There are some sounds that can disturb your sleep cycle and calmness in your house or at any other place. Home is a place where every individual want silence to recover themselves from the stress or work and daily life. But it is really daunting if some external noise disturbs people even in their home.
Some noises are external that come from outdoors while others are inside the house like noise of dripping taps, wall clocks, TV, music, etc. These sounds can disturb our sleep and concentration while we need quality time at home. Let us dive deeper into why sound noises are so annoying.
Lack of control on sound
We cannot control most of the external noises such as road noise and noises coming our neighborhood. Noises continue to attract our attention and stop us from focusing on other issues. We get used to some repetitive sounds (stop reacting) quickly, particularly common ones like ticking clocks, but not others. Speed matters, with especially maddening slowly dripping taps. The main reason is lack of control–you won’t find it distracting when you know you can avoid the sound at any moment.
Noises can trigger misophonia
If you’re a typically intolerant person— someone with unrealistic standards, no empathy, and expectations of perfection from other people— you’ll believe that your anger over noise from others is just another illustration of your intolerance. That’s why the utter relief that people feel through the realization that they suffer from a real disorder known as misophonia.
Depression and Mental Problems
According to a study, the people living in areas with traffic noise are more likely to suffer from depression symptoms than others. When you experience noise, amygdale area of brain sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus. It pumps up adrenaline in the bloodstream that may cause psychological changes in the body. Eventually, it continues to wear the body down, causing physical and mental problems.
For many apartment dwellers, these effects seem to be unavoidable. Though it is a bit difficult to escape outdoor noise pollution, you can put efforts to minimize the impact of sound indoors.
Here are some of the effective ways to shield your home from the harmful effects of noise-
Install Double-Paned Windows
If you live near an airport or railway track, in a noisy city, dual-paned windows can help reduce the noise pollution entering your home. Since they are clear panes of acrylic or glass, you can install them over the existing windows as well. It will lessen the impact of outside noise but doesn’t block the view from your apartment.
If you are looking for windows to shield your home from the outside noise, consider noise-canceling window Melbourne. They are designed to create an airtight seal to block noise from up to 50 percent. You can also pop them up quickly whenever needed that makes it convenient to open the window for cross-ventilation.
Play with The Household Items to Soundproof Your Home
Doors and windows are probably the first things you need to pay attention to, during the soundproofing project. The reason is that gaps between the door and the frames allow noise to get inside the house.
An efficient solution is getting a thick, high-quality, soundproof door. However, you can achieve the same using household items. To do so, you need to position your furniture in front of the door edges.
Further, keep in mind that the door bottom can also transmit noise to the indoor. You can prevent it by placing a thick rug or any heavy fabric on the floor just next to the door. For more insulation, you can cover the door with thick material such as a heavy blanket. You can also add mass to the walls by simply decorating them with paintings or tapestries.
Seal the Gaps Using Weatherstripping
Besides covering the doors and windows with curtains or blankets, there are many other ways to soundproof the door, such as:
You can install rubber door stoppers to fill the gap between the door and the threshold. It also keeps the door from slamming.
Rather than sliding against the floor every time to open the door, set up a stationary rubber threshold.
Use weatherstripping tape or rubber gasket where the door or window touches the frame. It will ensure that no air or sound passes through them.
Hang Soundproof Door Curtains
By using heavy-duty soundproofing window dressings, you can prevent the outside noise from disturbing your sleep. A soundproof curtain fir an average-sized window weighs around 15 to 16 pounds. It lies flat against the window trim or a wall to block out the sound. Many of the sound-absorbing curtains glide smoothly along the tracks, making it easy for you to close and open.
Consider Acoustic Paneling
Though most of the acoustic panels are designed to stop the sound from bouncing off hard surfaces, they are also effective at blocking the noise from entering your apartment. They are a retractable panel that can effectively reduce the noise transmitted through the entrance.
Carpets Can Soundproof Your Floor
Rugs or carpets not only meant for aesthetic reasons, making your floor softer and warmer, they can also reduce noise production.
It is a common belief that thick and hard surfaces block the sound. However, concrete and wooden floors can also transmit a high noise such as the sound of footsteps, objects falling, etc.
Laying a carpet on the floor is a good way to reduce such impacts. The soft acoustic structure of the carpets can absorb echo and reverberation by trapping the sound waves. The best thing you can do is to buy a carpet of appropriate thickness to cover the entire floor surface.
Final Words
These are some of the easy tips to insulate your residence and block the sound waves from entering. By using any one of these methods, you can soundproof any room, while making it look more stylish as well. You can also invest in noise cancelling windows Melbourne to disguise all sorts of noises that interfere with your health or daily activities.