How To Soundproof Against External Sounds
Does outside noise bother you? Do you want to know how to soundproof against external sounds to protect your peace?
The good news is that you don’t have to deal with external noise. There are many ways to soundproof your space to prevent external noise from coming in! Here we will go through the different ways to soundproof against outside sounds.
How Noise Enters Your Space From The Outside
First, you need to understand how noise enters your space from the outside. Airborne noise is what we call outside noise and is created when sounds travel through the air. For example, when
a speaker plays music, the sound ‘floats’ in the air until it reaches your ears, which is how you hear it.
The sound vibrates the air, and the sound waves travel through the vibrations; your ears then pick up the vibrations and translate them into the sounds we hear.
Therefore, traffic noise or your next-door neighbour’s dog barking are only vibrations in the air you hear. However, since airborne noise travels through the air, it enters the room the same way air enters it. Due to this, the most effective way to soundproof these noises is by blocking their path!
Can All Outside Noise Be Blocked From Entering A Room?
Unfortunately, not all sounds can be blocked; however, you can reduce them massively so you won’t notice the sound. However, this has much to do with the type of noise, such as the intensity, frequency and proximity to your space.
For example, large machinery will generate huge vibrations; no matter what you do, you will still hear some noise; however, it can be reduced. The amount of noise you hear could also be noise entering the room through upstairs or downstairs rooms.
How To Soundproof Against External Sounds
Here we will go through how to soundproof your space against external sounds.
Seal And Block Gaps and Cracks
As mentioned, sound enters your space like air. Therefore even the smallest cracks or gaps in your wall can help sound enter your space. Due to this, you will need to fill all gaps and cracks.
This could be:
• Gaps in window frames.
• Window locks.
• Cracks in the walls.
• Electrical outlets.
• Ceiling lamps.
• Chimneys.
This could be done by purchasing an acoustic sealant. This is an ideal product to seal any holes to prevent noise leakage.
Add Mass To The Wall
By adding mass to the wall, you can reduce vibrations. However, sound waves can make the wall vibrate, translating into airborne noise in the room.
This works by the external noise hitting the wall; some of it is reflected. After it bounces off the wall, a lot of noise is produced. However, it is difficult to determine how much noise bounces back as multiple factors affect this. For example, it could be the type of noise and what the wall is made of; however, some noise is reflected off the wall.
However, the rest then turns into vibrational energy, which causes noise in your space. The noise hits the wall and makes it vibrate; however, most of the vibration will transmit through the wall and edit on the other side into your room.
Therefore, you need to increase the mass of the wall or windows to minimise vibrations. This can be done by installing a silent board, acoustic quilts or sound absorbers that can be used as decorative wall panels. This helps absorb reflected noise.
Install Soundproofing Curtains and Window Insets
Windows offer little resistance to sound. Glass lets more sound in than other building materials. However, double-glazed windows are only partially soundproofed since the glass allows sound to enter. This is because glass has low acoustic properties.
According to research, four mm-thick glass is rather transparent (poor attenuation measured in dB) for high frequencies around 3500 Hz; 6 mm-thick glass is poor for frequencies around 2000
Hz, and ten mm-thick glass performs badly at 1300 Hz.
A good way to combat noise is by adding soundproof curtains. These are usually thick and heavy and include sound-absorbing materials that block or absorb sound from entering your space.
Additional Tips For Soundproofing
Now that you have the information you need to soundproof from external sounds, here are several
tips to block out external noise.
Buy A Thick Carpet Or A Floating Floor
Putting down thick carpeting or rugs will improve noise reflection off the floor. Building a floating floor that absorbs sound waves is a more efficient solution, but it needs expert help. Adding a
layer of flooring disconnected from your existing floor using firm rubber pucks or floor floaters is the simplest way to create a floating floor. However, floating your existing floor is a more challenging and expensive choice. Still, accessing the joists beneath your sub-flooring is only
possible in some areas.
Put Obstacles On The Sound’s Path
If you can control what is outside your space, then alter it. For example, you can add objects that block sound from entering your space. For example, you can add an acoustic fence or plants such as bushes to reflect sound from entering your space.
Soundproofing Wallpaper
Although soundproofing wallpaper doesn’t block sounds, it works like foam panels and absorbs
sound. If you aren’t keen on installing foam panels, consider soundproofing wallpaper!