There are few cities in the world which have as much to offer as New York City, but a fact of life in NYC is that it can be a noisy place to live as well. Whether its traffic noise from 149th St, your neighbors loud backyard barbeques in Bed-Stuy or the sounds of the elevated 7 train in Sunnyside, living in one of the worlds greatest and busiest cities often means coping with noise.
It is important for you to be able to live in an apartment or condo in NYC that is relatively quiet. Not only does this make it easier for you to sleep but can also help attain that feeling of independence from the rest of the world. After all, who wants to hear the outside world 24 hours per day? You need that quiet time to relax and do your own thing.
Soundproofing walls is the best way to achieve peace and quiet. But how can you accomplish full soundproofing in such a crowded environment? Of course, the most expensive way is to hire a contractor in who specializes in soundproofing walls and floors and even HVAC piping! However, construction for the sake of soundproofing walls, while the most effective way to soundproof, can be extremely pricey for the average person.
You've probably heard about the myths of soundproofing walls. Egg cartons, Styrofoam or carpeting placed on the walls to dampen the sound. The truth is that some of these materials are proven to be completely futile. For instance, egg cartons really don't help to reduce sound and you can't really put them on your walls unless you want to look silly. You may get mixed results from foam, bedding or other materials, but you can also waste a lot of time and money doing that. Not to mention it simply doesn't look good.
Most people working to soundproof walls dont do so well at it because they dont really understand how soundproofing works and they immediately turn to the idea of covering their walls. As it happens, having heavy furniture such as sofas and thick rugs can be more effective (and attractive) than covering your walls with fabric or egg cartons. This will reduce some of the street noise and the sounds coming from your noisy neighbors, but not eliminate it altogether.
Soundproofing walls will always be tough. Unless you can get inside your walls and add insulation or other soundproofing materials, your only real solution is to dampen the sound with some sort of professional soundproofing material like soft sound acoustic panels. You can paint or decorate these and it won't look as bad as carpet or egg crates.
For windows you have a couple of options. If you cannot afford to buy new double-paned windows or windows with an acrylic frame, then you can buy sound dampening drapes or even window plugs. These plugs are made out of soundproofing material and are cut to fit the exact shape of your window. You just plug them in when you no longer want to hear traffic.
With these simple tips you may be able to take the edge off of your noise problems. The trick is to balance materials that actually work and still look good. You don't want to tack carpet to your walls and have it start to stink after a couple of months. Invest some proper thinking and some proper materials and you might start to enjoy a quieter life!
It is important for you to be able to live in an apartment or condo in NYC that is relatively quiet. Not only does this make it easier for you to sleep but can also help attain that feeling of independence from the rest of the world. After all, who wants to hear the outside world 24 hours per day? You need that quiet time to relax and do your own thing.
Soundproofing walls is the best way to achieve peace and quiet. But how can you accomplish full soundproofing in such a crowded environment? Of course, the most expensive way is to hire a contractor in who specializes in soundproofing walls and floors and even HVAC piping! However, construction for the sake of soundproofing walls, while the most effective way to soundproof, can be extremely pricey for the average person.
You've probably heard about the myths of soundproofing walls. Egg cartons, Styrofoam or carpeting placed on the walls to dampen the sound. The truth is that some of these materials are proven to be completely futile. For instance, egg cartons really don't help to reduce sound and you can't really put them on your walls unless you want to look silly. You may get mixed results from foam, bedding or other materials, but you can also waste a lot of time and money doing that. Not to mention it simply doesn't look good.
Most people working to soundproof walls dont do so well at it because they dont really understand how soundproofing works and they immediately turn to the idea of covering their walls. As it happens, having heavy furniture such as sofas and thick rugs can be more effective (and attractive) than covering your walls with fabric or egg cartons. This will reduce some of the street noise and the sounds coming from your noisy neighbors, but not eliminate it altogether.
Soundproofing walls will always be tough. Unless you can get inside your walls and add insulation or other soundproofing materials, your only real solution is to dampen the sound with some sort of professional soundproofing material like soft sound acoustic panels. You can paint or decorate these and it won't look as bad as carpet or egg crates.
For windows you have a couple of options. If you cannot afford to buy new double-paned windows or windows with an acrylic frame, then you can buy sound dampening drapes or even window plugs. These plugs are made out of soundproofing material and are cut to fit the exact shape of your window. You just plug them in when you no longer want to hear traffic.
With these simple tips you may be able to take the edge off of your noise problems. The trick is to balance materials that actually work and still look good. You don't want to tack carpet to your walls and have it start to stink after a couple of months. Invest some proper thinking and some proper materials and you might start to enjoy a quieter life!
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Before you go crazy living next to a noisy neighbor, you should consider installing soundproofing walls in your apartment. Even if your lease does not allow permanent remodeling, you can install special temporary walls that serve the same purpose without causing any damage to your current walls.
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