We’ve all had that moment: you are settling down for the evening with the family, getting ready for another wonderful evening dinner in your home, when an obnoxiously loud vehicle roars through your neighborhood. It completely drowns out your pleasant conversation.
Noise pollution is everywhere these days. Airplanes, ambulances, trains, construction, sleeping spouses that forgot to wear their Breathe Right strips — things can get a little noisy both in and out of your home during the summer. We’ve talked before about the effects noise can have on your sleep, but a home that is noisy all day can also keep you from living your best life.
How Noise Affects Us
Constant exposure to even common noises can have a real impact on your brain and health. This includes:
Raised blood pressure
A decrease in memory
Inability to multitask
According to a 2003 study, certain types of noise may even have you feeling a little...spooked.
You may think you are used to all the sounds and noise that infiltrate your home regularly, but you may not realize how that noise is affecting your mind and body. We wanted to share a few ways you can keep your home a little quieter (though we can’t really do anything about the snoring spouse — sorry!)
Solution #1: Move To A Quieter Town
It sounds so easy, right? After all, the grass has to be greener on the other side. And everyone loves packing up their lives and moving. Some of the world's quietest places include the Mojave Desert, Landmannalaugar, Iceland, and Antarctica.
OK, maybe this isn’t the most practical solution.
Solution #2: Earplugs
For those times when you want to drown out all of the white noise, the screaming kids, and the snoring spouse inside your home, we hear (pun intended) that earplugs can really do the trick.
We know — this may not be the safest and most sustainable option, but indulge that parent fantasy for a moment of total silence.
Ready for a real solution for outside noise? Let’s move on to some more real-life home upgrades that can actually cut down on your noise pollution.
Solution #3: Upgrade to Noise Reducing Insulation
Home Energy Medics can upgrade your home with noise reducing insulation that is proven to keep both the outside chatter and inside annoyances to a minimum. Your new insulation will cut down the acoustic noise that enters your home from outside sources like cars, emergency vehicles, and airplanes and reduce the impact noise created in your home by footsteps on an upper floor. This is particularly useful in split-level homes.
The added bonus to having a quieter home with proper insulation is that you also have a more efficient home. The more efficient your home is, the less you’ll spend on energy bills!
Solution #4: Check Your Windows and Doors
Even the tiniest gaps that can form when a window or door is improperly installed can provide enough space for sound to get through. The soundproofing experts at Home Energy Medics can thoroughly inspect each door and window in your home. This will not only protect your home from noise pollution but also prevent cooled and conditioned air from leaking out of it.
As you may have already guessed, this measure helps make your home more energy efficient as well!
Get Your Own Quiet Place with Home Energy Medics
As your world gets more and more noisy, take the time to invest in creating a quiet place for the health of you and your family. We know that moving to Antarctica and wearing earplugs all day might not be real world solutions for noise control, but Home Energy Medics can provide you with the expertise and professionalism to get you and your family a real world “quiet place.” Get a hold of us today and see how we can make your home quieter and more energy efficient!