Easy tips to reduce noise at home

Lily Cichanowicz Lily Cichanowicz
House remodelling in South Bristol, Dittrich Hudson Vasetti Architects Dittrich Hudson Vasetti Architects Modern dining room
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Many of us strive to make the home a place of peace and quiet where we can relax after work and get a good night’s sleep. While the addition of children, pets, and roommates can often take away from the glorious sound of silence, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to mitigate excess sound pollution. You may have even grown so accustomed to some of the extra background noise that you don’t even realise how much it could be corrupting your ability to unwind and sleep. We’re talking about those squeaky floorboards, the humming fridge, and that scraping sound your chairs make when you push them in or pull them out. These sounds add up, and they can certainly chisel away at your concentration. Luckily, there are some pretty straightforward ways to ensure that these extra little sounds are kept at bay. Unfortunately we won’t be able to help you with that crying baby or barking dog, however.

Insulate appliances

One unexpected place that adds excess noise to your home is your appliances. You might have grown so used to the hum of the fridge, stove, or other devices that you don’t even notice them anymore. That doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be addressed when given the chance. Not only do these noised become annoying when we notice them, but it could be a sign that the appliances are not functioning to the best of their ability. For one, appliances that are not fully insulated can be hazardous. This is because the live conductors within your favourite appliances are the cause of the obnoxious droning sounds they have the tendency to make. Having exposed wires or inadequately insulated conductors can lead to electric shock or fire. Therefore, it’s good to have an insulation professional check out existing appliances and to ask questions when you purchase a new appliance.

Fix squeaky floors

We’ve all seen movies where someone attempts to sneak by but their presence is loudly announced as the step on a creaking floorboard. While hopefully you don’t have to do much sneaking in your own home, these little sounds can be quite irritating indeed. Squeaking floors are most common in old homes where the floorboard comes loose or gets a bit warped. The floorboard subsequently begins to make awkward contact with the subfloor, thus causing that tell tale sound. Alternatively, it’s the subfloor that undergoes some kind of structural change over time. In order to fix the squeaking board, it is often necessary to replace it, but sometimes it’s as simple as adding some blocking beneath the joint where the board is connected to the subfloor. If you don’t feel comfortable fixing the board yourself, and it’s driving you crazy, this is a pretty routine fix for the repairman.

Oil doors

If you notice a phantom creaking sound in your house but have already thoroughly inspected the floorboards, it might be the door that is causing the noise. Hinges endure a lot of friction during their lifetimes, and older ones can become a bit corroded to boot. This can especially be the case when we’re talking about the front door or any door that’s exposed to additional elements. Therefore, it’s best to oil the hinges up every once in a while. To do this, simply apply a bit of spray lubricant to each hinge. Some people even swear by food-grade oils for this task. You can tell when it’s time to add some oil to the door when it starts to squeak or if it doesn’t open and close as smoothly as you’d like.

Fix pipes

A noisy pipe is something to take a bit more seriously than an annoyingly vocal door hinge or floorboard. Like a droning appliance, loud pipes could indicate that there is an issue. Perhaps the reason for the raucous is that there is too much water pressure applied to the pipes or that the screws are not tight enough in their sockets. There are a lot of technical reasons why the pipes could be making noises, which can take a good deal of strategy to sort out. Unless you have experience with handling such things, you may want to consult a plumber to help you out. No one wants to take an unexpected shower whilst tampering with the pipes in their cellar! At least make sure you shut off the source of the water flowing into the pipes of your home before tampering with them yourself.

Soft textiles

A rather simple means of fixing those day to day noises that can ultimately have some wear on the floors is by investing in some soft textiles and placing them in high traffic areas. This can be especially useful in the dining area where chairs tend to grind back and forth on the floor as people get up and down from the table. The poor floor beneath might not have much protection from such sounds. With the help of a stylish area rug, the problem will be solved in a jiffy. Plush carpets in bedrooms and in the living room will also help to hush the patter of feet, especially when you have children and pets scurrying about. If this is the case, you may also want to consider making it a rule that shoes come off upon entry into the house, and that your dogs’ nails are clipped regularly. Curtains made of robust fabrics can also help to insulate against sounds that seep in through the window.

Felt gliders

Finally, if you feel like extra textiles will cramp your style there is one other option worth mentioning. You could attach some felt gliders to the feet of your chairs along with any other furnishings in your home that tend to move around regularly. These felt gliders are inexpensive and simple to apply. They typically come with pins or screws for you to put through the foot of the chair, but some are also adhesive. They are ideal not only for killing that awful scraping sound that comes with moving furniture across a hard surface, but they can help keep your floors in better condition, too. Imagine how much quieter things are in this dining room by DHV Architects with the help of some felt gliders. 

For more handy tips to improve the functionality of your home, check out this guide to creating a more eco-friendly home. Happy decorating! 

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