A person living in an apartment building in the city, especially in Santa Ana, has experienced his fair share of unwanted noise from the loud honks of passing cars to sudden bangs and thuds from the neighbor upstairs. These sounds can be tolerated during the day when work or other activities take up your time and attention. But they are annoying at night when you’re trying to turn in for a good night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation causes health problems more than being cranky and unfocused. It can put one at risk for severe medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, shortening life expectancy.
Soundproofing your bedroom can help combat all the invasive noise pollution, giving you the quiet needed to recharge the body every night. This project can be done without breaking the bank through a proper understanding of the kind of materials effective in blocking sound.
1.Install hardwood panels and flooring
Solid hardwood flooring has excellent acoustic properties out of all types of wooded floors as its density disallows reverberation while its hardness distributes sound evenly around the room. This is in contrast to a laminate that can barely absorb sound due to it being lightweight. Be mindful also on how the floors and panels are installed. Floating floor installations produce the most noise since there are no adhesives. It is better to choose either a glued-down or nailed-down method to have a firmer and solid floor, minimizing oscillation in movement and sound.
2.Plug sound leaks
Gaps and creaks in windows and doors are prone to sound leaks. Wherever air can pass through, sound waves can easily travel through that opening. Installing a door sweep and using weather stripping seal tape around the perimeter of the door and windows can help in minimizing sound. Soundproofing curtains and shades are great aesthetically pleasing options to plug sound leaks created by windows as well as soften and absorb sound.
3. Play around with room décor.
Being smart about your room décor can help absorb sound in your room. Placing bookshelves filled with books and closets against shared walls and walls facing the street can make them thicker and more soundproofed. Cheap canvas art and tapestries can also be hanged for an extra layer. The thicker the fabric, the more sound it will be able to absorb. Placing a thick rug by the door can also plug the sound leak instead of a door sweep.
4. Egg cartons and cheap soundproof foam do not effectively block sound.
Utilizing egg cartons as a cheap soundproofing idea is a popular word-of-mouth solution. Unfortunately, they do not block sound owing to their lightweight and porous nature. Reducing echo is their primary function due to their surface being uneven and undulated. Meanwhile, cheap soundproof foam also doesn’t prevent sound waves as they trap the vibrations inside its fibers instead. This process converts the wave’s energy into heat, which results in reduced echo and reverberation like the egg cartons.
One’s bedroom must be a sanctuary where sleep and rest can take place unhindered by distractions and noise. Knowing what materials are effective in blocking, absorbing, and trapping sound can help in maintaining quiet where it is needed.
