Squelching the Sound
Life just outside your bedroom can be noisy. Whether it’s your dog barking at the trees rustling outside or your teens insisting that they simply have to blast their music at max volume, all the sound bouncing around inside and outside your house can make it tough to get some decent shut-eye. Here are seven easy ways to quell the noise and finally sleep in sweet, manufactured silence.
Seal the Gap Under the Door
Sound can travel in through the gap beneath your bedroom door, which means that you'll be tossing and turning while you're forced to hear every single joke of the talk show your spouse is watching downstairs. Close up the gap by adhering rubber weatherstripping to the bottom of the door.
Related:How To: Soundproof a Door
Upgrade Your Bedroom Door
Bedrooms with a hollow-core door, which consists of a thin outer layer of wood with plastic or cardboard inside, tend to be noisier than those with a solid-wood door. Replacing a lightweight door with a heavy-duty solid-wood model can help block out unwanted noises—and save you from ever again having to hear your son playing video games until the wee hours.
Put the Sound in the Cloud
For serious soundproofers, the answer to your noise troubles may lie in the clouds—specifically, in aceiling cloud, an acoustical foam "cloud" that is hung from the ceiling of a room to eliminate echoes and absorb noises. Though pricey, ceiling clouds work well in lofted bedrooms or rooms with especially high ceilings.
Rearrange the Room
Soundproofing doesn’t necessarily have to be a big expense. In fact, you can take steps to control bedroom noise without buying anything at all. Sometimes all it takes is rearranging the furniture with an eye toward absorbing sound and preventing it from hitting your ears. One effective strategy for blocking noise is to move a heavy dresser or bookcase to an outside-facing wall or to a wall that backs the hallway.
Sound-Catching Curtains
When you cover windows with soundproofing curtains, you get a twofer: an attractive, soothing decorative touch and effective soundproofing to block the noise of traffic, sirens, and loud pedestrians.
Related:The Best Blackout Curtains for the Bedroom
Wall Up the Sound
Wallpaper is enjoying a comeback—and it's come back with a little something extra. It turns out that some wallpapers can help control noise.Soundproof wallpaperis made of thick polyethylene foam that dampens vibrations and sounds, including the buzz-saw snores of your neighbor in the next apartment.
Peaceful Paneling
附加了一些acoustic foam paneling on one or more of your bedroom walls is a quick and effective way to absorb noise inside the room and cut down on the sound that enters. Panels are available in a variety of textures and colors, so you can have a little fun with the project. Then, when your neighbor revs his Harley first thing in the morning or your kid practices the cello late in the evening, those unwelcome noises may be a little less irritating.
Related:How To: Soundproof a Wall
Tune It All Out
Not even a peep will disturb you once you employ these soundproofing ideas.
Don't Miss!
Get the help you need for the home you want—sign upfor the Bob Vila newsletter today!
