Soundproofing for Older Homes

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soundproofing older homes
31 May

There’s two types of people out there: those who love old, historic homes and those who want to live in a newly built home. However, those of you that live in older homes have probably experienced the downsides that can come with living there. Whether the floors creak every time you take a step, or the doors slam louder than ever, there is no doubt that these problems can become irritating. Old homes likely weren’t built with any sort of soundproofing in mind since they have thin walls and thin windows. This leads to hearing anything and everything going on inside or outside of your home. This blog post will explain the many noise issues one may face when living in an older home and the best soundproofing measures to tackle them.

soundproofing for older homes
Windows in old houses have notoriously thin glass panes with very low STC ratings, resulting in a lot of sound passing through them. Rather than replacing all of your old windows with new windows, use soundproof curtains for a more affordable solution.

Use Soundproof Curtains to Absorb External Noise

The house I live in now was built in the 70’s so it’s been around for a bit. Living on a busy road has become bothersome since I can hear vehicles driving by at all hours of the day and night. Additionally, I always hear stray cats rustling around in the bushes, but at times it sounds like it’s happening in my room. Thin or poorly built windows are a common complaint for those living in older homes or apartments. As someone who’s experienced this, I took matters into my own hands when finding a solution.

Soundproof curtains became my best friend. The dense core blocking material of our soundproof curtains has an STC rating of 21, so it can block between 21-25 decibels. This means that any external noises that typically disrupts your peace and quiet will be blocked. These curtains mount over the window that the sound is leaking through and seals around it with either a velcro or magnetic perimeter seal. It’s the perfect cost-effective solution for those who don’t want to replace the windows in their older home.

See Similar: Best Uses for Sound Curtains

Utilize a Soundproof Door Cover to Reduce Slamming Sounds

Another sound issue in older homes is the noise transfer that occurs between different rooms. A lot of this noise can be coming through the doors, especially if there are gaps under and around the door. If you haven’t heard it from us before: remember the 1% rule. It states that 50% of sound can get through a 1% opening because sound always takes the path of least resistance.

The solution is to use a soundproof door cover. In terms of installation and sound blocking abilities, it functions just the same as a soundproof curtain. It is retractable as well, so if people leave the house frequently, the curtain can stay tightened to the top of the door. If this doesn’t do enough on its own, you can also use door sweeps and seals. This will cover any of those tiny gaps that you see around a door, minimizing the amount of sound that enters your home.

soundproofing for older homes
Similar to the original windows in an old house, the doors are likely not soundproof either and it would cost a pretty penny to fully replace them. A soundproof door cover combined with door sweeps and seals will help to seal any sound leak around a door.

Sound Masking as a Way to Minimize Noises

Another option to help lower the noise level in your home is to add sound into the room. It may sound strange, but this is actually how white noise machines work if you haven’t tried using one before. By raising the ambient noise level in a room, white noise machines helps to cover or mask abrupt sounds. Large scale sound masking systems are typically used in large, open office spaces to decrease distractions, but they can be used in homes on a smaller scale.

A white noise machine can be used on its own to soundproof your older home if noises are minimal. If the noise still proves to be too much, use it in conjunction with soundproof door covers and soundproof curtains. It will completely transform the soundscape of your home.

Soundproofing for Older Homes: Conclusion

To review, you can take the following steps to soundproof an old house:

  1. Soundproof the windows by using soundproof curtains
  2. Soundproof any door using a soundproof door cover, door sweeps and/or door seals
  3. Use a white noise machine to drown out distracting noises

Soundproofing an older home is similar to soundproofing a newer and modern home; the main difference is the foundation in which you are starting with. We hope this article leads you to finding the best solutions for your space!