How to soundproof your living space

The following was recently found in the web site business2community.com

“Every day, when you return home, you crave for a peaceful living space where you can spend some quality time. The situation in reality, however, seems to be a far cry from this. Noise seems to be the only constant in your living room. But there are ways in which you can get rid of the disturbing sound and make your living space soundproof. Follow the steps given below for soundproofing your living space.

• Make A Double Wall – If your budget is quite high and you are comfortable with using a few simple tools then you can do it yourself. With the help of a drill machine, you can make a double wall or dropped ceiling. This will, in turn, help in creating an air trap that halts the motion of the sound after striking the second layer. This results in the decrease of density particle and, hence, in the intensity of sound. Also, you can go for insulation as an extra absorber of sound.
• Tile The Floors – Tiled floors, drapes or hardwood often make the intensity of sound lesser by absorbing a large amount of sound. Also, sound is reduced by converting sound energy to heat energy. These materials, if used properly can help in reducing sound to quite an extent.
• Use Foam To Create Artificial Walls – Different types of foam available with various foam manufacturers and other kinds of porous material are very effective in diffusing the sound by decreasing its intensity. You can use Styrofoam and other kinds of fabrics as well. Since these artificial walls are of different kinds, they help in decreasing the intensity of the sound to a great extent. Energy bounces off the wall surfaces decreasing its intensity.
• Place Heavy Structures On Walls – Blocking the excess amount of sound is easily possible with the help of mass. Therefore, you can easily block a good amount of sound by placing bookshelves or other similar structures at the joint walls. The amount of the mass and the porous nature of the walls reduce the intensity of the wave energy.
• Repair All Cracks – While making new structures, you should also concentrate on repairing the cracks and crevices. It is through the cracks and crevices that sound seeps through. Things like baseboards, slits and window panes are the places through which sound usually comes in.
• Caulking – Flexible caulking, weather stripping and foam gaskets are also very effective in reducing the intensity of the sounds if placed strategically in the right location.
• Carpeting – If you want to block the excess amount of sound that the apartment on top of you is making, simply go for carpets with insulating foam. Apart from the above-mentioned method, as already mentioned above, you can go for the false ceiling and wall procedures that will surely help you in reducing sound to a great extent. Also, if possible go for a white sound vibrator. This will help you in generating noise that would probably eliminate any other noise.”

Or you could simply go to Sound Service (Oxford) Ltd. to seek their advice on how to properly soundproof a party wall or floor or soundproof the noise from neighbours above. For more help on our soundproofing products go to our web site www.keepitquiet.co.uk.  More information on soundproofing a room can also be viewed on our web site.