Living in the city: 4 ways to block out sound from the outside world

Home is where you relax, escape the outside world and experience moments of deserved peace with loved ones. But, in most cases, this quiet time is invaded by pedestrians, neighbours and construction workers. Research shows that the primary reason why people move house each year is due to outside noise.

If your home is blighted by unwanted noise, below are some of the ways you can block out sound from the outside world:

1. Check your windows

|If you’re continually frustrated with the outside noise and you can no longer stand it, using window inserts can help you. Window inserts are clear panes of glass installed over your existing windows. They are designed to create an airtight seal that reduces the outside noise by an incredible percentage.

However, if you are working on a frugal budget, window inserts may be expensive. As an alternative, you could try noise cancelling curtains because they consist of heavy and thick material which works perfectly in blocking the out sound.

2. Modify your walls

Walls, especially the thin walls are good at transmitting outside noise. Thickening them will help you reduce the out sound. You can effectively do this by adding a layer of drywall which is a panel made of sound absorbing materials and mainly used in interior walls and ceilings.

Doubling the drywall layer will help minimise the outside noise getting into your house though, it’s very costly. If you can’t afford to double the drywall, you can opt to get some heavy decorations and hang them on the affected walls.

Although the decorations may not be as effective as the drywall, you’ll notice some changes in the amount of out sound getting through. The idea here is to create a thicker barrier between your house and the source of the noise.

3. Change your doors

Most of the doors used nowadays are hollow on the inside making them ineffective when it comes to blocking the outside noise. If there’s a significant amount of noise entering your house, your door could be the reason.

Getting a new door installed would be the best way of dealing with the out sound. Get yourself a solid door if possible because they are much better than hollow doors. Of course, they are costly and need an expert to get fixed.

4. Do something on the outside

Finally, you will have to work on the outside. Put as many barriers as you can between your room and the source of the noise. You may plant tall trees around your home. This will prevent outside noise because it will be difficult for sound to penetrate through the plants.

Try building something that will hush out the noise. For example, consider making a waterfall outside your home. The sound from the waterfall will lessen the out sound.  

While outside noise can be annoying, you can soundproof your home whether on a shoestring budget or not. You can DIY using some of the listed techniques to lead a peaceful life free from out sound.

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