundproof Doors and Windows

Many interior doors are hollow and are made of pressboard, which is not an effective material for trapping sound waves.One simple way to prevent sound from drifting throughout your home is to install high end, soundproof doors. Solid wooden or metal doors act as barriers to sound waves and reduce the amount of redundant noise within your home. Replacing your old windows with newer designs, specifically for sound management will also assist in soundproofing your home.

6. Eliminate Appliance Noise

With the busy lifestyle that is common in today’s society, background noises from appliances is a common source for excessive sound within a household. Installing newer, energy efficient appliances away from walls that can act as sound carriers will eliminate white noise, and make your home more peaceful.

Regardless of whether you are looking for a way to reduce city noise within your home, or reduce the echoes within it, there are many ways you can soundproof your home. For more information on sound proofing your home, visit the Falconcrest Homes Blog.