Soundproofing is any means of reducing the intensity of sound with respect to a specified source and receptor. There are several basic approaches to reducing sound: increasing the distance between source and receiver, using noise barriers to block or absorb the energy of the sound waves, using damping structures such as sound baffles, or using active antinoise sound generators.
Another way to soundproof a room is to decorate it with rough-surfaced furnishings. Rough surfaces absorb sound, unlike smooth surfaces which allow sound waves to travel back and forth. Applying an acoustic spray texture or other rough material to the ceiling, for example, can help soundproof a noisy room.
Soundproofing affects sound in two different ways:
- Noise reduction simply blocks the passage of sound waves through the use of distance and intervening objects in the sound path.
- Noise absorption, on the other hand, operates by transforming the sound wave. Noise absorption involves suppressing echoes, reverberation, resonance and reflection. The damping characteristics of the materials it is made out of are important in noise absorption.
Noise problems are a common complaint from home owners, apartment dwellers and condominium owners. A vast majority of builders do not realize that common building practices do little to stop the transmission of noise within a structure. Anyone who has traveled and stayed in a fine resort or hotel knows that soundproofing a room is possible. The trouble is, to do it somewhat economically, it needs to be done as the structure is being built. Solving sound problems after the fact can often be an exercise in futility.
To soundproof a room all you do build a room from massive, limp materials that is airtight. What we want is to make a room with as much mass as possible (in its walls, ceiling and floor) and hang it from a skyhook so it floats in the air. The easy thing for Pro studios to do is float a slab on mounts and then build the room on top of it without touching anything else. The cost of that is beyond most people.
Soundproof Windows
Much of the noise that enters a home, building or even a specific room comes from the outside. By installing soundproof windows, you will get the greatest reduction in noise compared to any other type of home improvement, including that achieved by replacement windows or storm windows. Soundproof windows work by adding a second layer of window inside your existing windows. The extra glass layer plus the pocket of air created by the second interior window provide the soundproofing. Glass deflects sound and the air helps it dissipate, so the two together are quite effective in diminishing noise levels.
Soundproof Walls & Floors
- To soundproof walls there are a couple of different types of insulation materials that reduce noise and control the heat or coolness of the room. Fiberglass insulation can be inserted between the studs between drywall layers. There are also materials that soundproof rooms with foams. To upgrade the insulation or soundproofing of a home, you can blow a foam type of insulation right into the wall without having to remove the entire piece of drywall.
- Floor sound insulation is installed the same way as for walls. It can make the noise of people upstairs much quieter for the below them.
Sealing Holes
- Whether you're building new walls or improving old ones, seal-up any place where air may leak through; where there is air, there is the potential for noise.
- Use flexible polyurethane or acrylic latex caulk or foam sealant to seal where pipes, wires, heating registers and any other objects penetrate the walls or ceiling.
- To avoid direct transfer of sound, switch and receptacle boxes and heating registers should not be placed back-to-back in a wall.
Reducing Noise MakersIf
you've ever stretched a string between two tin cans to create a primitive telephone, you know sound can travel along a physical object--a string--just as it travels through the air. With this in mind, opt for flexible furnace ducts rather than the rigid-metal type--or at least install flexible types between the air-handling equipment and the rigid ducts.
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