How Sound Waves Work and How to Reduce Noise

Posted under Blog by Ruth

Out of all complaints you can have of your home, noisy neighbours is one that can be extremely difficult to do anything about. You might even live next to a noisy airport or railway, in which case there may not appear to be any solution short of moving home.

However, there are ways in which you can help to make your home more peaceful, with a number of soundproofing measures that are essential for many aspects of our modern living. Fortunately, many of these measures are not as complicated as you might think – and they are perfect for those who need to keep the noise in (from home theatres or musical instruments), as well as blocking noises out!

How Sound Waves Work

When it comes to soundproofing, understanding how sound travels can help you to take the measures necessary.

Sound is made from waves, which can travel in all directions from the source of the sound. They will only stop travelling when they meet resistance, like a wall, though they will bounce off these items and reverberate around a room.

The main things that you need to do within your home are to create more space in which the sound waves have to travel and eventually die out, use heavy, thick items to absorb sound, and stop vibrations using soft materials.

Your windows are the most important area when it comes to sound entering and leaving a room. Double glazing can greatly reduce noise simply to the space and variety of materials they create, reducing the size of the sound wave as it enters your home.