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Do It Yourself Home Soundproofing
With continued urban sprawl, homes are being built closer
together and space is becoming more of a commodity.
Neighborhoods are now being built close to noise polluting
airports, under popular flight paths, near railroad tracks
and other places that are not as peaceful and quiet as we
wish them to be.
Dampening or eliminating the noise is now easier with
do-it-yourself (DIY) kits offered by soundproof foam
manufacturers. A variety of products are now on the market,
including convoluted and non-convoluted foam, faced
acoustical foam, polyimide foam, 100% fireproof melamine
foam and closed cell acoustical foam.
In addition to considering soundproofing foam for your home,
you should take the following important considerations to
mind:
- Windows are the path of least resistance for noise entering or leaving
your home. In terms of windows, the most sound porous are single glass panes and wooden window frames.
Using double pane glass alone can quickly reduce noise by as
much as 20%, with vinyl frames reducing sound up to 50%.
- If your home is older, your attic may lack insulation. Not
only will adding insulation help reduce your energy bills;
it can also help in your endeavor to soundproof your home.
If you have an asphalt roof, adding extra layers of roofing
material is an additional way to help dampen or eliminate
noise, especially where aircraft are ever-present.
- To prevent sound traveling within your home, your hallways
should be built so that doorways are never across from one
another. Since air is what enables sound to travel, drafts
between rooms carries noise through open doors.
In recent years, DIY soundproofing kits have become more
popular as families install home theaters. For just a few
hundred dollars, you can purchase all of the material
necessary to complete soundproof your room, with direct
results being more brilliant and better sound. With 4' X 8'
sheets of foam panel, you can quickly adhere the panels to
your existing walls using Velcro dots that are easily
removable without damage.
Some other helpful tips for soundproofing your home include:
- Each room in your home should have at least 25% of some
type of absorbent material such as carpeting, furniture or
draperies. Meeting this minimum will reduce noise generated
by footsteps, televisions, instruments, stereos, pets and
other noise producers.
- To further dampen noise in your home, you can add a second
layer of drywall. For rooms facing streets, double drywall
will greatly reduce the noise entering most homes.
- Rooms over living areas should have some form of padding or
carpeting for soundproofing.
In closing, there is one important thing to remember about
soundproofing: you cannot overdo it!
About the author: Jesse Barron is a team member of American Micro Industries,
Inc. (AMI). Since 1995, AMI has been manufacturing and globally
distributing a variety of quality soundproof foams.
For more information on soundproofing or to purchase, visit our online marketplace at
http://www.soundprooffoam.com
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