How to Block Noise from Next Door Neighbors

How to Block Noise from Next Door Neighbors

Today we are going to give you some helpful tips on how to block noise from next-door neighbors.

When you are living next to a noisy neighbor, life can get quite tough for you. Moving places is not the ideal solution, when you are disturbed by the loud noise erupting from your neighbor’s home. So, what should you do, then? If you thought that you had no other option except to put up with the loud noise, you are mistaken.

All you need to do is to execute some simple tricks in your home and block the noise from your neighbors. Regardless of whether you are living in your own or rented accommodation, you can try these simple soundproofing techniques and live in peace without being disturbed by any of the loud noises.

In this article, we are going to talk about some simple soundproofing tips that you can carry out with ease right inside your home to ensure that loud noises don’t disturb you.

The six common areas that you have to focus on when you want to block noise from next-door neighbors are the following:

• Making the walls soundproof
• Making the doors soundproof
• Making the windows soundproof
• Making the floors soundproof
• Making the curtains soundproof
• Making the ceilings soundproof

These may look very technical and difficult; however, when you use the right tools and materials, soundproofing these areas can be done easily and safely. Here, we have listed each of these in detail, so that it is easy for you to understand and simulate the same in your homes as well:

1. Making the Walls Soundproof

You will be surprised to know that walls are the most common areas through which sounds pass easily from your neighbor’s home to yours. More often than not, when you soundproof the walls properly, you will be able to get rid of the loud noises almost completely.

There are different ways in which you can soundproof the walls in your homes. You need to choose the right method depending on your budget constraints and the type of ownership you have over your property.

Some of the common and cost-effective methods that you can use to soundproof the walls in your homes are the following:

• Making use of soundproof panels to block the loud noise from passing through the walls; for best results, you need to use panels made from soundproof materials such as fiberglass that do a great job of blocking the sound that passes through the walls
• Installing simple drywall on top of the current walls in your homes; if there is a lot of noise coming from your neighbor’s homes, you can try constructing multiple layers of drywall on top of your walls
• Ensuring that your wall is not empty as empty walls are thin enough to let loud noises pass through them; hanging huge paintings all over the walls will block as much noise as possible, so as to not disturb you in any way

As you can see, these tips are quite simple, but they create a lot of value in blocking unnecessary sounds. These tips will not only make your wall look beautiful but soundproof as well.

Fiberglass acoustic panels may cost you a lot of money; therefore, you can go for it if your budget gives you the freedom to do so. Else, you can resort to purchasing some affordable, huge paintings to decorate your wall to do the soundproofing job for you.

2. Making the Doors Soundproof

The thin material of the doors and the gaps found under the doors are a few of the main reasons why sounds travel easily from outside into your homes. If you correct the problem in the doors, you will see a marked improvement in the reduction of noise levels in your home.

If you thought that you had to spend a lot of money to replace the entire door for soundproofing purposes, you are mistaken.

Today, there are many other cheaper and more effective soundproofing solutions that you can try to ensure that you aren’t disturbed by the loud noise from your neighbor’s homes. Some of these solutions are:

• Using a good insulating foam sealant to seal the gaps and cracks on the door; this will ensure that there are no gaps for the sound to enter inside
• One of the most common entrances for sound is the small gap that is found in between the door and the floor. More often than not, many people don’t treat this gap because they think nothing can be done about it. However, this gap can be sealed tightly by using a door sweep. You can buy a heavy-duty door sweep and install it easily beneath the door with nuts & screws to close this gap forever.

Both of these door soundproofing tips don’t cost you a lot of money; they are easily removable as well. Therefore, you can use it easily to block loud noises entering your property.

3. Making the Windows Soundproof

Apart from walls, it is the windows of your home that are a major carrier of loud noises. Soundproofing the windows should be done in such a way that you don’t end up blocking the light entering from them.

Yes, this requires a bit more effort and money than soundproofing the walls. However, it is worth every dime spent on it as it completely blocks the sounds from your next-door neighbors.

Some of the simple ways in you can make your windows soundproof are the following:

• Using a proper sealant to ensure that all the gaps in the edges of the windows are sealed tightly, it is highly recommended that you use an insulating foam sealant that aims to fill and seal the gaps completely. Always use sealants that can stand the weather extremities for the best results.
• Installing double-paned windows to do a better job in blocking the sounds from neighbors; this job involves sound technical knowledge; therefore, do not do it yourself if you aren’t qualified for this purpose.
• Adding an acrylic layer to your existing windows to block out all the sounds completely

We would like to reiterate that the soundproofing of windows requires a lot of technical skill; therefore, you should take up this job with care and precaution. Always entrust this job to professionals, when in doubt, so that you don’t cause any damages to the windows.

4. Making the Floors Soundproof

Floors are one of the most underrated areas when it comes to soundproofing an apartment. What many people don’t realize is that sound can enter their home from below as well, if the floors of their houses aren’t protected properly.

If you are looking for soundproofing the floor in your own home, you may consider carpeting the floor completely. It may cost you a reasonable sum, but it will do a good job of blocking loud noises from entering your home through the floors.

However, if you are staying in a rented property, you may not want to spend a lot of money on carpeting. In that case, you can consider making use of many rugs to block the sounds from entering through the floors.

Thick and fluffy rugs are the best suited for this purpose. The best part about these rugs is that they are affordable and beautiful as well. Choose as many as you want to cover the entire area in your home to block loud noises.

5. Making the Curtains Soundproof

When you don’t have enough money for installing double-paned windows, or you don’t want to spend that money on a rented property, you can opt for installing sound-proof curtains over your windows. These are not only a cost-effective alternative, but they are also quite effective in blocking loud sounds from neighbors.

Ensure that you use curtains that are made from materials that have sound-absorbing materials such as acoustic cotton fiber, mineral wool, rubber and the like.

6. Making the ceilings soundproof

Does your neighbor living upstairs play loud music every night? You have tried all the above tips, but what can do you when sound enters your home from your ceilings? The best way to stop this is to soundproof your ceilings using the right materials. The common ways in which a ceiling is soundproofed are the following:

• Installing a simple drywall below the original ceiling to block the loud noises; drywalls are very easy and cost-effective to install
• Installing a drop ceiling beneath the drywall; however, this is only an optional idea. A drop ceiling doesn’t add to the visual appeal of a property; so, many people aren’t in favor of this idea.

If there is too much disturbance in the form of loud noises entering into your home from the ceilings, you can consider installing acoustic mats between the drywalls and the original ceiling.

Thanks to these simple ways, you will never have to deal with noisy neighbors again in your lives. All of these soundproofing tips are quite practical. You can try these right now in your homes, without having to loosen your purse strings too much!