6 Popular Soundproofing Options for a Quieter Home

December 16, 2021

Your land and the surrounding area affect your custom home and will affect your experience living in it. If it’s a busier neighborhood or you just prefer a quieter environment, there are several options available to help you soundproof your custom home design, inside and out. Here are a few popular soundproofing options for a quieter home:

1. Opt for Thicker Insulation and Thicker Walls

If a quieter home built with some soundproofing in mind is your goal, you can work with your custom home builder to ensure steps are taken during construction to accommodate that. Thicker than standard insulation is a good start that can add more mass to your walls to better insulate your home, which can be beneficial for both temperature control and noise reduction.

The builder will also be able to identify other things they can do during construction to further add mass to the walls aside from just making them thicker, like sealing gaps, wrapping pipes with resilient materials, etc. All of these details will help mitigate and reduce noise coming in from the outside and also from inside your home.

2. Choose High-Quality Windows

High-quality windows that are properly installed go a long way in building an energy-efficient home and can also provide some noise reduction as well. Triple-pane insulated windows filled with argon gas are high-quality windows.

The extra insulation also helps provide a bit of a sound barrier. Depending on the window manufacturer, there may be other window upgrades available to further improve energy efficiency and also further reduce noise.

3. Add Soundproofing to the Walls

If there will be rooms in your custom home design that you want to make quieter or that you know will be noisy and you want to help prevent and reduce noise travel to the rest of the home, you can add soundproofing to the walls.

You can use standard soundproofing material in a slab on the wall or you can use a more creative option that can almost double as decor. Soundproofing is also available in hexagonal and scale-shaped tiles that are beautiful and unique additions. With these, you can create a functional work of art that also contributes to a peaceful environment in the room and the rest of your home.

4. Consider Quieter Flooring Options

There are plenty of flooring options to choose from when it comes to your custom home, and noise reduction can be one of the considerations to help you choose the right flooring for your custom home.

Some flooring options are louder as you move around than others. If you have a big family or you know you want a quieter indoor environment, consider quieter flooring options that are better at absorbing sound.

Cork, bamboo, luxury vinyl, and more are flooring options that tend to absorb noise better than traditional hardwood. At the same time, you always have the option of adding thick area rugs or runners to help absorb sound.

5. Go For Solid-Core Doors

Solid-core doors will be heavier than foam-core or hollow-core doors. But, they will also insulate better and be better when it comes to noise reduction and preventing noise from traveling.

If you know you want a quieter home environment in and out, solid-core doors for both interior and exterior doors are one of the measures that can help you get it. One of the benefits of insulated garage doors is that they also help with noise reduction, so this is a consideration for the garage in your home, especially if it is attached.

6. Place Pads Under Appliances

Another one of the popular soundproofing options for a quieter home is to add rubber or cork pads under your appliance legs. Adding these items can help you better balance an appliance while also isolating any vibrations of the appliance while in use. This helps reduce noise inside the home and is particularly useful for appliances with moving functions, like the washer and dryer.

These are just a few popular soundproofing options for a quieter home to consider for your custom home design. An experienced, reputable custom home builder, especially one with an in-house design/build process, can help identify options and narrow them down to what works best for you and the home you want.

If you’re ready to get started on your own custom home, contact Custom Home Group at 717-284-4090. We can help make your dream home a reality!