Sometimes we really need some peace and quiet, but often, that peace and quiet can seem really hard to get! Noisy neighbours, traffic, weather or industrial noise can all make us really miserable, stopping us from sleeping, relaxing or concentrating. What can we do to prevent noise from being a problem?

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From one extreme to another

The easiest way to avoid noise is to wear earplugs or sound-reducing headphones. These don’t stop the noise, but at least you won’t hear it. If you need a temporary solution to a noise problem — for example, if you have temporary roadworks outside your house – earphones or earplugs are the simplest and cheapest solution.

At the other end of the spectrum, you may want to have a room that is completely soundproofed. Maybe you are a musician and you want to record music without outside noise intruding. The best way to do this is to make a room within a room, or acoustic decoupling. This is very effective, but it’s also time consuming! For more information about acoustic decoupling, you can look here http://www.explainthatstuff.com/soundproofing.html.

A happy medium

For most of us, acoustic decoupling is a step too far, whereas earplugs and earphones are not a good enough solution. That’s where windows and other home improvements come in.
Double-glazing is a very good way to reduce outside noise nuisance in your home. Doors and windows are the main routes for sound to enter your home, so consulting with a firm like Keane Windows, a window supplier in Dublin, is a good place to start. If you live near an airport or busy motorway, you may even want to consider triple glazing. You might also want to install thicker, heavier doors; sound travels by vibration, so using materials that don’t vibrate easily prevents sound from travelling. You also need to make sure there are no gaps through which sound can travel, so make sure you have draught excluders and that windows are properly sealed.

You can also use the furnishings in your home to reduce noise. Carpets absorb sound, whereas wooden or tiled floors can reflect it. Soft furnishings also absorb and dampen sound, and soft wall coverings can be really helpful in dampening vibrations and absorbing noise. Even using curtains instead of blinds will make a difference!