Best Soundproofing Insulation to Reduce Noise at Home

Have you ever entered a room and felt the kind of serenity that only comes from complete silence and lack of external noises?

If you have, you know how fulfilling the experience can be; and if you have not, think about how many times you have thought to yourself “oh, would the neighbor’s dog just stop barking!”, or been worried about the upcoming party you were about to throw.

Living in your home can be much more comfortable with proper soundproofing. Whether you are an engineer planning your next building project or just someone who wants to improve their own living environment there’s a soundproof system available. And for all of you DIY enthusiasts, most of the products aren’t that difficult to put up.

Soundproofing and Sound Absorption: What’s the Difference?

Recently, especially since I have started this blog, more and more people come to me asking for an advice. In this manner, I get a lot of questions about soundproofing and sound absorption, what is best to apply, how it can be done, but mostly regarding the difference between the two of them.

I understand that it can be confusing but there is a major difference between soundproofing and sound absorption.

Usually, when people have a problem with unwanted noise, they want the sound that is being made inside the room to keep it in the room or they want to prevent the sound from entering the room. This is commonly known as soundproofing.

On the other hand, people may want to reduce the echoing or reverberation of the sound within the room. Namely, they are looking for an installation of sound absorption.

Quietest Over the Range Microwave Ovens: Reviews and Buying Guide

Almost every household has a microwave. It has got to be one of the most convenient inventions in the modern-day world. Most people simply cannot live without it in their kitchens. You need it for a wide variety of functions.

These functions include; heating up food, baking small cakes, cooking light dishes, defrosting meat, boiling water, etc. I cannot possibly exhaust the uses of a microwave.

Now, an over the range microwave oven is simply a microwave that comes with a range hood. It is a 2-in-1 unit that is designed for installation over your countertop and therefore, included in the packaging is some mounting hardware for a quick and easy installation.

If you are like me, and you love your kitchen counters bare, then you will love these range of microwave ovens. I absolutely love getting into my kitchen and looking at all the beautiful melamine with no appliances placed on top.

So, having identified how useful a microwave oven is, and how important it is in a household, I must mention the greatest challenge: Noise. I absolutely hate the noise that is made by most microwaves, especially when I am trying to get my beauty sleep and someone is in the kitchen heating up something or cooking.

In this regard, I have decided to review only the best and quietest over the range microwaves in the market.

Bathtub Drain Gurgles when Toilet is Flushed: Noise Removal Guide

A co-worker of mine recently approached me complaining about a noise problem in her bathroom. Apparently, her bathtub drain makes a very annoying gurgling noise every time she flushes the toilet.

My co-worker came to the right person, but as knowledgeable as I am when it comes to fixing noise problems similar to this one, I wasn’t so sure what the cause of this problem might be and how she can fix it.

I had never come across this exact type of problem before. To my surprise, once I’d done some research, I realized the problems and solutions are similar to when your sink gurgles.

I wanted to share this knowledge with you and help you overcome this problem easily and without too much unnecessary work or money-spending.

Sink Gurgles When Toilet Flushes: Noise Removal Guide

Anyone who’s ever had a problem with gurgling drains will tell you to try and fix them right away and there is a very good reason behind that.

It’s very important that you know that gurgling drains can be a strong indicator of a larger plumbing problem, which is why you should investigate your plumbing system and solve this as soon as possible.

Whether you’re having trouble with the gurgling noise from your bathtub drain, toilet, or sink, don’t let it continue for too long, because there are practical solutions for all of these problems.

Best Silent Hamster Wheel Reviews and Buying Guide

Almost all hamster owners and behavioral researchers agree on this one thing: Hamsters absolutely love their wheels. They can clock up a couple of miles in just one night which is almost like running several marathons (for them).

The one problem with this is the amount of noise the hamster wheels make, especially since hamsters are particularly fond of exercising at night while we sleep.

Buying a wheel for your little hamster pet is not as easy as it may seem. There are many decisions that must be made such as the design, the material used in its making, the size, etc. You must also be in a position to know the risks, if any, that a specific wheel has, and how to spot a problem early before things go very wrong.

Being a hamster owner myself, I can tell you that it’s not about the design, but more on the material used in its making. Choosing the right wheel will definitely make the wheel safer for your precious hamster.

How to Reduce Airplane Noise in Home

I enjoy living in the suburbs. Besides more space, privacy and a peaceful life I can build with my family, privileges of living in the city center are still available and just a car ride from my home.

However, living in suburbs has its downsides too. It’s well familiar that “less crowded space” is not only good for families, but also for the aircraft industry and their tendency to position airports in open-space locations.

This directly affects all homeowners living near the flight path due to their exposure to the airplane noise, which was proven to be connected with series of health problems, including sleep disturbance, hearing impairment and heart disease.

Train Noise Reduction: 4 Ways to Block Railway Noise at Home

You finally managed to find that house or apartment you were looking for, being perfect in any sense.

You and your family moved in and everything was just as you imagined. But then it happened – the truth hit you.

Although you had been informed about a train noise, you took it for granted, assuming that it wouldn’t be that much of a problem. Yes, you have a great home now, and yes, the horns and whistles of a train are unbearable.

Although the noise pollution can be a more significant trouble in an urban area, it is always a problem how to deal with the train noise at home when you live near a railroad track, whether in a suburban area or a center of a city.

Noises such as train horn and whistle, although sounded with purpose, could be reduced by certain soundproofing methods to achieve both short-term and permanent solution.

Those who are looking for a noise reduction solution should be aware that it might be needed to employ more than one method if the disquieting noise is immensely loud.

Having in mind all these facts and inconveniences, should you consider selling your dream house and giving up on your home? But why would you do that when you could use some of the following soundproofing solutions and still enjoy your home?

Where to Place Acoustic Panels For Best Sound Effect

It’s enough of a challenge to figure out where you lie in the spectrum of people who need acoustic treatments or soundproofing and similar dilemmas. As discussed before, it can be a bit of a fine line to walk.

I know, for us, it wasn’t exactly an easy feat, when we set it up in our home’s theater room. It’s always a struggle to decide what you need and how to achieve it best. It doesn’t help when you consider that a wrong investment can cost a lot if you make mistakes.

Obviously, it’s not that hard or costly to purchase some acoustic panels, but it can add up if you end up going in without a solid plan. Costs do add up if you need to buy multiples of even the best deal.

That’s why the goal here today is to make sure you:

-End up able to form a clear and concise plan of action
-Know what to aim for in terms of material and coverage
-Don’t end up wasting money

One word of warning: there is no ideal solution that can magically solve all your acoustic problems. In all honesty, the science of acoustics often relies on a person’s feel of it all and their opinion on how things ought to be, more than it relies on something precisely and coldly based on math alone.

Do Noise Canceling Headphones Protect Hearing?

If you’re an avid music listener like me, you must know how important it is to have a quality pair of headphones. The difference between listening to music with and without headphones is simply incomparable.

Once I’d gotten myself a lovely quality pair of headphones, I was shocked to find out just how different certain songs sound when you listen to them on headphones that are actually of very high quality.

I could hear these subtle nuances in the sounds and instruments that I wasn’t able to hear before, and keep in mind that these were songs that I’d listened to many, many times before and I knew most of them by heart.

Also, before I’d gotten into soundproofing, headphones always used to be my go-to solution when there was too much of external noise bothering me. I’d just put on some music and try to focus on it and ignore the annoying sounds around me.