Sound dampening at home? Is it really necessary?
When I talk to someone who's recently moved into a new house, I often hear:
“Why didn't anyone tell us to think of the acoustics when we were building the house?!”
No mention of it from the architect or builder. It may simply be because there are no standard requirements for the reverberation time (echo) in private homes. We have strict requirements for reverberation times in offices or canteens. But not for homes. So perhaps, what a home sounds like isn’t that important? Perhaps, you can live with it?
If you ask me, Home is where the we put in our most important work.
But what do we do at home? Well, all of life.. big and small. Home is where we raise our kids. Home is where we should be able to relax. Home is where we must draw strength.
And WHEN are we home? Well. In the morning, when you’d rather drink your coffee in peace. And in the afternoon. When you’re tired after a long day at work, dinner is on the table and hungry wolves are howling around you. That’s when you’re supposed to live with that echoey sound .
And did you know that it's harder to cope with noise when we’re tired? Noise makes you more irritable and stressed. And in a room with a lot of reverberation, sounds last longer. That means MORE noise.
So sound dampening your home is not important you say?
You’re not the only one struggling with echo. Just look at the comments we get:
“I've been dying to open the porch door all winter! Finally we can go out into the conservatory. The sound is so lovely and normal there. “
“I dread New Years Eve. The noise of excited kids… Inside… who will be up aaaaall night…”
“Uff…My husband has a friend with the loudest voice. Of course he visits when I have an early shift the next day. It doesn't matter if I go to bed early. His laughter echos throughout the entire house. No way I can get any sleep.”
“I can't even empty the dishwasher in the morning. I'll wake the whole house.”
And then this one. This touched my mamma heart:
“I hate that I hush the children all the time…Especially when really, they’re just playing nicely.”
Can you relate?
Yes. Good acoustics is important at work. After all, who wants to be more tired than necessary by the time they get home? But it's just as important at home!
So what to do if you’re struggling with noise at home?
If you're not done furnishing:
Just moved in and not quite finished decorating? Then you need this checklist: 5 Steps to improve sound with regular furniture. Maybe curtains are all you need? But first, read these tips. The sound dampening effect of the curtains depends greatly on how you hang them!
All done furnishing?
Are you all done furnishing, but still have a tiring echo? Then sound absorbers are here to help. Sound absorbers are designed to remove as much noise as possible. They can be placed on the walls, ceiling or hang freely as room dividers.
To get rid of the echo you’ll need efficient sound absorbers placed thoughtfully. It's worth spending some time finding a good solution. So to help you along I wrote you this article on what to consider when reducing echo.
Would you like some help?
To imagine what a room will sound like after putting sound absorbers in, is just about impossible. Room acoustics can seem technical, vague and difficult to figure out. In large projects acousticians give advice on placement and calculate the quantity required. This service is expensive and not necessarily affordable when it comes to soundproofing a home. I know it can be really difficult to figure out how much you need, and this can make you feel uncertain about what result you’ll get.
I have to say, my heart goes out to those of you who struggle with noise at home. Every time my brood and I visit my mum (who has moved into a particularly modern and brand-new home) I think of you. Her house is echoey. And with three kids, we bring some noise. It's manageable for a few hours, but I can't imagine living there with kids. The noise levels are intense.
Not knowing what it will take, or where to start, can easily keep you stuck. And before you know it, you’ve lived with the echo for years.
That's why we take the time to give you a free room evaluation. No strings attached. We just want to make it easy for you to get rid of that echo. I know you have more important things to spend your energy on.
