You have found a great apartment that meets all your needs and expectations, and you love it. You love everything, the environment, the interior except the noisy atmosphere you want to deal with.
The heavy music and children’s screaming lose your peace? Do you have everything except a quiet atmosphere?
What can you do? Moving to another townhouse or dealing with noisy neighbors are not very practical.
It’s also important that you want to keep your neighbor happy by preventing noise from your condo, and soundproofing can do both.
So here are 15 ways to soundproof a condo that helps reduce noise and keeps your townhouse quiet and calm.
15 Ways to Soundproof a Condo or Townhouse
If you are constantly disturbed by the loud noise from another apartment? Can’t you sleep with the DJ music at 3 am? Are you worried about your neighbor’s noise?
Or do you want to compromise your interests in loud DJ music or your favorite late-night TV shows?
The best solution to get a quiet atmosphere is soundproofing your condo. Soundproofing comes in different ways, and you can select it according to your needs. Here we are discussing 15 easy and best soundproofing methods that can be a perfect solution to soundproof a condo.
Seal Cracks and Gaps with Acoustic Caulk
One of the quick and easy ways to soundproof your condo is acoustic caulking. Caulking can do great if you have unwanted noise coming into your townhome from another room.
Unfortunately, there will be some cracks and gaps in your walls, around doors and windows. It is due to different reasons like poor construction, fixing cables, etc. Though most townhouses have shared walls, these gaps may be a reason for noise pollution from one to another. Caulk can reduce the sound through these cracks or gaps by preventing sound and air from moving through these gaps.
Acoustic caulking is latex-based and will adhere perfectly to the place we apply it; it is flexible and doesn’t change its shape or style when it dries. It may not prevent all the sound from getting through. However, it can reduce noise going through effectively on a minor cost.
Decouple the Walls with Resilient Channels and Drywall
Decoupling is an important method when it comes to soundproofing condo walls. It is a process that separates two parts of walls to prevent the transmission of vibrations and thereby block loud noises from one part to another.
The noise is produced when a sound wave hits an object like a wall, and smoothly pass to the other side without any resistance when it hits the wall. In case of decoupling, walls are separated by a stud or drywall in between. Each wall is connected to a single stud and placed near another, and there will be an air gap between the two walls, preventing noise vibrations from passing between the walls.
Resilient channels are metal bars used for soundproofing walls and ceilings with decoupling. It absorbs all vibrations from the drywall and allows each wall to vibrate independently without transferring vibrations from one wall to another. Decoupling with drywall and resilient channels can hugely soundproof townhouse walls.
MLV Sheet
Mass-loaded vinyl or MLV sheet is one of the best soundproofing materials available. It can be the best, most flexible, and most effective object for soundproofing if used appropriately.
MLV blocks all kinds of noises, from people’s encounters to noise produced by aircraft or rail lines.
Using MLV sheets can give you a better result with their impressive density. It will keep noise out very well, and it can also improve the wall’s STC or sound transmission class. It can attenuate excess noise and thereby helps in condo soundproofing.
Soundproof Paint
The concept of soundproofing paint is a very excellent. Soundproofing solutions will never be easy and quicker than such a product you can apply to your walls.
Soundproofing paints are also called acoustic paint, insulating paint, sound deadening or dampening paint. It is thicker than ordinary wall paints and is a water-based paint that gets its density from the combination of sound-absorbing fillers and ceramic microspheres.
Sound absorbing fillers have thermals, meaning tiny vacuum-sealed cells with soft pigment. This soft pigment can absorb the sound energy, and only a tiny amount can transfer through the walls.
Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels provide the best result in soundproofing; they can absorb sound and dampen it. If you are looking for some methods to soundproof a condo, an acoustic panel can be a great option which you can choose.
This panel blocks loud noises from entering and exiting one condo to another. Each heavy and dense panel offers high-quality and long-lasting capability. It can increase the value of your townhouse by making it more private than similar properties.
Soundproofing Curtains
Installing heavy soundproof curtains or acoustic curtains can also help you to soundproof townhouse, and they will block sound from your windows to another.
These curtains have many pores, and this porous surface can absorb the sound and dampen within the room.
Soundproofing curtains are one of the simplest and inexpensive ways to soundproof your townhome. Choose your favorite design, and install them on your windows. They will block the noises that disturb you from outside.
Soundproofing Blankets
Sometimes you cannot block the sound completely. But sound dampening can keep your condo soundproof. There are a lot of sound dampening tools available, but one of the best that can work wonders is soundproofing blankets.
Soundproofing blankets are made up of materials that act as sound absorbers. They are of great density.
This can be good in rooms with plenty of hard surfaces without any furniture. Sound can bounce freely across floors, walls, and ceilings. Applying soundproofing blankets to one of the surfaces can even act as a speed bumper to sound and slow it down. Thereby it prevents the noise from getting louder.
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Weatherstrip the Windows and Doors
Before considering the application of sound barriers, add weather stripping in your windows and doors, which will prevent unwanted noise.
There are different types of weather stripping. It is an easy way to prevent air leaks and reduce your utility bill along with the noise.
Install Door-Sweep under the Door
Doors can be any type, wood door, metal door, hollow core door, stranded size door. A door sweep will be a great option to install under the door to save the quietness inside your townhome.
A door sweep can effectively improve your well-being and peace by reducing the louder noises you hear in your personal space.
Door sweeps typically consist of silicon and aluminum, which are installed at the bottom of the door to prevent the sound and air from escaping through the gaps. Door sweeps are long-lasting and ensure a quiet atmosphere.
Install a Sub Floor
If you think your floor is too thin to soundproof, you can install another layer of a floor under the existing one. This is called subfloor installation, and we can install a subfloor by laying a new layer of tiles, lamination, etc.
There are many ways to install a subfloor, even with a simple rug or carpet, and it can prevent your footsteps from disturbing your neighbors and you.
Installing a subfloor is a method that requires more attention and time but also helps you a lot in soundproofing. It can surely help you if you are worried about the noise from downstairs, and it can also makes your feet movement quiet.
Heavy Rugs & Carpet
Hardwood flooring is lovely in their looks but not much in it’s work. They can carry sound and make you or your neighbors below disturbed.
Add some rug and carpets made up of sound-absorbent materials to the floor and make your townhome as happy as possible.
Carpets and rugs on the floor can reduce noise, but I can’t work as a standalone solution for soundproofing a condo. Using this method with other soundproofing technologies can fix your apartment quiet and calm.
Bookshelves
Congratulations, if you are a reading person, now you find another easy method to soundproof your condo. Installing bookshelves can do some tricks in soundproofing.
Adding bookshelves can be a single solution for soundproofing and space resolving issues. Place some bookshelves around the walls which transfer noises in your townhome. Fill them with your favorite books, magazines, and souvenirs. If you don’t need many books, decorate it with some plants and crafts.
Depending on the space and noise level, you can install several bookshelves around your walls, which could solve your issue very simply.
Place Other Furniture Close to the Walls
One of the easiest ways to soundproof your condo is to stack furniture against the walls. Placing big shelves, wardrobes close to the thin shared walls can reduce the loud noises that come from neighbors. Furniture can also change the way sound is reflected inside the room.
You can also use sound-absorbing furniture like a soft fabric sofa inside your condo to add mass to the walls using furniture. Soft furniture can absorb the sound waves and deaden if sounds bounce across the wood, leather, and similar materials.
Drop Ceiling with Insulation
If you are living in a townhome, soundproofing your ceiling is an important thing you can do to reduce noise and save you from distractions and disturbances from other parts.
Drop ceilings are made to soundproof, and adding soundproofing materials again with it can block the noise in a better way. You can soundproof drop ceiling in various ways, such as adding mass, decoupling, and using soundproof inuslation materials.
People always assume that soundproofing the drop ceiling is impossible according to its design. But it is the only option you can do in case of distractions and is not much challenging.
Soundproof Ceiling Tiles
Soundproofing ceiling tiles is another method that you can try in case of soundproofing a condo. A ceiling is a part that joins two rooms like a wall. Noises can also pass through beams and ceiling joists; noise from several levels above can enter the spaces and cause issues.
In the case of the ceiling, two types of noises can enter airborne and impact. Impact noises are made when your neighbors above walk and footsteps cause vibrations, passing through the ceiling below. Airborne noises can be different, loud music, voices from television, etc.
Soundproofing your ceiling can be a better and more substantial option to prevent noise from any room above if it’s of any kind, either airborne or impact.
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Final Thoughts
When it comes to a townhome, soundproofing is essential to keep a good calm atmosphere for you and your neighbors.
Now sharing walls can’t be tricky in front of your interests. You can play loud music, have fun with friends, Dance like a pro, and do everything in your condo without disturbing your neighbor.
If you are a peace lover, you can surely experience quietness whenever you are engaged in your work, sleep, and reading. Neighbors’ loud noise, the barking of dogs, noise from transport, nothing can distract you from the things you do.
Try one or more soundproofing methods according to your need and budget. Experience the privacy and peace of your townhome. And it will give you a happy and free life and make you fall in love with your townhome. It also enhances the resale value. Now noises can never be a nightmare to you.