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Our home should be the one place where peace comes easily. But yet for many of us, the calm we want and need is constantly disrupted by noise. It may be footsteps from our upstairs neighbours, or traffic noise coming from a busy boulevard past our windows, or appliances humming all night throughout the house.
We often accept background noise as a normal aspect of modern life, but it does not have to be. In this article, we'll walk you through efficient and practical methods to minimise household noise with simple soundproofing solutions. These ideas will help you in creating rooms that combine comfort with silence, whether you are a homeowner or a professional interior designer.
Why Peace and Quiet Matter at Home
We can all agree that peace and quiet is extremely important for both mental and physical health. According to a World Health Organisation study, continuous exposure to loud environmental noise is linked to increased stress, difficulties sleeping, and possibly heart problems. On the other hand, a quiet home can help improve focus, mental health, and sleep quality.
This is especially important now, considering the rise of remote jobs. Furthermore, soundproofing is all about creating a home environment that actually nurtures well-being, clarity, and peace of mind.
Common Sources of Household Noise
In order to soundproof effectively you need to first understand what kind of noise you are dealing with. Typically most of home noises come from two main categories, let’s take a look:
Airborne noise consists of voices, music, and television noises. These sounds move through the air and can easily get past poorly insulated walls, doors, and windows.
Impact noise goes through a building's structure, such as footsteps, dropped items, or pipe movements. It is more difficult to isolate, since it goes through the ceilings, floors, and wall studs.
The moment you fully understand the difference you will know how to choose the right materials and techniques. If you're dealing with persistent or specific noise issues, such as loud pipes, humming appliances, or neighbourhood noise, take a look at our guide on common household noise problems and how to solve them, where the top 10 household noises are addressed.
How to Get Started with Soundproofing Your Home
Begin by pinpointing the areas of your home where noise causes the most discomfort. It is usually bedrooms, living rooms, and home offices. Afterwards decide whether your top priority is to reduce exterior sounds, such as traffic or city noise, or inside sounds, such as neighbors or appliances.
Once you've identified what's wrong, look into solutions depending on the goals you have in mind. Even simple measures, such as fixing door gaps or adding carpets, can already have a significant impact. DECIBEL provides advice and a full a collection of professional soundproofing products for both home and commercial settings.
Still unsure what are the next steps? Then why not plan a free consultation with our team of experts:
Room-by-Room Soundproofing Tips
Living Room
The living room is the heart of the home, but it could also be a source of echo and external noise. An easy way to improve the acoustic peace of mind, use thick rugs or layered fabrics to reduce reverberation from hard surfaces.
- To minimize sound from outside, use heavy, lined curtains.
- Install acoustic panels for the echo that blend nicely in with your home's design.
- Seal gaps in windows or doors to reduce air and sound loss.
Bedroom
Soundproofing the bedroom is one of the most effective investments you can make in long-term health and daily energy.
- Use blackout curtains that double as sound barriers.
- Upgrade to double-glazed windows if you live near busy streets and city areas.
- Add soundproof insulation to shared or external walls. For a high-performance and discreet option, DECIBOARD provides excellent airborne noise insulation without changing the visual design of your room.
- Use soft flooring to reduce impact noise from footsteps or movement.
Kitchen & Bathroom
These rooms are often overlooked by many homeowners, yet these are the rooms that produce a surprising amount of sound. It could be a fridge humming during the night, or a pipe vibrating occasionally.
- Wrap plumbing pipes with acoustic insulation to reduce water hammer and vibration.
- Place vibration pads beneath loud appliances.
- Use mats, towels, or other soft surfaces to dampen reverberation on hard surfaces.
Home Office
Noise can decrease focus levels, clarity, and productivity, especially when working from home or during online meetings. A few simple steps may be helpful, but creating a fully sound-optimised workspace needs some extra measures. For more information, check out our blog on how to soundproof your home office.
Quick and Easy Soundproofing Hacks Anyone Can Try
You don’t need a renovation budget to get started. These small, renter-friendly changes can make a big difference as well:
- Install sealing around the windows and door frames. Use draft stoppers for reducing noise leakage under doors.
- Place bookshelves or heavy furniture along shared or exterior walls to help absorb and block sound.
- To help soften the acoustics of the room you can use rugs, curtains, blankets, and decorations on the walls.
- Removable acoustic panels or portable dividers give temporary and flexible noise control solutions.
If you’re ready for a bigger DIY project, then check out the MUTE SYSTEM that offers a modular soundproofing solution ideal for walls, ceilings, or even dividing areas. It provides significant airborne noise reduction and can be installed without invasive construction in your home.
Watch how easy it is to install here:
Mistakes to Avoid When Soundproofing Your Home
Many people start soundproofing by purchasing popular materials, without realizing those materials might be solving the wrong problem. For example, foam panels reduce echo, but they don’t block external sound. On the other hand, dense materials block noise but won’t help much with reverberation.
Sealing gaps is another underestimated step. Even a 1% unsealed area can let in up to 50% of the sound. Take your time to notice and fix all potential entry points. And most importantly think about all parts together: ceilings, floors, vents, and shared walls all contribute to acoustic performance.
Peaceful Home Projects
Already across many countries, homeowners are using DECIBEL products to transform the way their homes sound and feel. Visit our home project portfolio for soundproofing success stories and design ideas.- World Health Organisation. (2018). Environmental noise guidelines for the European Region. World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789289053563
