6 DIY Ways to Soundproof Your House

6 DIY Ways to Soundproof Your House

If you cannot have a peaceful and quiet time due to the noise coming from outside your home, it might be the right time for a new DIY project. Dealing with outside noise can be very challenging. Fortunately, there are inexpensive ways to soundproof your house, especially if you are willing to do the work yourself.

The best thing about DIY soundproofing methods is that they are easily reversible. So, if you live in rented or shared house, you can easily remove your soundproofing when moving out.

Here are six DIY ways to soundproof your home.

    1. Furniture. Rearranging or adding furniture in your house is the easiest way to soundproof your room. Sound travels around until it reaches a surface where it either passes through or bounces off the surface. However, sound loses some energy every time it hits an obstacle. Placing furniture in your room will reduce the echo and reverberation. Any heavy furniture blocks the sound from leaving or entering your room. Your rearranging preference depends on your lighting. You can prevent the noise by placing a book shelf or a closet in front of or around the window.
    2. Rugs. Soundproofing the floor is always crucial. If you have a gap under the door, adding a rug can help you block the outside disturbances. Although mats will not prevent you from hearing anything, they will block the harsh noises, especially noise vibrations. Rugs will block sounds such as people walking around, building works, or a neighbor’s television. Rugs are inexpensive to buy and easy to install.
    3. Door Seals. The gap under your door can also be a source of your sound leakage. Such gaps appear if the door does not fit properly into the frame. There are several options you can consider when soundproofing your door. The cheapest method is to use acoustic sealant tape. The technique involves a roll of tape with a rubber seal on it that you can stick on the door. You can use the sealant tape on the bottom, top, and side of the door.
    4. Weatherstripping for Windows. Weatherstripping is another way to reduce noise leakage. You will need weather stripping tape, which can be made out of several materials such as foam, rubber, or silicone. Weatherstripping serves as a perfect gap blocker. The installation is easy and takes about 30 minutes to cover the entire window.
    5. Curtains. You can look for soundproof curtains online or at your local store. These curtains are bulky and contain some insulation foam. The heavier the curtain, the more effective it will be at soundproofing your window. Consider looking for curtains with several layers since they add more mass in front of the window.
    6. Soundproofing Panels. Soundproofing panels are dense materials that you can fix to your wall to add some mass. The panels are cheap and readily available. All you need to do is to measure your wall and get adequate panels that will cover your wall space.

 

In addition to these tips, this article goes in detail about soundproofing your house.