How To Soundproof Your Apartment Within A Low Budget

Living in an apartment has its own pros and cons – one disadvantage that many people complain about, is the noise – from other apartments in the building, or from the road or neighbouring buildings etc.

You may have experienced it several times – you’re all set for a quiet read, a nap or just some peaceful time with your family, when all hell breaks loose: you hear the honking from the traffic, sounds of machines, dogs, children, loud voiced adults; and your nerves get frayed.  Get some apartment security tips to protect your living space.

But not to worry – this is a problem that can be fixed easily with a few simple hacks.

You may still hear some sound, but not enough to cause you annoyance. Are you looking for the idea on how to soundproof your apartment? Read on to see how you can keep the noise out of your apartments in Calicut and enjoy some peaceful time at home. 

Tips to Soundproof Apartment

1. The Main Door

When you’re relaxing with a cup of tea on your sofa, or watching your favorite TV show, you don’t want to hear people talking or kids playing in the lobby on your floor.

It may be possible that there are air gaps around your main door. Seal the leaks and stop the air, because sound needs air to travel.

If there’s a huge gap under the front door, add a door sweep – that has a thick rubber strip to keep out the noise as well as insects and dust.

Check the sides and the top of the door, and seal any gaps with foam. You can also opt to hang blackout curtains over the front door, as these help to absorb noise.

2. Interior Doors

The doors of your bedrooms, kitchen and bathrooms can also let a lot of sound through if they have gaps under them.

You can craft your own draft stopper or buy them in stores.

You should be able to attach them to the door with elastic bands so that they don’t have to be set in place each time. You can also use quilts, foam, thick mats or thin pillows under the doors to keep the noise from travelling from one room to another.

3. Walls, Floors and Ceiling

Noise reflects off walls, floors and ceilings, and magnifies the sound inside a room.

To reduce the impact, use soft materials to cover these bare surfaces to drown out sounds from shouting kids, barking dogs, drills, and other machinery.

With felt, cotton or foam mats on the walls and shag rugs stuck to your ceiling you can reduce indoor and outdoor noise.

Wall art like paintings also help to reduce noise levels. 

Use thick, soft carpets on your floors to muffle sounds. In south India, especially wooden flooring in Kerala is very famous and is one of the best soundproof methods for your apartment.

You can put a density rug pad underneath your regular carpet to increase the carpet’s sound absorption capacity.

Installing a false ceiling not only looks aesthetically pleasing, it can help you reduce the impact of thudding from your neighbour above you. There are some apartment ceiling design ideas.

If you share a wall with your neighbour and find too much sound coming in through the walls, you can place a bookshelf or cupboard against that wall.

If you use a bookshelf, fill it up with as many books as you can.

The bigger the object you place there, the greater its capacity to resist the vibration and reduce the sound transmission.

4. Use Foam Mats

Foam mats are an affordable option for reducing the sound coming in. they are also lightweight and odourless, and easy for you to handle and install. They are also resistant to oil, so you can use them in your kitchen floors. By following such instruction you can  Soundproof your Apartment.

5. Use Soundproofing Wall Paints

You can also think of using soundproofing blankets, the kind they use in studios, if you feel the walls are particularly thin at any point. These are made of special noise reducing material, and are very heavy.

Of course, try to get these fabrics in decorative styles so that you can also lend a snazzy look to the apartment.

Even having a few potted plants inside can help you to reduce some of the sound.

If you live in a very noisy area, or you need absolute peace and quiet, you can check if soundproof paint is available in your area, and get your walls painted with that. Of course, it won’t come cheap, but it will provide you a solid, and long term solution. You can checkout how to choose paint colours for your home.

You may need several layers, but when it’s done, the results are great. The appearance and quality is the same as regular paint, so you don’t have to worry about the aesthetics of your flat being spoilt. You can also refer out some of the best and low cost interior designs for homes in Kerala, so that you can try it in your home too.

6. Windows

Blackout curtains are of course, the easy option. It will also prevent the bright sun from streaming inside if you want to have some nap time.

You can also purchase acoustic curtains – heavy, thick curtains that lie flat against the window edges and deflect the sound coming from outside. Check out some of the best house renovation ideas in Kerala which can be used for your homes to look good.

If you want to keep out only the sound and retain the view, you can think of window inserts – glass or acrylic clear panes that can be installed over the existing windows.

These are capable of reducing outside noise by half. If there are any gaps anywhere, fill them in with foam; plug holes with glue or foam and glue. Also read some latest apartment trends

7. Use Furniture Wisely

Empty apartments always seem noisier. Fill up vast empty spaces with heavy pieces of furniture so that sound gets absorbed and doesn’t bounce off bare surfaces and echo in the room.

Strategically positioned sofas, tables, cabinets and so on will help reduce the sound level inside your apartment. Rearrange you bed and place it as far as possible from the source of the noise.

You can also place your TV against the wall you share with a neighbour to prevent sound from that apartment from coming in. also read about tips which can help you while furnishing  first apartment

8. Get A White Noise Machine

For an immediate and easy solution, purchase a white noise machine. These machine produce sounds that make you ignore all other sounds in a subconscious manner, and help you focus on your work, sleep, or make you feel peaceful.

These machines are often used as sleep aids for people suffering from sleep disorders.

Don’t worry about the electricity bill. These types of machine will use less electricity and if you are facing a high electricity bill, then you can refer this article to save electricity in your home.

We suggest using a combination of methods to keep out as much sound as possible, and ensure some peace and quiet. But keep in mind that most of the solutions mentioned here are temporary, though we have provided a few heavy duty, permanent ones as well. One reason is that you may not always want your apartment to be a silent zone.

Sometimes, a little ambient sound is necessary to bring cheer; too much silence can get a bit depressing.

Are you looking for apartments in Calicut that provide the best in class amenities and latest facilities? Do you want your family to reside in the best planed apartment buildings? Check out the completed and on-going projects of PVS Builders: premium 2 and 3 BHK flats in the heart of Calicut city as well as suburbs. Comfortable layouts, tranquil surroundings and surprisingly affordable pricing!