You may be living near a railway station or you can clearly hear what your noisy neighbours are quarrelling about at your window. The sad thing is that window is at your work from the home office or sleeping room and the noise is causing you lots of headaches and distraction.
If you don’t have the money or want to try everything possible before replacing windows, these 6 home DIY tips will give you plenty of options for DIY soundproofing of a window.
- Rearranging the Furniture
- Buy Soundproof Curtains
- Seal Gaps
- Use Weather-stripping Tape
- Soundproofing Film
- Add a Layer of Glass
If you feel that it will be easier to replace the windows or outsource to the professional, you may have landed on the wrong page. Just kidding! Read on to find out how you can DIY your own windows cheaply.
Rearranging The Furniture
This step should be step number one in your journey of achieving a quieter home because where your furniture is has a significant role in how sound waves travel throughout the house. Fixing your noise problem could be as simple as adding more furniture or placing furniture near windows.
When rearranging your furniture:
- Put big furniture near windows to make as many obstacles as possible for soundwaves.
- Add some big pieces of furniture to the room because that will also add constraints.
- Be sure not to move your couches close to windows, though. You do your sitting on a couch, and if that couch is near a window, you will be closer to the sound.
- Make sure you keep your sofas and chairs as far away from windows as possible and instead place furniture like bookshelves close to windows.
Buy Soundproof Curtains
Soundproof curtains help reduce the echo and give you an overall much quieter room. For the price, usually around $40, they do a much better job than most people think.
The big problem is that they don’t block sound entirely, and for them to work, they have to be covering the window. So, at night they do a great job, but you can’t let natural light into your house and block the noise
These blinds on Amazon have great reviews and are only $30. They also come in many different sizes and colors, sure to fit the ambiance of your home.
Seal Gaps
Often, the reason your windows will let in so much noise is that a gap in the frame that needs to be filled.
To appropriately fill in the gap and make them soundproof, you will need to purchase acoustic caulk. It is a very long-lasting and noise-proof material that will stop all of the noise leaking through those pesky holes.
There are many acoustic caulks to choose from, but this one has both great reviews and bundled with a caulk gun.
This video is a perfect visual example of how to caulk correctly.
Use Weather-stripping Tape
If you don’t trust yourself with caulk, weather-stripping tape is the perfect alternative. Simply cover the gaps you see on your window frame, and it may save the day.
Keep in mind that the tape will not be as effective as the autistic caulk, but it will still provide soundproofing. If you live in a very loud area, this probably won’t be the fix. But if where you live can get noisy from time to time, this is the perfect alternative.
This tape is the best seller and should get the job done.
Soundproofing Film
Soundproofing film is a think, adhesive film that you stick to your window to increase the STC of your window. This method can be useful, very cheap, and simple, but it doesn’t come without drawbacks.
The film will instantly transform your window translucent. Sure, sometimes this is preferred, like in a bathroom, but no one wants not to be able to see out any windows all over their house. So, you will have to use other methods in tandem with this to have a positive effect on your home.
Add A Layer of Glass
This option certainly isn’t the easiest or quickest fix, but it may solve the problem. Generally, the thick the glass, the higher its STC will be, so it makes sense that adding another piece of glass will make your window more soundproof.
Though this will help, it will not drastically change the noise level coming into your home, so beware of that before starting this project. It can also be pricy and hard to do, so keep this in mind as a last resort.
But for enjoying both the quiet and sunlight, this is a great option. Just don’t jump into before exhausting all other options.
[Related Article: How Soundproof Is Glass As A Material For Noise Reduction]Best Soundproof Windows
The first of the two options will give you the best results. When it comes to soundproofing, you cannot beat a product that was engineered to precisely for that purpose.
Since you have chosen to go with the more reliable route, here are some options you have when replacing your windows.
Double-panel
- Pros: Double-pane windows will, in ordinary situations, be enough to sufficiently block noise. For homes in neighborhoods or the country, these windows should more than suffice.
- Cons: They only have an STC between 26 and 32, so if you’re somewhere noisier, like downtown, or near a train station or airport, they will not hold up.
Triple-panel
- Pros: They are thicker and will offer slightly better soundproofing than double-paned windows.
- Cons: Though they are thicker than double-paned windows, the STC is similar to a double-paned window, if not identical. You would essentially be spending more money to get the same quality of soundproofing. Laminated
Laminated
- Pros: Out of all of the windows listed so far, these have the highest STC at anywhere between 35 and 40. Laminated windows will do the best job blocking sound.
- Cons: It can be costly to get laminate windows, so not everybody will be able to get them.
If you have the money to get your windows replaced, it is undoubtedly the best option that will get you the best results. Not everyone has the money or the means to do it, though, and luckily there are other options.
Last Thoughts
Again, none of these options is foolproof, and all will take some experimentation. But if executed correctly, you could save a lot of money.
Soundproofing can be a little tricky, but a quiet home is paramount. Be sure to be careful and patient and your decision making and chose what’s best for you.
