How to deaden noise in the house

3 years ago

We bought a 2 story 1979 ranch and with 3 boys running around the house, it's almost impossible to work from home or enjoy a movie in relative peace. Whether it's the sound of feet running down hallway on hardwoods (hardwoods throughout except for bedrooms with carpet) or the tv blaring in the tv room at the end of the hallway, I feel like I'm going crazy and it's actually phenomenal how much of an echo chamber the house is. Our main bedroom is right above the garage. I can totally hear a conversation happening down below in the garage, every word.

Financially, we're not able to demo ceilings and walls and effectively make a dent with the noise problem structurally.

We can:

-buy lots of cheap rugs. Hang up panels (canvas frames stuffed with moving blankets or foam).

-I got a deal on solid core doors so we're switching out all the hollow bedroom doors.

-One of my husband's clients is an insulation company so we can get a discount - is it worth it to have cellulose insulation blown in all the walls/in between batts and up in the ceiling? Just load up every nook and cranny.

Or are we just SOL. So hard to work in our house right now. :(

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3 years ago

My husband is working from home and he also plays musical instruments. We remodeled a room took the standard insulation out and put in Rockwool. It's worth every penny. Lol we have to call each other now when he wants to say something to me from his office.

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Comments (6)

houssaon
3 years ago
I think it would make sense to insulate the garage ceiling making sure you have the proper moisture barrier.

A large carpet in the TV room, the door closed and the volume at a level that those in the room can hear, but not loud enough for those out of the room to make out what is said.

Try strategically blowing in insulation on interior walls.

Maybe add a carpet in the hallway.
tedbixby
3 years ago
Buy the rugs which will help a bit and it never hurts to have more insulation but wouldn't count on that totally solving your issue. And maybe for the TV blaring look into getting headphones for whoever is watching TV. That said, you may want to investigate something like this product which at least I'm thinking you could put on your garage ceiling to help with the garage conversations. https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-Acoustic-Insulation-Sound-Board-BSNAT85US/207168829

And if all else fails, tell your boys that mom needs her quiet time and that time is between such and such hours if they want a happy mom and later in life a happy wife.
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I guess I don't really understand why you can't address this with the neighbour. You don't have to go in complaining, but rather to explore whether there is any potential solution. You could even articulate concern about the mechanical soundness of their unit, saying that you've never heard one that loud. I also don't know anything about air conditioners, but I believe this could be either a unit sticking out a window that is needed for that room, or it could be the unit for their whole house? For each one, there may be a different solution. Specifically, the solution may carry a different cost, which if I were you, I would be more than willing to help with - on one condition, and that is that they are not violating any ordinances, bylaws, what have you, with their current set-up. In that case, I would first explore that option. There is one other issue, which is that wherever you can get them to move the noise, there may be repercussions for them. For example, moving the unit to their back yard would mean the noise would bother THEM! Heaven forbid, no doubt. Or, moving it to the front of the house would make it not look nice. So they may be burdening you because they don't want to be burdened themselves. But even so, if they are doing nothing illegal and you go to them to discuss it with chequebook in hand so to speak, they may be willing to consider a solution - such as soundproofing around the unit or moving it. If they won't talk it out, you can, regretfully of course, move on with complaints to your local authority - or, come to think of it, the manufacturer of the unit, whose name is likely on the unit and who might be prepared to find a way to solve your problem too. If there is no solution to be found in these avenues, then you can start working on landscaping solutions. But as they are so unsatisfactory, I would tend to try for the more obvious, effective solutions first - the ones that are in your neighbours' hands. KarinL
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@Patricia Colwell, I empathize! I keep an array of natural zzz potions close at hand, but I am starting to think a little subterranean cave might be my best bet at this point. Or, more realistically, the walk in closet! :-D Seriously, if our new walls don't cut it, I guess I could install wall-to-wall bookshelves on the walls in question and stuff 'em with thick tomes and other sound absorbers (with a back layer of cork tile?). Perhaps that would buffer the sounds of Early Riser. Here's a floor plan, fwiw (hope it enlarges well enough!). The bold black lines mark the two interior walls I wanted to reinforce. Brown dots represent doors (solid core). That bright pink X is me, covering my ears. The blue X on lower right is our son (also a light sleeper). Red circle marks the area most likely to generate noise. Green star in upper left corner indicates a tiny wet bar where (evil cackle) I've just decided Early Riser will be making his 4 AM coffee if he can't be quiet enough in the kitchen! Problem solved? LOL
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JAN MOYER
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Show some pictures of your spaces. If you are without reasonably sized area rugs, have no curtains? This makes a gigantic difference. Sounds bounce from windows and hardwood floors.

Try noise cancelling headphones when you're working. You can connect bluetooth headphones to a tv , as well.

A house with three boys will never be the sanctuary that an off site office would provide. Adequate "decor" and headphones as suggested.. You don't say how you are set up for at home work, and if you are not used to this type of endeavor it CAN be a very new experience, and is naturally more prone to interruptions.. Make certain you are not expecting too much sanctuary. ............no home is , unless free of children. Even then, lawn mowers, barking dogs, traffic, neighbors with children at play. ? It's all there at home. Some of this is just a question of getting used to working in the daily din of daily life : ) It's a good bet you never noticed it as much, pre Covid confines.

A tv need not "blare", and asking for some "quiet time" from your three boys can also be accomplished. Some no tv TIME, lets,draw, color, use the ipad.....go OUTDOORS...... they need not have the run of the asylum, and wouldn't have it in school either.
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
Is this a big open plan with cathedral ceilings ? We need pics of the spaces there is no other way to help.
apple_pie_order
3 years ago
Try this: make a list of where you want quiet at what time of day. Then assign priorities: home office 9-5 may be top priority or your bedroom after bedtime. Then you can tackle your highest priorities first.

Also: consider moving your tv room or putting a new tv somewhere else. Read up on how to control sound in a home theater room with thick heavy carpet, the panels you mention, heavy curtains, the solid door and a good door sweep. If your tv has numerical settings, tell the kids the tv can't be louder than some setting.

How to deaden noise in the house

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Comments (6)

houssaon

tedbixby

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