Make Soundproofing A Part Of Today’s Home Improvement

Want a simple behind the scenes way to increase the comfort and value of your home? Soundproofing may sound like something only professional recording artists need, but you will be surprised at how much you will enjoy the added quiet that soundproofing supplies to your home environment.

There are many areas where soundproofing can be added in order to make for a quieter space. Sometimes it the outside disturbances of traffic or barking dogs that you would like to block out. Other times, you may want to keep noises from one room inside your home from seeping into other areas. Depending on the way you want to manage and control sound, there is a soundproofing technique that will meet your needs.

Keeping Noise Out

One of the most effective ways to keep street noise from entering your home is to soundproof your windows. Normal windows are given a sound blocking rating on a numerical scale. The percentage of noise that soundproof windows can block out increases substantially with these special windows.

The best part of the whole process is that it is easy. When you add soundproof windows to your home it will look just the same as the old windows. In fact, the old windows remain in place and the extra glass barrier is added to them. Windows will still open and close in the same manner too, but the panel of glass and the air pocket created by the double pane greatly reduces noise.

Sound proof windows differ from just plain double pane storm windows. The greatest effect is in the amount of space between the two panels of glass. It is just the right amount to trap unwanted noise, and it has the added benefit of staying clean inside because of the air block seal.

Keeping Sound In

Another area where soundproofing may be wanted is in a home theatre. If you want to keep the sound from the stereo system from getting distorted or disturbing others around the house, then there are sound proof panels that can be added to the room. These panels are usually made of foam, resembling an egg crate, but other materials are being made and tested every day. These look more like decorative panelling, yet offer the same noise control.

Ceilings and floors can help prevent the escape of noise between rooms. By adding insulation, similar to that which keeps the cold out in the winter and the heat in, you can reduce noise in and out of the room.

Soundproofing - Doing It Yourself

If you are good the DYI projects, then soundproof is one you can tackle. It is best to leave the windows to the professional installers, but during any renovation of your house, you should consider sound proofing as important a decoration as the carpet or wallpaper. When you need to repair drywall for example, consider adding the insulation that will reduce noise. After all, no one wants to be enjoying lunch in the kitchen or on the patio and have to listen to a teen's stereo from the bedroom! Soundproofing may not be something you would have missed until you have it once. Then you will be thinking about it anytime a noise gets in the way of your peace and quiet.

About The Author
Ken Morris releases many news and information to the internet site http://www.soundproofing-tips.com. Within his publication he is working on topics like floor sound insulation ( http://www.soundproofing-tips.com/floor-sound-insulation.html ) and provides information on acoustical foam.

Floor Sound Insulation: A Step Toward Quieter Floors

Unless you live alone you are probably well aware that the noise from one family member can easily be heard beyond the walls of the room they are in. Even worse is hearing loud stereo systems, the washing machine and dryer or children who don’t want to settle down for bed seeping through your flooring and into the rooms below. There is a solution to noise overflow within your home and one of the best preventative measures is floor sound insulation.

Where To Install Floor Insulation

It may seem obvious that floor insulation should be installed in the floor. It’s not rocket science, right? Well, there is a little more to it than that. Ideally, floor insulation should be installed during the construction phase of a home to be the most effective. Your choices in materials include regular fibreglass insulations that have been used on your exterior walls, ceilings and in the attic. You can also install corking or rubber based floor insulations at this point.

Floor sound insulation installed during construction allows the materials to be placed between the flooring layers. The joists between floors support and plywood base and then additional sub-flooring. By adding insulation here, you are able to add thicker materials that may offer better sound proofing.

You can still improve the noise level in an existing home. The best time to install it is if you are replacing the carpet or other flooring or need to repair the flooring in a specific room. Many home improvement projects will wield better results if some updating in what is not seen is done at the same time as the cosmetic updates. Floor sound insulation addition is one such example.

When old floor coverings have been removed, new floor insulation can be added directly to the top of the sub-flooring. This can be placed under, carpet, vinyl floors, wood, or ceramic tile. It doesn’t matter what type of flooring is going on top. What does matter is what type of insulation you use to sound proof.

The best, meaning the thinnest insulation with the most noise reduction capabilities is going to be some sort of self contained material. Fibreglass insulation is that loose pink or yellow fluff that has a paper backing. It is best for walls and ceilings. For floors a rubber or cork insulation will provide the most durable under lying material. It will also not raise floors significantly and will allow such materials a vinyl to go down smoothly.

Why Go to the Trouble

As a house ages, the creaks and noises seem to increase – not too much differently than an aging body! By adding floor sound insulation as part of your next DIY project you are giving the floors more stability that will not only reduce the amount of noise seeping from the rooms above, but will help quiet squeaky floors that have had their screws come a little loose over the years or whose boards may have warped a bit.

Consider soundproofing an investment in your house. The value will be increased as you improve the quality of noise control.

About The Author
Charles Mahoney writes frequently for http://www.soundproofing-tips.com an internet site for information. Within his publication he is working on topics like http://www.soundproofing-tips.com/floor-sound-insulation.html and provides information on noise protection.

How Sound Insulations Work

Sound insulations are insulating materials that work to reduce the noise that enters a room from outside the home or from other rooms. These materials can be installed during construction, or later as a home improvement project. Products that are blown, such as foams, are easier to install in existing homes.

You can repair insufficiently insulated areas yourself, or hire a professional to do the job for you. Installing most of these materials is a fairly easy DIY project for the skilled homeowner. Some home improvement stores offer weekend workshops to show you how.

How Sound Insulations Work

Sound is transmitted when vibrations move through the air, floors, ceilings and walls. The sound waves move from one room to the other, or from the outside of the home to inside. This includes traffic noise or the sound of noisy neighbors. Insulation is a good sound absorber and is effective at minimizing the noises entering a room.

Soundproofing consists of using a barrier of some sort to prevent sound from entering the space that has been sound proofed. There are two basic ways to achieve this reduction in sound: noise absorption and noise reduction.

Approaches to Sound Insulations

There are a few approaches to noise level reduction or noise absorption. A variety of materials can be used for either purpose. Noise reduction can be accomplished with the use of space between rooms. The more space, the more room for sound waves to dissipate. If you increase the distance between the source of the noise and the space, you will reduce the noise that enters the space.

The other method, noise absorption, is also referred to as dampening. With this method, the sound waves are converted to heat within the insulation. This increases energy efficiency, while reducing sound. It also suppresses the echoes and reverberation of sound waves.

Materials for Sound Insulations

Rock Wool Insulation is made of all natural materials, such as diabase or basalt. It is used for insulating the home and absorbing sound. There are other benefits to this type of insulation. It is fire resistant and helps control condensation. In addition, it is resistant to the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew.

Mineral Wool Insulation is available in either batts or loose fill. The material is stiff and brittle. Mineral wool is not only sound proof, but is fire resistant as well.

Fiberboard Insulation is installed under the drywall in your home. This material reduces sound waves through the walls and ceilings. It is effective for reducing outdoor noise from entering your room. This material is an excellent choice if you live in a city or for homes located on a busy street.

Acoustical Wall Coverings can be attached directly to the drywall. The best material to use in these wall coverings is polyester. This material is best at absorbing the sound waves that you are trying to eliminate.

Cork Squares look like floor tiles, but are made with cork board. The cork has a self sticking backing that is easy to apply to the wall surface. If you like the look of the cork, you can leave it this way. However, if you want it to match the decoration in your house, you can cover the cork with wallpaper.

About The Author
Clinton Maxwell distributed a lot of articles for the http://www.soundproofing-tips.com internetsite. The author is publishing about sound insulations ( http://www.soundproofing-tips.com/sound-insulations.html ) and other areas in this field.