For you to enjoy a healthy sleep routine, you need to sleep in an environment that maintains its noise levels below 40 dB, according to the World Health Organization. This not only ensures that you have enough sleep for optimal productivity, but it also helps in boosting your cardiovascular health. While you might not have the ability to control the noise levels in other areas, your home is the last place where you should have to brave a decibel hell.
It should be not only serene enough to relax and sleep but also peaceful enough to have quality time with family members. If you live in a storied home, then the chances are that you might suffer from noise pollution originating from the upper floors. Luckily, all it takes is the right interior design strategies to rid your home of this menace.
Here is how you can adjust your home’s design to minimize these upstairs noises:
Start By Determining the Type of Noise
The first step in battling upstairs noise in your home is determining the type of noise, according to Novus Homes – builders of Novus Homes narrow lot two storey home designs. There are two main types of upstairs noise; structure-borne and airborne noise. Structure-borne noise arises when a person upstairs impacts the mass of your home, which leads to vibrations and noise. It can often be caused by people dropping objects on the ground, or even moving some furniture.
Airborne noise, on the other hand, is any noise that you can hear clearly such music or simply people having a conversation. It will travel through the atmosphere, and it can get to you from upstairs even through the tiniest gap in the ceiling.
Increase the Ceiling Density
The structure and density of your ceiling has a vital role to play when aiming to reduce the amount of noise coming from upstairs. In most cases, using a strong material that is dense on your ceiling will do the trick. Among the most widely used materials is drywall due to its soundproofing qualities.
For optimal results, you should use at least three layers of drywall to cover all parts of your ceiling. Using a noise-proof sealant will further ensure that the ceiling is soundproof enough. While drywall alone might not be that appealing, there are several strategies you can use to make your drywall-treated ceiling attractive.
Use a Drop Ceiling
A drop ceiling is an additional layer of the ceiling that you have to use under your original ceiling. The space between both ceilings, often known as the plenum area, contains air that is under higher pressure than the outside air. This gives this air an insulation property.
It protects against structure-borne noise from reaching the lower areas of the ceiling. In case some noise manages to go through the plenum area, it will be insulated by the drop ceiling. As a result, the drop ceiling should be made from acoustic ceiling materials.
Make Changes to the Floor Above
Other than working to change the ceiling structure, making changes to the floor above can also be pivotal in reducing the noise from upstairs. You can opt for a simple solution such as using area rugs and carpets that are soundproof to dampen structure-borne noise. Alternatively, you can fill the space between the upper floor and the ceiling with insulation.
However, the above method will demand some structural changes on your floor which might not be ideal if you have a tight budget. The less cost-intensive method would be to treat your floors with acoustic underlayment.
Conclusion
Your home should be an escape from the noisy world and a serene environment for you to rest. You shouldn’t have to take noise pollution under your own home lightly just because it seems like the norm. Use the solutions above to limit the upstairs noises and make your home more peaceful.
