http://www.care2.com/greenliving/14-soundproofing-tips.html
The Sound of Silence: 14 Soundproofing Tips
Inspired by The Wabi-Sabi House, by Robyn Griggs Lawrence (Clarkson Potter, 2004).
In describing his idyllic days at Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau tells of summer mornings spent sitting in his sunny doorway until noon, “in undisturbed solitude and stillness … I was reminded of the lapse of time.” A Cherokee prayer goes “O Great Spirit, help me always … to remember the peace that may be found in silence.”
Wouldn’t it be lovely? Here are 14 soundproofing techniques:
Quick Fixes
1. Place half-inch-thick pads of rubber or cork under the legs or corners of heavy appliances.
2. Put stereo speakers on stands to prevent turning floors and walls into whole-house speakers.
3. Mask noise indoors or outdoors with fountains, waterfalls, or outdoors add tall ornamental grasses and trees that make a soothing sound when the wind blows.
4. Place weather stripping around all doors, even interior ones. Replace any weather stripping that is loose or admits light or air.
More Detailed Fixes
1. Sealing any small opening through which air and noise can enter a room is the cheapest, fastest and most efficient way to block noise. You can test for sound leaks by darkening a room to see where light—and therefore sound—is seeping in.
2. Remove the faceplates from electrical outlets and switches and caulk the spaces between the box and the wall.
3. Remove recessed light fixtures from the ceilings, seal the holes.
4. Caulk existing windows and equip them with gaskets to provide an airtight seal.
5. Line the cavities that hold the dishwasher, refrigerator, and trash compactor with sound-absorbing materials.
6. Add mass to walls with a second layer of drywall. Place the second layer as a “floating wall,” apart from the first, to create an air space baffle. The thicker the space, the more effective the barrier.
7. Switch to a quiet computer, one that doesn’t have a fan, like a laptop, or that has a quiet fan.
8. Replace hollow-core doors with solid doors.
9. Install water hammer arresters, available at hardware stores, to absorb the shock of copper pipes clunking. Whole-system hammer arresters can be soldered into the water line; individual appliance arresters simply screw on.
10. Conifers and broad-leaved evergreens are the most effective year-round noise blockers.
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add your comment »thanks...
Kabin
Konteyner,Prefabrik
mega kabin
Konteyner
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why is this inappropriate?
Any fabric with lot's of nap or fullness absorbs a lot of noise. Tapestries on the wall help tremendously, as well as rugs on the floor. Thick curtains with fullness help keep out cold as well as noise.
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using fiberboard under flooring also is a cheap way to deaden sound, and it's green!!
check out http://www.soundstopunderlayment.com
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if you have a loud computer, you can get a water cooled case. They're pricey but quiet.
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I never realized how noisy the interior of my house is until I sat and really listened. Never thought of putting stripping around interior doors but I will be doing this now. I live in the country but it is still a loud world that we live in.
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Thank you I will try some of these and if you have hollow doors in side you can simplely hang a tapesty or cloth for a quick fix if you can't find a sold door right away!!
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Thanks for the good ideas, as well as a timely reminder to check weather-stripping before the fall rush! I have several heirloom quilts which I display on the walls of my home; they are a beautiful decorative accent and also quiet the "hard-wall echoes."
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