How To Soundproof Your Home
Living in the city has many perks, but noise pollution – whether from cars, trains, planes, or pedestrians – is not one of them. Keeping you up at night and causing distraction in the day, noise pollution is one of the biggest downsides to city life, but there are some highly-effective solutions available.
High-performance soundproof windows and doors can help to block outside sounds from entering your home, making it a more peaceful, quiet, and enjoyable living space. With a range of different soundproof technologies available, there is an effective solution to every noise complaint.
Noise Pollution Pain-Points
Walls
Both airborne and structure-borne noise is able to enter your home through the walls, which often have many weak points as well as air gaps which allow sound to easily pass through.
The Roof
A poorly insulated roof will result in higher levels of noise pollution in your home, which is particularly acute in homes with a loft conversion.
Windows
A large amount of noise pollution enters the home through traditional single- and double-glazed windows, which typically have very poor sound insulation capabilities.
Doors
A poorly made or badly-installed door will not effectively block noise from entering your home, instead it will pass straight through the door and in any gaps around the frame.
Ventilation
A well-ventilated home is important for the health of the property and its inhabitants, but vents offer very little protection against noise pollution.
Flooring
Whether from the road traffic outside or an underground train below, noise easily travels up through the floor, and into your home.
Soundproofing For Every Surface
Effective soundproofing requires two things: firstly, the surface or material must be engineered specifically to prevent sound from passing through it, and secondly, all air gaps around the surface must be sealed so that sound cannot travel around the soundproofed window, door or surface.
Noise-reducing insulation and complementary high-mass materials will soundproof the walls’ surface, and acoustic sealant eliminates any air gaps that sound can easily pass through.
Resilient bars and acoustic mats are fitted to reduce underfoot noise pollution, and isolating the floor from the structure of the house will dramatically reduce vibrations and noise.
Mineral wool insulation offers the best soundproofing capabilities for a roof. Acoustic membranes and roof panels are effective, as are soundproof skylights rather than traditional skylights.
A drastic yet effective solution to reduce sound from upstairs neighbours and other structure-borne noise, soundproof ceilings are uncoupled from the structure of the property to significantly reduce noise pollution.
A great deal of engineering goes into high-spec soundproof windows, which use specialised glazing that is laminated with a layer of PVB to reduce the elasticity of the glass, thus dampening the sound waves that pass through. Acoustic sealants are used to ensure the best possible results.
Designed using soundproof materials, high-spec soundproof doors are designed to sit flush in the frame to create a tight seal through which noise cannot pass.
Soundproof Solutions for Every Room
Every room has a purpose, and soundproof technology will make sure that it is fit for that purpose – whether that is sleeping, working or relaxing…
Personalised Solutions for Your Home
Effective soundproofing requires a considered and personalised approach, as well as a solid understanding of your specific noise complaint. The devil is in the detail when it comes to soundproofing a property, especially with regards to the frequency of the noise source, and your proximity to it.
Aircraft Noise
Solutions for combatting aircraft noise will vary greatly depending on your distance from the flightpath, as well as whether the planes are landing or taking off, and even the type of aircraft that is passing overhead.
Road Traffic Noise
Road traffic noise changes depending on the type of traffic, as noise pollution on a sidestreet with speed bumps will differ greatly from the roar of the M25 or the Kings Road during rush hour.
Train Noise
The best solution for train noise will change depending on the proximity and location of the train track, i.e. it is above or below your property, and also whether the trains stop at a nearby station, if they are stopping or speeding up.
Anti-Social Noise
The noise source can vary dramatically when it comes to anti-social noise, including everything from the neighbour’s barking dog to the sounds of the local pub, bar or club and pedestrians walking by at all hours of the day and night.