Modern life can be a noisy experience. Most of us are exposed to noise throughout the day. Whether that be; loud TVs, busy roads or noisy neighbours.
So learning how to soundproof your home can have many benefits.
Noise pollution is an important environmental stressor linked to anxiety and even depression.
According to the World Health Organization, excessive noise seriously harms human health. It also interferes with people’s daily lives.
Excessive noise can can disturb sleep, cause cardiovascular and psychophysiological effects, reduce performance. It can even provoke annoyance responses and changes in social behaviour.
So, what are some of the ways you can minimise noise pollution in your home?
Making use of your doors
When we think about minimising noise, our doors are not usually the first thing that comes to mind.
Doors tend to be the largest open space in any room. They will usually be the main way for unwanted noises to enter your house or room.
When trying to muffle out unwanted noise in the home, your doors should be the first places to soundproof. and it doesn’t have to cost the earth.
The most problematic area is under-door noise, which can be tricky to eliminate. But, considering dampening the sound on the other side of the door is the key to noise absorption.
You may decide to use rugs, heavy canvas’ or even bookshelves. You can make walls thicker and more soundproofed by simply making use of bookshelves.
Be sure to check out our 8 points to consider before buying a new front door.
The main goal when soundproofing your home is to fill the room or hallway as much as possible.
Identify the source of the noise and work towards dampening the sound as much as you can.
Or, the most effective solution of all can be to opt for new internal doors.
There are many types available to consider. such as laminate doors however, oak doors can be thicker and so dampen sound more effectively than other materials.
The Door Store is proud to be the UK & Ireland’s largest stockists of oak doors.
You can chat live with us at the doorstore.co.uk. We can advise you on options, taking into consideration your ideas, your house, and your budget.
The Door Store also has showrooms in Belfast and Reading.
So if you can, drop-in to see us where a friendly and warm welcome awaits. Along with practical advice from experts and the chance to see and touch the doors you can rely on in the future!
Noise from the floors
Do you have the misfortune of having a downstairs bedroom in a creaky house or live on a bottom floor apartment?
Then you will know all too well of the annoyance of floor that’s not well insulated.
Unfortunately, a lot of the time there is little that we can do to reduce the sounds of an upstairs neighbour. But, if you have the ability to pre-empt a noisy floor or wish to reduce the sound caused by your upstairs bedroom then we have the solution.
Here at the Door Store, we provide Thermofloor. A natural wood fibre insulating panel ideal for use as an underlayment for various floor coverings. Especially parquet and laminate panels.
This insulation helps reduce noise between rooms and increase privacy winthin and between homes.
If you are unable to insulate the floors, another method is to reduce the amount of sound transmitted. Use rugs and mats (especially heavy ones).
Not only are rugs great sound absorbers, but they also add to the look and feel of a room. The main advantage being that they do not come with an installation process. Also and they can be placed anywhere in the room to your liking.
Article by Ellie