Monday, June 8, 2009

Peace and Quiet in NYC With Soundproofing Walls

By Kelvin Prufwall

If you live in NYC, then you know how hard it is to keep noise out of your apartment. As one of the busiest cities in the world, NYC boasts some of the highest vehicle traffic and train noise. That isn't even counting potentially noisy neighbors.

It is important for you to be able to live in an apartment or condo in NYC that is relatively quiet. Not only does this make it easier for you to sleep but can also help attain that feeling of independence from the rest of the world. After all, who wants to hear the outside world 24 hours per day? You need that quiet time to relax and do your own thing.

Soundproofing walls is the best way to achieve peace and quiet. But how can you accomplish full soundproofing in such a crowded environment? Of course, the most expensive way is to hire a contractor in who specializes in soundproofing walls and floors and even HVAC piping! However, construction for the sake of soundproofing walls, while the most effective way to soundproof, can be extremely pricey for the average person.

A common misconception about soundproofing walls is that putting up egg cartons, Styrofoam or carpeting can deaden the noise from the street or from neighbors. As it happens, these materials are largely ineffective and worse still, they look horrible! Heavy fabric and acoustic foam can provide a little more soundproofing, but these are still less than attractive and the small amount of noise they dampen is not worth living with the way they look on your walls.

A lot of people simply dont understand soundproofing and assume that covering their walls will be effective. In fact, youll get better results by putting down rugs and acquiring heavy pieces of furniture such as easy chairs and sofas than you will from covering your walls with egg cartons. This wont completely shut out those noisy neighbors, but it will help.

Soundproofing walls will always be tough. Unless you can get inside your walls and add insulation or other soundproofing materials, your only real solution is to dampen the sound with some sort of professional soundproofing material like soft sound acoustic panels. You can paint or decorate these and it won't look as bad as carpet or egg crates.

Soundproofing your windows can be done in a few ways. If installing double paned windows or acrylic framed windows isnt an option, then you may want to consider drapes which dampen sound or window plugs. What are window plugs, you ask? These are pieces of soundproofing material cut to the size of your windows; when you want to shut out traffic and other street noise, you can just put them in your windows and enjoy the silence!

With these simple tips you may be able to take the edge off of your noise problems. The trick is to balance materials that actually work and still look good. You don't want to tack carpet to your walls and have it start to stink after a couple of months. Invest some proper thinking and some proper materials and you might start to enjoy a quieter life! - 23802

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