Whether you’re wondering how to reduce sound in your home to prevent noise from coming in and disturbing you, or you want to reduce the number of noise complaints from your neighbours, this article has the solutions for you. As double glazing specialists, we reveal our top tips for reducing sound in a property—from fixing wall cracks and reorganising your furniture to double glazing for noise reduction—so you can make changes to increase your home comfort and quality of life.
Why does sound travel through walls and floors so easily? To answer this, let’s first establish what sound is and how it operates. Simply put, sound is created when something vibrates and sends out waves of energy (vibrations). The energy waves cause the air and any objects it touches to vibrate, too.
Sound waves can travel through most objects, which is why we can still hear the traffic from outside even when we’ve closed the windows and doors. When we reduce sound in our homes, we are essentially adding extra layers of obstacles to the space that the vibrations must travel through. With every object the waves pass through, the energy is reduced, until the sound is no longer audible.
Coming reasons why people decide to reduce sound in their home include preventing noise disturbance from outside, preventing noise from escaping, and increasing home value.
If you live in a home where the noise of outside foot traffic, horns, tyres, voices, and music constantly filters through, it can be hard to relax. One of the most common reasons people want to reduce sound is to improve their quality of life by reducing outside sound from entering their home. Sound reduction can help provide a calm atmosphere, reduce distractions, and boost concentration during the day. At night, it can make you sleep better and feel more ready to take on the day ahead.
There are multiple reasons why you may need to reduce sound in your home to stop noise escaping. For example, if you’re a musician who needs to practice or you have a profession that requires a space to record, sound reduction can help reduce noise levels from disturbing the neighbours. Other reasons could simply be to reduce the volume of shuffling feet, voices, music, videogames, and movies from filtering throw walls or down through the ceiling from the upper levels.
Sound reduction can also be a great addition to include in a home renovation to increase the value of your property. Not only will you get to benefit from the peace and serenity gained from the sound insulation, but if you are looking to sell eventually, it will increase the overall appeal of the property for potential buyers, especially if your home is next to a busy street or in a bustling neighbourhood.
Whether you’re planning to overhaul your entire home or just looking for some small projects to work on, renovation is the perfect time to think of ways to reduce sound in your home.
1. Sealing your doorframes with weathering strips can help to reduce heat loss, drafts, and prevent noise from filtering in through the cracks.
2. Fix any holes or cracks in walls and around the window frames, electrical sockets, and ventilation grates.
3. Replacing single-pane glass with double-glazed units in timber frames will dramatically reduce noise pollution. Pro tip! If you are working within a restricted budget, you can focus on replacing only the glass in windows and doors that are facing traffic or other noisy areas.
4. Fix squeaky floorboards. Squeaky floorboards are a nightmare for everyone in the house. Fixing these means you can get rid of that floor map—the one with all the safe-to-walk-on spots marked out!
5. Insulate walls and ceiling. Insulation products such as mass-loaded-vinyl, neoprene rubber, ceiling panels, viscoelastic foam, and fibreglass behind ceiling panels and walls will significantly reduce the amount of noise that filters in or out of your home.
6. Plant hedges or trees in your garden. Trees and plants can reduce noise pollution by absorbing, deflecting, or refracting sound waves. If your property allows for it, creating a garden space that includes foliage between your house and the road or a neighbour’s house will work both as a noise barrier and a privacy screen.
If home renovating isn’t within your budget right now or if you are renting a property, there are still many things you can do to organise your home to increase noise absorption.
7. Include some large thick rugs in your interior design. This will act as a sound barrier and muffle footsteps and noise between floors.
8. Building and filling up a large bookcase is a great way to muffle sound between rooms and organise your literature.
9. Replace thin curtains with thick heavy curtains. Thick curtains are better at absorbing sound.
10. Rearrange your furniture. Like with your bookshelf, if you place your larger pieces of furniture or cabinetry against the walls between your house and the neighbours, they can act as a buffer.
Comfort and quality of life is an important thing to consider for every property. If you’re looking for ways to increase the comfort of your home, we encourage you to consider the advantages of double glazing for your windows! Double glazing is excellent not only for its ability to regulate temperatures and reduce the intensity of cold or stiflingly hot weather, but it will also dampen and significantly reduce the amount of noise coming into rooms from outside.
If you’re looking for high-quality and affordably priced double glazed windows in Auckland, get in touch with our team today to discuss the benefits of Atlas Glass window solutions for your home.
Timber window frames have been an integral part of homes for centuries, but how do they compare against new window framing solutions such as uPVC? As a double-glazing company specialised in timber window frames, we know that wooden framing not only stands the test of time but also offers a beautiful window solution for classic and modern builds alike. Today, we explore the benefits of these two types of joinery, explaining why wood is overall an exceptional choice to consider.
Compared to uPVC framing, the higher cost of buying and installing wooden frames in your home makes them a bigger initial investment. However, because of the durability and long-lasting nature of timber, the long-term value of this investment vastly outweighs the initial cost. Timber isn’t susceptible to rust, and if well-cared for, wooden frames can bring your home value for a lifetime.
In contrast, incorporating uPVC window frames into your home design means you do not have to worry about damage to your framing done by pests. But in general, wood is very easy to maintain and there are plenty of long-lasting sealants that can be applied to ensure your framing is pristine for many years.
When it comes to functionality, quality wooden frames offer a perfect choice for homeowners. Wood window frames can increase a property’s insulation and—when paired with double glazed units—act as a barrier against extreme temperatures. This pairing can also significantly reduce the level of noise coming in from the street outside or next-door properties.
One benefit of uPVC is that it isn’t susceptible to warping from too much heat or moisture. However, for homeowners who love the timeless nature and quality of real wood, this isn’t an issue in the slightest. As we mentioned above, there are sealants that can easily be applied to prevent damage and maintain wooden frames for decades.
uPVC offers a modern look that can suit the aesthetic of modern builds, but it cannot offer the same character as timber can for doors and windows. Timber frames offer homes a timeless and beautiful aesthetic which, for many homeowners, is the real selling point behind their choice of framing. When it comes to upholding the enchanting look of historic establishments, timber framing is essential. Wooden window frames can also beautifully add to modern builds.
When it comes to home sustainability and incorporating eco-friendly materials into your property, both uPVC and wooden joinery rank well. As a natural material, wood can easily be repurposed, and if discarded, will decompose instead of sitting in landfills for decades.
In contrast, some uPVC suppliers use recycled materials to make their components. Additionally, both materials can keep a home warm and dry, and therefore, can be used to reduce the carbon footprint of a home and contribute to its energy efficiency.
When it comes to home renovation, we know that finding the right window frames for your home is important—especially when catering to an aesthetic or trying to include eco-friendly solutions that weigh less on your mind and the planet. If you’re looking for sustainable, long-lasting, beautiful double glazing wooden frames, get in touch with the team at Atlas Glass today. We’ll help you find the perfect window solution for your home.
