For those who live in apartment buildings or around thousands of other people, it can sometimes be too loud to sleep at night. Maybe you are a light sleeper, or maybe your noisy neighbors are just really loud late at night! Whatever the reasons, you need to have peace and quiet to enjoy sleeping at night and avoid waking up multiple times during the night
Image by joaovinagre from Pixabay
Furthermore, there are tons of people who now are remote workers. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of people work from the comfort of their own homes or remote offices. If this is the case, you need to have a quiet and relaxing space to complete your work.
If you are constantly telling your neighbors to turn their music down or you have construction going on outside of your temp office, you may find it too difficult to complete your work and concentrate. The best solution for noise from the outside world in busy cities is to find a method that you can use in your building to reduce distracting noises from entering your house or room.
But – what is the best way to do this? Many people struggle with finding the best solution to help reduce noise levels without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. To use a cost-effective solution that is reliable and trustworthy for your home or office you need to do some research about the best ways to cut down on outside noise while living in a bustling city.
Fortunately, we have done the research for YOU! Here is the best way you can cut out the noise and boost daily productivity levels while working from your home or apartment in the middle of a busy city.
5 ways to use New York soundproofing to cut out excess noise!
Unfortunately for those in busy cities – like New York City – it is almost impossible to have a fully quiet and noise-free home while you are trying to go to sleep at night or get your work done during the day. You have to find ways to cut out noise or else you will go crazy -and we have a foolproof method. Use ceiling soundproofing to avoid having the endless nightmare of sleepless nights and frustrating work days!
Various elements of soundproofing will help to reduce outside noise from entering through your walls. The four basic elements of soundproofing help users figure out the best way to block sound and why soundproofing is the most effective method for cutting out noise.
- Decoupling – This process involved in ceiling soundproofing is the act of disengaging one thing from another. To decrease vibration waves from coming through the ceiling or the walls, decoupling helps those living in an apartment avoid excess vibrations from ceilings, pathways, or other conductors.
- Absorption – the second process involved in soundproofing is absorption. Absorption is when a material soaks up noise from a sound being produced elsewhere. Insulation is often used as a soundproofing method to help absorb vibrations and avoid foreign noise from coming through materials.
- Mass – This factor is absolutely necessary for ceiling soundproofing, with this process involving making the wall heavy and dense, or full of mass, to avoid vibrations from coming through the material. Consider using materials with high mass, like drywall or plywood.
- Damping – damping compounds can be used in New York soundproofing to help convert sound to heat, which stops the sounds from entering your space.
Furthermore, here are some of the most effective tips you should use before going ahead with soundproofing your apartment. If you are not well-versed in this activity, you need to find a company that can do New York soundproofing for you!
- Replace ductwork in ceilings and floors to help achieve better insulation. You can remove the duct by installing a ductor liner to help cut costs.
- Follow building codes to avoid any legal battles or legislation issues.
- You can use STC values to see the effectiveness of specific soundproofing methods, with the higher numbers giving you a better idea of the effectiveness of dampening noises.
- Seek professional help for complicated projects if you have not done any handy work before in your life.
- Consider your budget before beginning with any soundproofing options, ensuring the method you choose is within your price range.
Here are the most popular ways you can use New York soundproofing to help avoid noises from coming into your apartment or workspace!
A single layer of drywall
A single layer of drywall is often the last method used for soundproofing a room, as it is thin and not the most durable choice. However, the panel is lightweight and can help provide an extra layer of blockage if you are doing soundproofing on your own. We think this could be the best New York soundproofing option, the main benefit of using this method is the ease factor.
This method is feasible, useful, and cost-effective. Soundproof drywalls provide a better sound quality than other materials and won’t break the bank in the process. A sheet of soundproof drywall costs around $40, which is not the end of the world.
To help improve the effectiveness of New York soundproofing with a single layer of drywall, you can use extra materials, such as absorbent insulation and fiberglass.
Double layer of drywall
The second choice for using New York soundproofing to cut out noise is a double layer of drywall. This material is denser than the single-layer and is more effective in preventing the spread and transmission of airborne noise.
You can also add green glue damping to this double layer of drywall for increased soundproofing abilities. To improve the matrix of the double-wall, green glue helps stop airborne sound and reduce vibrational sounds. In this method, you can easily get this done on your own or hire someone, as there is no need to remove the existing material in place for your walls.
Apply the green glue damping compound to the drywall and install the second layer of material over the first for extra soundproofing.
Decoupled ceiling
The third method of using New York soundproofing to help make your apartment or office work-free is to use a decoupled ceiling. This option is a little more complicated than solely using drywall, as this choice includes an insulated ceiling, a double layer of drywall, and a layer of damping compound. There are more steps to using this method when compared to the previous options, such as:
- First, you need to remove the drywall from the ceiling. Use soundproofing binding methods to create channels in the material.
- Next, measure the joists to see how you need to decide the pieces of the ceiling.
- Place the hat channels pointing towards the roof.
- Attach the hat channels with clips to avoid having vibration come through the walls during installation.
This combination of construction techniques and materials helps reduce the chances of vibrations and noise coming in from outside of your building. Since this element has four elements of soundproofing, it is the most effective choice we have so far in this list.
Mass loaded vinyl
The fourth choice of using New York soundproofing to help make your apartment serene and relaxing is using mass-loaded vinyl to block sound. This dampening technique can be used instead of other damping compounds, such as green glue. By using vinyl and barium sulfate, this material is a dense choice that makes it very effective in reducing noise transmission and blocking sound completely. Mass-loaded vinyl can also be used on your floors to help block airborne sounds.
Adding underlayment to the floor above yours
If you have two floors in an apartment or you know the neighbors upstairs in your complex, you can consider adding underlayment to the floor above your ceiling. Rather than tearing out your ceiling and reinstalling drywall, you can make changes to the floor above yours.
Discuss with your landlord, building owner, or neighbor about the possibility of using underlying floors to help reduce sounds from the floor to your apartment below. If you know the person living above you, this can be a cost-effective method to reduce sound transmission. Make sure you speak with the building manager and the neighbors before signing up for any professional help for this job.
Conclusion
Finding the best New York soundproofing to help reduce noise from getting into your apartment is an absolute must if you live in a crowded city! Since thousands of people will be moving around you at all times when it comes to living in the Big Apple, you may need to look into soundproofing methods so you can sleep comfortably, get work done during the day and enjoy time relaxing in your apartment.
Some of the most common New York soundproofing methods include installing a single drywall layer, installing two layers of drywall, installing drywall with green glue, using a damping compound, fixing the floor above your apartment, or using mass-loaded vinyl for a heavier material that dampens sounds.