Whether it’s the neighbor who likes to yell next door, cars blasting music outside, or a woman that always wears high heels in the apartment above you, dealing with noise is typical for any apartment renter. Before you go crazy at your noisy Loveland apartment, try a few simple strategies or tips to help you block out unwanted noise.
Fabric curtains, particularly those with thick material or multiple layers, are pretty effective for absorbing noise that may leak through doors or windows. Windows with a single pane of glass or doors that are poorly insulated can easily amplify sounds coming from outside, but by hanging curtains, such as heavy blackout options, and keeping them closed, you can add a barrier of protection from noise streaming in.
You can also buy curtains or acoustic panels that are specially designed with soundproofing materials and incredibly effective in reducing noise. Click here to learn more about soundproof curtains and how you can use them in your apartment.
Soft materials such as cotton or felt also help to absorb noise. Take a moment to identify the walls from where the most noise comes in – it might be a shared wall between your apartment and a neighbor or it might even be a shared wall between two of the bedrooms – and think about covering the wall with something softer than a picture frame, such as a tapestry or even a shag rug.
Noise will bounce off hard surfaces, however soft ones absorb it. To help absorb a little more of the sound making its way into your apartment, think about adding upholstered furniture such as a couch or bed frame to your interior décor.
The drafty space under a door can let in a lot more sound then you would imagine. To block sound, and weather, from traveling inside, look to add a better door sweep or weather-stripping. Make sure that you contact your landlord and get their approval before you add anything to the door. If there is already a door sweep, you might just ask them to upgrade the existing one to something a little thicker.
The gaps under a bedroom door can easily be addressed without affecting the structure of the door. You can either buy or even make a draft stopper yourself. Click here for 20 DIY draft stoppers that will keep noise and cold out. Draft stoppers can also be made to help blocking our sound coming in through gaps in a window
Just as carpet helps to muffle sounds, adding an area rug is another effective way to reduce noise. Adding at thicker rug pad underneath it can add an extra layer of sound absorption.
If bookshelves are part of your furniture collection, think about placing them strategically across thin walls. The shelf itself, combined with books and decorations is another way in which you can help to drown out noise from the neighbors next door. Be careful that you don’t choose décor items that will vibrate or reflect sound. You might even talk to your neighbor and see if they have bookshelves or other heavy furniture that they could place along the same wall for a greater effect.
If your biggest noise concerns come from loud footsteps coming from the apartment above yours, you might be limited in what you can do, but you could try to have a discussion with your landlord or property manager. They might consider adding new carpet to the apartments if the issue seems to be a common concern among tenants.
If you’ve tried other options, but still can’t seem to drown out as much noise as you’d like, you might look into buying a white noise machine. These machines are highly sought after for people who have trouble sleeping because they work to drown out background noise. The type of sounds produced should subconsciously help you to ignore other noises.
By nature, living in an apartment makes your home more susceptible to noise from multiple sources – the apartments next door and on the floor above you, the hallway, the neighbor's balcony, the parking lot, the pool or common area, or even the street nearby. Try to keep realistic expectations about the level of noise that you will be able to block out. To read more about the best way to soundproof an apartment click here.
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