As the temperatures are heating up, we want to open the windows and the doors to let in as much cool air as possible. It’s lighter later and people are out and about making more noise, a lot later than normal. We’ve put together some simple tips to reduce the noise for a peaceful home or investment property.
ACCESS POINTS:
As an investor, you can make a few simple changes in the renovation process that will absorb large amounts of street noise. Access points are essentially large holes in the structure, which allow access to sound waves. One of the most effective ways to counteract this is to install quality doors that will absorb the maximum amount of sound waves without allowing them to reverberate. Solid wood doors are the best for insulating sound, as well as particleboard-core and composite core. Hollow doors are far less effective and tend to bounce sound waves instead of absorbing them.
However, this also extends to garages. Garage doors are typically not as insulated as main doors in and out of the house. This allows a lot of sounds to come through and reverberate on hard concrete floors, quickly transferring to any rooms that share a wall. Garage doors with foam insulation block large amounts of noise, without adding too much cost.
THINK INSIDE OUT:
When we think of a noisy street, our first instinct is to cover the windows and reseal the doors, but the layout, floor plan, and materials inside your property play a large part in the way sound travels.
Every home has natural acoustics in the way it is designed and built. If you have ever been in a recording studio or a concert venue, you will notice soft materials on the walls and floor, a high ceiling, or softly padded ceiling tiles that absorb as much noise as possible.
The reason for this is simple, hard materials bounce sound waves, soft materials absorb them. For example, you can hear someone walking on hardwood floors much louder than someone walking on carpet. Some of the loudest elements in a home are countertops, hardwood floors, hollow doors, single pane windows, and smooth ceilings. The best way to minimize noise is to soften a hard surface.
UTILIZE INTERIOR DESIGN:
When it comes to staging your investment, or if you are decorating your own home, utilize style to add textures and soft materials that will absorb sound. Adding floor mats, or statement rugs on the hardwood will add the softer textures to keep sound from reverberating and minimize noise. Walls are one of the largest spaces in our homes, think of soft wall hangings that will add to the décor while minimizing the harsh sound waves bouncing from your walls.
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