Modern life can be a noisy experience. Most of us are exposed to noise throughout the day. Whether that be; loud TVs, busy roads or noisy neighbours. Noise pollution isn’t just annoying, it’s also recognised as an important environmental stressor, being linked to anxiety and even depression.
According to theWorld Health Organization, excessive noise seriously harms human health and interferes with people’s daily lives. It can disturb sleep, cause cardiovascular and psychophysiological effects, reduce performance and provoke annoyance responses and changes in social behaviour.
So, what are some of the ways you can minimise noise pollution in your home?
Sound-Proof your Doors
When we think about minimising noise, our doors are not usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, as doors tends to be the largest open space in any room, it will usually be the main way for unwanted noises to enter your house or room.
When trying to muffle out unwanted noises in the home, your doors should be the first places to soundproof, and it doesn’t have to cost the earth. The most problematic area is under-door noise, which can be tricky to eliminate. However, considering dampening the sound on the other side of the door is the key to noise absorption.
You may decide to use rugs, heavy canvas’ or even bookshelves - you can make walls thicker and more soundproofed by simply making use of bookshelves. The main goal is to fill the room or hallway as much as possible. Identify the source of the noise and work towards dampening the sound as much as you can.
Alternatively, the most effective solution of all can be to opt for new internal doors. There are many types available to consider such aslaminate doors however,oak doors can be thicker and so dampen sound more effectively than other materials.
The Door Store is proud to be the UK & Ireland's largest stockists of oak doors. You can chat live with us here at the doorstore.co.uk where we can advise you on your options, taking into consideration your ideas, your house, and your budget.
The Door Store also has showrooms in Belfast and Reading, so if you can, drop-in to see us where a friendly and warm welcome awaits along with practical advice from experts and the chance to see and touch the doors you can rely on in the future!
Sound-Proof your Floors
If you have the misfortune of having a downstairs bedroom in a creaky house or live on a bottom floor apartment. Then you will know all too well of the annoyance of a badly insulated floor.
Unfortunately, a lot of the time there is little that we can do to reduce the irritating sounds of an upstairs neighbour. However, if you have the ability to pre-empt a noisy floor or wish to reduce the sound caused by your upstairs bedroom then we have just the solution.
Here at the Door Store, we provide Thermofloor, a natural wood fibre insulating panel ideal for use as an underlayment for various floor coverings, especially parquetand laminatepanels. Not only does this insulation help to reduce noise between rooms, it also offers increased privacy within and between homes.
If you are unable to insulate your floors, an alternative method to reduce the amount of sound being transmitted from floors, is by using rugs and mats (especially heavy ones). Not only are rugs great sound absorbers, but they also add to the look and feel of a room, with the main advantage being that they do not come with an installation process, and they can be placed anywhere in the room to your liking. Alternatively searching for local home improvement companies such as; Home Improvement Companies in Antrim are a great way to search for all of your potential options when it comes to soundproofing your home.