6 Tips to reduce noise in your home

The fact is that open, spacious, or large rooms or surfaces can reflect the sound and ensure that it can be spread unhindered. They can sometimes even intensify the volume. Therefore one should act accordingly when they want to reduce the noise in their house. Glass doors and windows can be beneficial as they do not make any optical restrictions on the generosity and brightness of the place yet helping to absorb the sound immensely. 

Also, room dividers, small-sized furniture and a combination of large cupboards and open shelves can also contribute to break the sound. It will distract noise and distribute it in the room evenly, making it more soothing. If done otherwise, it can create barriers in open ground planes and in front of large areas, which might hinder and increase noise levels in the truest sense of the word.

Textiles are reliable sound emitters, which significantly affects the reverberation value in the rooms and reduces the noise. On the other hand, if you plan to use only plain walls and smooth surfaces then the sound is free to travel. Even relatively small sounds can then quickly become a disturbing factor for both ourselves as well as our neighbors. With the help of carpets, curtains, and upholstered furniture, one can wonderfully reduce sound in their own four walls while providing a cozy touch. Particularly, in the children's room, where the noise level can not be prevented completely, one should put on a thick and fluffy carpet.

Carpets also have certain advantages. They not only make the place look warm and protect you against injuries but if something falls on the ground, it does not necessarily break. For the windows and the walls, expert pleats are also an excellent choice to reduce noise. The more folds there are, the better the noise protection. If you want to create your own style, then you can protect it with modern wall rugs or textile pictures.

A kitchen is one of those places where noisy dishes and other sounds can hardly be avoided. But here, too, you can reduce the volume and create a quieter space with the help of some tricks and ideas. First and foremost are the right kind of electrical appliances. Earlier on, dishwashers, hoods, and blenders were considered very annoying and noisy. One could hardly talk with the other person especially while standing next to the appliance. 

In recent years, manufacturers have made significant progress with regards to noise reduction of these devices. Modern dishwashers, for example, are now less than 50 decibels, which is no louder than a steamed iron. Also, it is advisable to choose only the certified brands while purchasing new kitchen appliances. This tip is also applicable to appliances outside the kitchen, such as the vacuum cleaner, the washing machine or the dryer.

There are times when you might have chosen a modern and quiet electrical device, but it's still too loud for you. Or you just cannot buy a new washing machine because the old is still doing a good job. In similar situations using insulating rubber, dummies can help to reduce heavy vibration or rumble, thus, lowering the noise. However, not only electrical appliances are loud. But there are other elements like smooth wooden surfaces and concrete or stone floors that can also increase the noise within the house. 

This is why carpetless floors can make a lot of sounds when one jumps or walks in high-heel shoes. Such remaining disturbing factors can be eliminated by putting felt pads, socks or mats under the legs of chairs and tables as well. This will help absorb the sound and make it pleasant to the ears. These materials are nowadays available in a wide range of shapes, designs, and colours so that they can be adapted to your selected decor perfectly.

Particularly, in multi-storey apartments, you get to hear way more than you usually want like for example when your neighbor is using the toilet or shower. The reason for this is that running water produces noise in pipes which is transmitted by vibrations into other components and thus spreads relatively unhindered. To reduce echo, there should be an insulation layer between the pipes and the walls. However, tube shells that can be pushed over pipes can also provide sound insulation. 

But pipes are not the only things that can annoy us with noises. Wood floors also have an incredible talent to grumble and creak uncomfortably, especially, when they have reached a certain age. It mostly happens because the nails don't have a firm grip on the material anymore. A carpenter can fix it with relatively little effort.

The noise generated within the house can be unnerving. But even the noise coming from outside is often considered a disturbing factor. It is usually impossible to have a direct influence on such sounds, but there are still methods with which you might be able to lower the overall volume. Since most of the noise penetrates through the windows, make sure that the insulation between the frame and the wall is airtight and leak proof. 

Adding roller shutters in front of the windows can also provide some relief from noise especially at nights. Also keeping the doors looked can reduce the amount of noise that might enter your house or apartment from outside. If it is still too loud in the apartment, one should consider sound absorption walls or plates, which can also be built at a later stage. Suspended ceilings with integrated insulation can also reduce noise in rooms efficiently.

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