The Stylish Guide to Soundproofing Your Home

Last Updated on November 22, 2011

Noise from neighbors, street traffic, kids and pets can keep you up at night. If you’ve considered soundproofing but don’t want to start constructing walls or sacrificing style for a sound night’s sleep, check out these chic alternatives for reducing noise in your home.

Without major construction, there are a several ways to soundproof your home. The first thing you’ll need to figure out is where the majority of the noise is coming from. Once you pinpoint the source it will be easy to choose the right noise reducing methods for the area.

Building Barriers

If you find that the majority of the noise is coming from other rooms of the house via shared walls or from outside traffic, building a barrier could be a good solution. However there is no need to start putting up drywall. Floor to ceiling bookshelves or a media rack will minimize sounds when places against the offending shared wall. Not only does this look nice and minimize noise, but it gives you a lot of extra storage.

If you have ample storage already, or don’t want to add bulk MIO Acoustic Weave tiles and Träullit Hexagons are very effective sound reducers. The MIO tiles are eco-friendly and can be painted to match any décor. They give the wall a lot of texture and character and are relatively inexpensive.  The other tile alternative, while still green, is slightly more Swedish. Träullit Hexagons are made from woodwool cement board and look more like art than sound-proofing.

For a less permanent, more customizable approach, try wrapping a few big plywood panels in fiberfill and faux upholstering them with a beautiful, lux fabric to match your interior.

Another way to reduce noise in your room is by spraying texture onto your ceiling.  Roughening the surface will help absorb sound waves rather than bounce them around the room. The spray texture is easy to apply and the result is sometimes referred to as popcorn ceiling.

Street Sounds

If street sounds keep you awake at night, it is most likely a result of thin windows. If you’re willing to shell out the extra cash to upgrade to triple pane windows it will make a difference in the room noise-wise. Triple pane windows have three layers of glass cushioned by layers of inert gasses that contribute to overall sound-dampening. However, if new windows are not in your future there is another way to sound proof your old ones. Your window treatments can work to reduce noise in the room. Select heavy fabrics instead of sheers or lightweight cotton. Consider lux fabrics like velvet. If noise is a problem opt for these curtains instead of light sheers or window blinds.

Softer Things, Softer Sounds

Soft, heavy materials are great when it comes to absorbing sound. Think about a big empty room, sounds echo much more readily in an empty room than a full one. The more materials and textures you have in the room, the harder it is for sound to travel.  Simple additions to your décor like throws, wraps and throw pillows will make all the difference. For noise that comes from above or below, consider adding high-pile rugs with thick pads to muffle sounds escaping from other rooms.

So don’t sacrifice style or start tearing apart your home with construction just to muffle some unwanted noise. Instead, try these easy style-friendly noise reducing tricks.

This article was written by Erie Construction. Follow Erie Construction on Twitter for more information about home improvement.