Ways of Protecting Your Home From Noise

Do you live by a busy road or near a railway line? You might be wondering if there are things you can do to block out the noise. One way of doing this is to use earplugs but you might find they are not particularly comfortable or that they irritate your ears. There are, though, a number of things that can be done to limit the amount of external noise that comes into a room. 
It is important to identify the noise first and, more importantly, where it is coming from, meaning you will be better placed to prevent it. In the case of road traffic, for example, it will be easily identifiable, but sometimes it isn’t so simple. Some people believe they are hearing external noises when it is internal; that is to say problems in their ears such as tinnitus. Assuming this is not the case, below are some ways of protecting against noise coming into a home or room. 
Double Glazing Windows
The majority of noise that comes into a home is through windows and doors rather than through walls which are thicker and more solid. In regard to windows, upgrading from single glazing to double glazing can make a big difference in the amount of noise coming through, as well as keeping warmth in. 
Window Shutters
Window shutters can have much the same benefit as double glazing by providing an extra level of noise protection. Whether you have single or double glazing there is still a small amount of space between the frame and the opening of a window. Wooden window shutters are particularly effective at keeping this noise out, with solid shutters being preferable if the sole purpose of them is to keep the noise to a minimum. Wood is very effective in keeping out noise and investing in double glazing (if you don’t have it already) as well as window shutters will significantly reduce noise.
Insulation
If noise is consistently a major problem then you may wish to go as far as to improve the insulation of your home or certain rooms. At the extreme end is professional sound proofing, which is fairly expensive. Other things that can be done include adding dry wall between the two boards that typically make up a wall in modern homes or to use foam-like insulation as you usually find in lofts.  
Towel Under the Door
If noise through a door is the problem, for example in an apartment block, then simply placing a towel at the bottom of the door will deaden the noise coming through the gap at the bottom. This could prevent low level noise from coming through or simply quieten the noise you can here. This might be sufficient to make the difference between getting a good night’s sleep and lying awake. 
Carpet
For those living in flats where noise from the flat below is a problem, having carpet is much more effective at preventing you from hearing noise than wooden flooring is. Even using a mat can help a little, although that is unlikely to completely block noise out.  
External noise is something that many find a problem. There are things you can do to prevent this being an issue though. If it is unrealistic for you to keep noise out you could use other sounds to prevent external noise from frustrating you. You can use a fan or music for this effect.
Andrew Marshall ©