They say your home is a place of retreat.
True, it's conveniently located near the street, and it's the perfect size you have always dreamt of, but silent tranquility? Judging from the sound of cars whizzing by or the baby next door crying - definitely not.
If unwanted noises are frazzling you out at home, listen up - Here, interior designers Claire from Fuse Concept and Ivan from AartBoxx share with us their soundproofing tips for tackling various types of noise at home. Let the peace and quiet begin!
1. Noise From: Outside Roads and Traffic
Interior Designer: IdeasXchange
It's a problem people living beside the streets know all too well. Random echoes of people shouting, engines revving up, and the rare car honk - marks of civilisation, yes, but very distracting.
Double-glazed glass panes
Soundproof Tip: Get Double-Glazed Windows
Claire (C): As the sound probably comes from an outside facing wall that can't be hacked, what you can do is to replace windows with double-glazed ones, which consist of two glass panes separated by an air vacuum.
Interior Designer: Metamorph Design
Interior Designer: The Scientist
Ivan (I): The vacuum helps to disrupt sound waves from entering your home. While it can't get rid of noise entirely, double-glazed windows can reduce sound levels by 60 - 70%. To top it off, use a sound block curtain, made from heavy materials like velvet or suede.
2. Noise From: Your Upstairs Neighbours
Interior Designer: Sevenvine
The thumps and slamming of doors has got you wondering what those higher ups are up into. You don't want to dirty your ceiling with pockmarks from a 6-foot bamboo pole just to shut them up, though.
Interior Designer: Inspire ID Group
Soundproof Tip: Construct A False Ceiling
(C): Explore the idea of having a false ceiling filled with dense rock wool. The wool would help to trap sound waves or any vibrations from spreading down to your rooms.
Rock Wool Material
Interior Designer: Museum Homes
(I): If you do not mind a lower ceiling (approximately a 300 mm drop) consider creating two false ceiling layers to further reduce the noise. Sound waves travelling down will also be interfered by the air and wool between the multi-layer gaps from the top.
3. Noise From: Your Living Room
Interior Designer: Charlotte's Carpentry
Maybe it's your hubby catching a late night match on TV, or your children's friends coming over for a gaming marathon; Whatever the occasion, white noise travelling from your living room to your bedside is slowly turning you into an insomniac.
Cross section of a hollow door
Soundproof Tip: Get A Solid Core Door
(C): Your room doors are usually lightweight, hollow models that are made up of latticed cardboard or foam within - which don't do much in absorbing sound waves. Alternatively, a solid core door made from a solid slab of material subdues sounds better, due to its higher density.
Interior Designer: Innerglow Design
Interior Designer: Absolook
Soundproof Tip: Build A Partition Wall
(I): Build a partition wall with rock wool in it as aforementioned. It not only dampens sound, but also acts as a stylish space breaker for your home. Another simple trick is to put the TV on the opposite wall of the living room, not on the wall between the living and bedroom.
4. Noise From: Your Next-Door Neighbour
Interior Designer: Linear Space Concepts
No love lost between sharing a wall, but you wish you didn't have to get first dibs on their latest argument. Hear no evil, think no evil.
Interior Designer: Aiden-T
Soundproof Tip: Use Interior Materials
(C): As the wall between you and a neighbour is fixed, the only method is to go for interior solutions that won't require any structural works. One way is dressing your walls in heavy, noise absorbing fabrics like damask or velvet.
Interior Designer: Aart Boxx Interior
(I): Likewise, you can build upon the existing wall, padding it with wall paneling or even wall-mounted cabinets to interrupt any sound waves and reduce the noise level.
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