With an increase in population in the major cities, noise has become one of the major problems that people face. You know how frustrating is to be woken up early because of your neighbor’s activities.
For that reason, many people have thought about soundproofing their walls. With that, the noise does not get transferred through our walls that easily, and we can enjoy our quieter atmosphere.
We all know that we can soundproof our home when installing new walls, but can we do that on our existing structure? To answer that question, we made this article with a couple of tips you should follow for soundproofing your existing walls for a cheap price.
Cover the gaps in the wall
The noise gets transferred into our homes because of gaps or cracks on the walls we currently have. Instead of being a barrier, they have tiny portions where the noise goes through and irritates us. For that reason, you should first inspect your walls for potential damages.
The gaps should be covered and filled with a special sealant made for soundproofing purposes. It is a strong matter that has great characteristics for absorbing noise. Apply the sealant on every spot that you notice, and you should have a completely sealed wall.
If you want to improve the insulation, it is better to leave a couple of gaps so you can insert the nozzle and do a better job.
Improve your insulation
To reduce the resonance inside the walls, as well as improve the thermal characteristics of your home, isolation is essential. However, with already built walls, it might be hard for you to access and improve the inner insulation.
Luckily, engineering has developed and there are insulation products that can be sprayed inside the wall. All you need is an opening where you insert the nozzle and apply the product. Since it consists of two compounds, they react and expand. With that, all of the inner portions get covered, and you have a nicely insulated wall.
Increase your walls density
By increasing the density, the noise has more barriers to pass, and it will be significantly quieter. For that reason, many people consider using MLV or a thicker vinyl that gets applied to the wall.
Applying the vinyl is the same as regular wallpaper. Begin from the upper portions and continue until you reach the bottom. Make sure your pieces are overlapping at least 2-3 centimeters. That way, you can ensure there are no leaks, and you have successfully added mass to your existing structure.
Apply additional drywall panels
As another measure to increase the thickness of your walls, you should consider getting additional drywall panels. It is easy to set it up and it is relatively a quick process. However, it cannot be done without previously installing appropriate channels.
After that, the process is straightforward, just screw the panels in position, and make sure they are secure.
Prevent the formation of resonance between the panels
As mentioned above, you need appropriate channels to install the panels properly. However, they create a gap between the existing wall and the new panels which can cause resonance. For that reason, you should apply a special medium that prevents the resonance and is a great soundproofing product.
That is the green glue. It comes in bottles like bathroom silicone, and it is inserted in the same manner. However, to get better results, you should add two bottles to a single drywall panel. This product is only dulling the sound since it transforms the waves into heat. With such an inexpensive solution, you cannot go wrong.
Consider hiring a professional soundproofing service
All this work can be hard for people who have not had a similar previous experience. In addition, any problems that occur will significantly impact time and can lead to frustrations. If you cannot overcome those situations, it can cost money and the process turns from cheap to relatively expensive work.
For that reason, many people a going for the professional soundproofing service. They are experienced workers that can surely address the problem appropriately. By understanding the cause of the excessive noise, they will know what the right approach is.
And, if you have a look at www.job-prices.co.uk, you can see that the costs aren’t that high.
Consider special paint for soundproofing
The walls should not be left without paint since they lose their aesthetic value. For that reason, you should get special paint that is great for soundproofing. The painting process is the same as usual, so you do not need to hire people for that job. That will save your finances, but you will also have a fun activity for home improvement.
Purchase special acoustic panels
If you want to take soundproofing up a notch, you might consider getting special acoustic panels. They are usually the same as the ones you see at studios. However, they are decorative, and will significantly make your home look better because of the added texture.
Cover your windows with a curtain
After the construction work is done, there are additional steps that can be done to further improve the sound isolation purposes. The first thing you should consider is covering the windows with a special dampening curtain.
Since the windows are the place where most of the noise comes from, you should consider addressing this problem on time. Even if you do all the walls work, you still might get annoyed by the excessive noise from outside, so getting acoustic curtains should do the job.
Conclusion
With many ways to improve the soundproofing of your current walls, you have many things to think about. All these things might not be necessary for your situation since doing all of them does not make this process cheap. However, they stack and contribute to a quieter ambiance.
To make sure you do not do excessive work, it is better to consider going for a soundproofing professional service. By knowing that the results will be accomplished on time, you reduce the stresses, and can completely enjoy the new quieter ambiance of your home.
