Remodeling: Creating A Peaceful Retreat

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

This blog is inspired by Beth's blog: "Is noise driving you mad?" In it she wrote about noise being a source of stress and tension. I happen to agree and wondered what I could do to reduce the noise factor in my own home (besides donning earplugs when my 2-year-old screams at octaves that make dogs sit up and take notice).

Enter: Soundproofing. It may seem a bit extreme, but research has found that soundproofing techniques are becoming more popular in today's homes, especially as an increasing amount of homeowners transform their basements into music studios, media rooms, or children's playrooms. But, basements aren't the only areas of a house that soundproofing can be a well-chosen investment. Other rooms to consider making soundproof include: a home office, a home gym, a workshop, your children's playroom, or a library or study.

According to experts there are many exterior and interior soundproofing techniques available to reduce noise pollution:

Stagger Hallway Doors. By staggering hallway doors instead of lining them up directly across from each other the sound doesn't transfer across and through opposite open doors. Experts also recommend making sure that at least 25 percent of a room has some absorbent material to reduce reverberation. Items such as carpet, furniture, and curtains all work. In addition, soundproofing mats on walls and ceilings can also help.

Eliminate Squeaky Floors I must admit squeaky floors (and doors) irritate me. To get rid of ceiling noise from squeaking flooring, experts recommend hiring a professional to tear down the ceiling and add triangular wood strips to the flooring above and to the joists. (Unless you are a pro I wouldn't recommend making this a solo home-improvement project.)

Reduce Sound Transmission If it seems as though you can hear everything that's going on in the next room you may have an issue with your walls. In a traditional house the wall studs transfer the sound bouncing off the drywall in one room through the stud to the drywall mounted on the back of the same stud in an adjoining room. To fix this problem experts recommend inserting fiberglass insulation bats, which will reduce the sound transmission, though it won't completely eliminate it.

Other solutions include installing double-paned glass and vinyl frames. (They are a bit more expensive, but if noise is driving you mad they may be well worth it.) You could also add shutters on the inside and if you have trouble with a noisy neighbor, a party or traffic and really need to get to sleep, just stuff a layer of soundproofing mat in the window.

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Is noise driving you mad?

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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