Whether you’re at the office, at home, or in a music studio, no one can deny that noise can be distracting. Since we usually want to be productive with our time, most people don’t want to get distracted in their workplace or get woken up while they’re sleeping. Nevertheless, you might be having some trouble concentrating if your place is just right next to a busy street or there’s an industrial site nearby with loud machinery.
No worries because soundproofing your room is considered to be an effective way of absorbing and repelling noise pollution from honking horns, outdoor party music, sirens, the roar of engines, and couples that are fighting in the other room. Of course, soundproofing also goes both ways, so if you’re playing loud music, producing content, or you just want privacy for your business, you won’t have to worry about any single word or note coming out from that room.
Compared to liquids and solid objects, it’s a bit tricky to contain sound in a particular area. Sounds can travel using vibrations, so most people will still be able to hear you if they are eavesdropping, although more factors will affect how sound travels.
Why Should You Soundproof?
Want to soundproof your room or office? Here are some pretty simple ways and some more advanced techniques that will ensure you’ll get the privacy that you want.
Part of Production
Acoustics is a major part of any music production. If you haven’t noticed, most studios will have padded rooms that can ensure that there’s no background static and noise during the recording process.
Privacy
Everybody wants to have a piece of privacy in their home and their business. For most companies, leaked confidential information is just one eavesdrop away. If this is the case, then we must ensure that information is only passed down to those who we are communicating with.
While it may seem that some building materials will drown out the sound, some can absorb sound, which can be heard through the other side. Certain wall claddings for offices are designed to be durable, long-lasting, and require little to no maintenance, but can still absorb sound. So it’s always a good idea to ask for professional advice from your suppliers and contractors before making any final decision.
Materials to Use
Now that we know the advantages of having your room soundproofed, here are some ingenious ways of soundproofing without having to spend much. We’ll be enumerating from the simplest items towards those that are specifically designed for soundproofing.
Rugs
Want your room to look cozy without overdoing your soundproofing? Rugs are a great way of ensuring that sound leaving your roof is cut to only a fraction. For added sound protection, it’s recommended that you place it on a thick pad. Not just that, but it’s also the right way of cushioning your floor if there are lots of fragile ornaments and items in your room.
Noise-Cancelling Curtains
Windows aren’t the best at blocking out noise. Unless your windows are covered with noise-cancelling glass, your best choice in the matter is soundproofing curtains. Soundproofing curtains are usually thicker and heavier than the usual type of curtains. That is an excellent way of insulating your room for a more stable temperature.
Bookcases
Since bookcases are one of the thicker types of furniture that you can fit in an office or living space, they are a great way of insulating the area and providing much-needed soundproofing. The premise of having bookcases in your room is pretty simple: the more mass is on your walls, the less likely it is for noise and vibrations to reach the other side of the wall. Moreover, books are a great way of insulating these areas. Most designers would suggest getting a bookcase that will extend from the floor to the ceiling.
Dense Foam
Since this is specifically designed to drown out the noise, most recording studios will use the dense form to improve acoustics. Being able to absorb vibrations, this is an excellent way of ensuring that no sound will leave the room.
Resilient Channels
If you’re looking for more effective means of soundproofing your room, resilient channels are a great way of stopping sound. As the name suggests, there are N-shaped metal strips that are placed on hollow partitions or drywall. The flexible nature of these channels can help absorb vibrations.
To get straight to the point, yes, you should soundproof your room. Not only will it make it cozier, but you also won’t have to deal with noisy neighbors or neighbors knocking at your door and complaining about the loud noises. Whether you want to install soundproofing on your office walls, at your home’s cozy little library, or on your very own recording studio, there’s a lot of advantages when you soundproof your room.
