Often, we need to soundproof our house and there are things we can do to achieve that
- Hire acoustical consultant: If we are serious about soundproofing our house, it is a good idea to get help from acoustical consultant. It can be a mistake to think that we could isolate and solve noise problems on our own. This is especially true if we have more than enough budget and we want our condition to be solved completely. Consultants should be able to approach our problem in a systematic and scientific fashion. There’s nothing wrong about hiring acoustical consultant, because we could save plenty of time. However, these professionals are not cheap and we should make sure that we really need their help to determine the source of our acoustical problems. Alternatively, we could roll up our sleeves and do a bit of detective work ourselves. We may need to meet with our neighbours or crawl around inside the ceiling or basement to determine the source of noise pollution. Obviously, acoustical consultants will charge us for this kind of service. However, hiring an acoustical consultant should work well and can save us money, if we have an idea about the approximate sources of the noises.
- Work with neighbour: In many cases, noises are actually caused by our own neighbours and we should talk with our neighbour to know whether it is possible to eliminate sources of noises in their property. In reality, our neighbours are usually considerate and reasonable people. In fact, they may not be aware that they have created noise problems. It is a good idea to have a friendly conversation with our neighbour. We may start by telling out neighbour about our problems, such as how we wake up at the middle of the night, because the dog barks incessantly. Whatever we do, we should try to keep the whole discussion friendly and we shouldn’t annoy our neighbours, although we are somewhat annoyed by the situation itself. People who have barking dogs actually know that they cause noise problems and they just hope that neighbours will find it bearable. It means that they need to be informed about the problem, or it will remain unresolved. Under no circumstances should we think about retaliating by our own noises, because this will only worsen our problem.
- Understand the problem correctly: There are different types of sound pollution and the type of techniques and material we use should be backed by good understanding about the exact source of problem. As an example, the noise could be high pitched like birds chirping or deep like boom cars or stereo subwoofer, each will need to be handled differently. Another essential factor is how loud the noise would be, the type of material that it’s passing through (e.g. floors, walls and windows) and where it is coming from. It should be a good idea to know whether the sound is intermittent or continuous. These questions can be rather difficult to answer and we may need to do a little preparation and homework. These are things we should consider before we buy any kind of soundproofing material or use specific soundproofing method. It is important to clearly describe the noise problem.