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Do It Yourself Home Soundproofing

from Jesse Barron of American Micro Industries, Inc.

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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