How to Soundproof an Apartment
Tenants stay longer in apartments in which they are happy. As more and more people find themselves living in multi-family dwellings, a peaceful and quiet environment goes a long way towards making these tenants happy. Having happy tenants is just one reason to learn how to soundproof an apartment if you’re a building owner or landlord, and for apartment renters and owners themselves, less noise generally means a higher quality of life.
Noise issues in apartment buildings can be from unit to unit, from the outside, or from the building itself due to the process of functioning. Preemptive treatment of noise is an investment that will return repeatedly by reducing time-consuming noise-related complaints and cutting down tenant turnover.
Here’s how to soundproof an apartment, including several product recommendations depending on the type of apartment and noise issue:
Flooring
Flooring underlays such as the Acoustik™ impact reduction pad for floors goes directly under a tile or wood flooring surface and significantly reduces floor-to-floor noise while also having the added aesthetic benefit of reducing minor floor imperfections.
Walls
A great option for reducing noise between shared walls and from outside walls is the use CFAB™ Cellulose Panels. These panels can be put under drywall, left as-is, or painted – making them an easy and quick noise-reduction fix. Aside from controlling and reducing airborne noise and blocking noise from the outside, these panels are made from renewable and recycled fibers and are mold-resistant while also carrying a Class A fire rating.
Sometimes there is a quick-fix for reducing noises between apartments that can work for building owners and tenants alike. A lack of effective caulking at the floor line behind the baseboards is one of the most common causes of sound transmission from one space to another and is easily checked by listening close to the baseboard. To see if this is the case, listen to see if noise is louder than at other parts of the wall. If it is, the easy and cheap solution is to simply remove the baseboard and caulk the space between the gypsum board and the flooring. For more information on this process read this article on Noise Control in Multi-Family Residential Buildings.
Mechanical
If you are wondering how to soundproof an apartment from its own mechanical noises, using pipe and duct lag will provide sound absorption and thermal insulation around all pipes and ductwork. Another option is to use Quiet Liner™ recycled cotton acoustical liner, which can also make your building more energy efficient by cutting down on heat loss and/or gain.
These are just a few of the many ways we at Acoustical Surfaces, Inc. can help you reduce noise issues in an apartment building. Look through our website for more helpful articles and check out our soundproofing tips for even more ways to learn how to soundproof an apartment.
3 Comments
Shawn
A recent apartment that I lived in had some serious soundproofing issues with the windows. I found a cheap fix was bubblewrap in the windows and heavy curtains. Not the ideal decor, but functional for the time being.
Arthur
Great blog! I live in a noisy neighbourhood and it becomes difficult to sleep at night. I would definitely love to make my room soundproof. Also yesterday while surfing the net I came across this site http://www.winab.se/glasvaggar/ which was talking about sound proof glass walls. One technique they used was building two parallel flat glass in each element of the wall sections which provided a very high sound insulation.
Mary
Thank you for posting this idea. I am living in a place that the bedroom is facing the street and the traffic cars and heavy trucks start at 3am. It has been so difficult to sleep. I will get the bubblewrap and curtains ASAP