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Noise Pollution

Introduction

Noise pollution entering our homes is fast becoming a major problem to the quality of life that many of us are used to. The noise comes from various sources such as traffic noise, aircraft noise or even just the noise from your neighbours.

The main entry points for noise are ceilings, windows and doors. Small gaps around doors and windows may not seem much but they can transmit a large amount of sound into your home. Normal glass that most of us have in our homes is also a poor barrier to stopping noise from coming into our homes.

There are things that you can do to help to properly noise proof your home and to know which of these will best suit your particular needs will require some consideration on your part, perhaps with help from a professional.

Quick Reference

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Before You Start

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Windows

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External Doors

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Ceilings

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Internal Noise

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Smart Tips

Before You Start

To ensure that your home is properly noise proof you will have to upgrade the frames as well as any glazing. Wall vents can be blocked or even removed and the voids behind skirting boards and architraves can be filled with expanding foam filler which is available at most hardware stores.

To effectively suppress noise the proper installation of special doors and windows is essential, so it is important to use experienced tradespeople for this kind of work.

Most building material have an Sound Transmission Rating (STC), which shows you how much noise reduction a particular product will have. The higher the number the greater the noise reduction.

Windows

If you can use extra thick (6-12mm) laminated glass in your home as it is a better noise barrier than normal 3mm thick glass. You can get 2 pieces of glass that have been laminated with a plastic interlayer which will cost about $100 per square metre.

Another thing that you can do is to replace your existing windows with double glazed units. These will have 2 panes of thick, laminated glass with at least 100mm vacuum - sealed air space between them. This will cost around $475 for a 900 x 1800mm window (supply only).

As an alternative to this you could install a secondary window, similar to the original, within existing frames. This allows you to maintain the appearance of a period home but may not be as effective as double glazed units. The costs will vary as each window is custom made but it will usually be cheaper and quicker than replacing the windows.

A less unobtrusive solution is to install a magnetic subframe on the inside of your existing window to hold an acrylic panel. This works the same way as the seal on a fridge door. It is just as effective as a secondary window but quicker and cheaper. The panel is made of clear optical grade perspex which will not yellow or craze. A window offering these features and measuring 1800 x 900mm will cost about $450 installed

External Doors

One action you can take to help in noise reduction is to replace ordinary glass with 600mm laminated glass. You could also replace hollow core doors with 40mm solid timber doors. These will cost from $175 for a standard size of 2040 x 820mm.

Consider using timber mouldings and rubber seals to eliminate the gap between the door and the frame where a surprising amount of noise can penetrate into your home. Self adhesive door seal tape costs about $7.50 for a 5metre roll fro most hardware stores.

A drop seal which automatically latches into place when the door is closed will seal the gap at the bottom of the door. This will cost around $25 from a hardware store.

Ceilings

Insulation batts help to reduce the transmission of noise as well as heat and cold. Polyester or wool are the easiest to work with. Choose the maximum thickness for the best results (from about $15 pr square metre - supply only).

For really noisy situations, especially aircraft noise you can add an overlay of sound Baffle vinyl which costs around $25 per square metre.

Internal Noise

As well as excluding noise from the outside world, there are some options that help to prevent the transmission of noise within a building which is particularly useful if you live in a unit or just want to create quiet zones in your house.

Hard surfaces such as timber and tiled floors or granite and stainless steel benchtops reflect noise whilst carpet, curtains and upholstered furniture will make a room much quieter.

If you have timber floors in a unit or multi-storey house, impact noise and airborne noise from room to room can be a problem. Underneath carpet or new timber flooring you could use a flexible (loaded with filler to deaden noise) vinyl underlay. There is a product called Silent Step from Pyrtech that costs about $35 per square metre (supply only). It is available from carpet retailers.

To help reduce interior noise, ceiling and walls can be lined with 10mm sound check plaster board. This is denser than regular plaster board and must be correctly installed with an air gap to be effective. Costs from $7.50 a square metre from CSR.

Smart Tips

You may have to talk to an expert to help solve your problems. Acoustic consultants are listed in the phone book and for about $350 they will come to your house, take basic noise readings and make recommendations.

In difficult cases an acoustic engineer will write specifications for your builder to consider. This will cost from around $500 to $2000.

It is cheaper to incorporate sound proofing when you are building or renovating rather than trying to fix the problem later when it will cost a lot more money and may be hard to undertake.

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