apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

How about some heavy curtains?

Natural fibers absorb sound. Draperies and carpet will help. Wool is the best, though could be expensive. You can buy sound absorbing foam (for under synthetic carpet) and have felt added to drapery. (I don't know how in depth you're willing to get with your transformation)

If it's a sleep issue... My friend lives right next door to a late night busy night club. She would complain to them all the time, go to C.A.P.S. meetings, etc. She was really upset by it, and not shy to tell them! She had had enough! Anyhow, the nightclub manager bought her an air purifier for her bedroom. I thought it was a joke.

It worked.

There was enough white noise, that it wasn't an issue anymore.

I agree with the above-
and also, two things that might help are:

#1- My buddy who used his apartment bedroom as a recording studio made interior bi-fold hinged plywood shutters with fabric-covered foam on the side of the window. If he needed quiet, he simply shut them and it was like sticking his windows (and the neighbors) under a pillow!


#2- Go "vintage posh" and tuft-upholster your walls for a streamlined European library kind of look.
Here's a (very) rough guide of what I did in a past apartment:
A-Use 1x1 to make a grid to anchor the panels to (this can use brads, which won't damage the wallboard as much)

B- Fill the gaps made by the grid between the top of the 1x1 and the wall with egg crate foam.
C- Make an oak-tag panel whatever size you want, and drill a guide hole where you want the "tuft" to go.

D-Cover the oak tag upholstered with a thin layer of foam/fiber fill or thick cheap polar fleece and lay your "decorator fabric" over that (I suggest a thin fake leather or micro suede that you launder and spray with water-proofing first to help keep it clean). Secure in the back with staples.

E- Use an ice-pick or sharp nail to poke through the fabric and clear the guide holes. Position the panel over grid, and attach through the guide holes with a flat-head screw into the 1x1. Hot-glue a contrast or matching button over the screw head.

F- Use corner molding to cover the panel edges at the windows.

Tah Dah! You have less noise through that wall, and, incidentally, you'll be a lot warmer this winter.

I've heard the same thing about insulated shutters helping with noise.

earplugs are the cheapest window treatment you can get!

Good topic...as I'm sitting here trying to ignore my loud neighbor downstairs.

I got a thicker rug/pad, have talked to him, run a fan at night, and wear ear plugs...

Any advice on earplugs that won't fall out when you sleep? I have had one too many mornings when I woke up to my neighbor...um, how can I put this delicately?...getting frisky with himself. And, unfortunately, my earplugs consistently fall out.

@Christine:

The best earplugs I've found are Hearos Xtreme Protection Series Ear Filters (NRR 33dB) from Walgreens. Each 3dB of sound that they reduce is an apparent halving of the sound level, so 33dB is twice as good as 30dB, etc....

My wife and I both snore very loudly, and we both have to wear these in order to get to sleep.

@Jeffery & Gregory:

You need defense-in-depth. The professional sound studios do a lot of different things to reduce the noise level, not just one or two. So, get the noise-reducing windows. Get the heavy drapes. Get the interior padded shutters. Get the heavy-duty HEPA air filter. Get anechoic insulating panels to place on your walls and ceilings. There's also sound-insulating matting that you can get to put under your regular floor coverings.

And get the earplugs.

Rugs on the floors, velvet draperies and some fabric chairs would be a good start - With those cheap blinds, wood floors and vinyl chairs, it's no wonder that the place sounds like an echo-chamber.

The key to keeping earplugs from falling out while you sleep is to make sure they don't protrude outside of the ear. I cut off almost half the length of the hearos earplugs and use the 'stumps'. Works great.

What everyone else said. Pretty much. It all helps.

Without changing the entire look of the interior, you could start with the bedroom window(s) and using the most important things to you as selection criteria:
http://www.hunterdouglas.com/product_advisor.jsp

The details on each of those things is here:
http://www.hunterdouglas.com/consider_your_needs.jsp

The bedroom being the most important place to have peace, yes?

Let's look at other ideas too, this site is a How To Soundproof, Walls:
http://www.soundprooffoam.com/soundproofing-a-wall.html?adsrc=1&camp=barrier&grp=wall&page_type=Soundproofing&submenu=wall

They have various levels of sound proofing. They have ceilings, floors, doors products too.

For instance, there are door kits. Like this:
http://www.soundprooffoam.com/quiet-door-commercial.html

That might be too heavy duty for a lightweight door. Unless it's for the front door (which I hope is not hollow core anyway).

And a lot of that sound stuff is just not attractive. Oh, but wait...

I just KNOW that the people here on AT could do something fabulous with these:
http://www.soundprooffoam.com/soft-sound-acoustic-panels.html?section=image

I would call them "art". And I bet you could mount one to a hinge that would go over your bedroom window, just for night. For sleeping.

Last, check out these modular rubber floor tiles. While they don't have a huge variety of fashionable colors, I'm sure you could put something together.
http://www.rubbercal.com/Eco_Sport_1_Inch.html

The nice thing about that particular one is that is does NOT have to be permanently installed, and if you ever DO move, you COULD take it with you. Just like FLOR tiles.

You can see how thick they are and what they look like being installed here:
http://www.rubbercal.com/Eco_Sport_1_Inch_Install.html

That could be ideal for the bedroom, just to get that blessed sleep. And also not to be spreading "The Noise of Joy" to neighbors!

I do not know about your exterior, or what you have for a yard (if you even have a yard). But if you DO have a yard, check here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/25/AR2007042500411.html

A postage stamp sized yard could be helped via creating a little courtyard with nice trellis, bougainvillea, water fountain, like this (this is faux plant though):
http://www.makebe-leaves.com/trees/Bougainvillea_Trellis_lg.jpg

Plants provide a barrier, and the water sounds are soothing.

Even a speck of land or balcony could house potted bamboo:
http://picasaweb.google.com/tmcoopman/TownhouseEmptyJuly07/photo#5108249008134090786

You don't want it spreading. So keep it in pots. And you can do that indoors too:
http://www.bamboogiant.com/html/bamboo_uses.html

Read more here:
http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Growing_a_Bamboo_Garden-Trees_and_Shrubs-A1707.html

And, as always, if it is a neighborhood wide problem, it may require intervention. There are things called "Noise Ordinances" that may be appropriate. Also "Traffic Calming" which involves speed bumps that everyone hates, but it certainly does cut back on people ROARING through the side streets.

It took TWO YEARS to get legislation to change the parking on my street. But it was worth it. It's cut back dramatically on the dumping of garbage. The people that would camp out overnight, for WEEKS in their vehicles. Crime went up. Commercial vehicles started using this street as a parking lot.

You have to start on a problem as soon as it becomes a problem. And the more people you can have to support some kind of action, the more likely it is to get recognition.

Even something like making alternating streets (if your streets are grid-like) into one-way streets. At least then, the moron with the loud motor vehicle only passes by your place once, on the way to or from their destination. The other time, they will be one street over, and that's a little easier to deal with, right?

Hope something here helps your situation. I totally relate to your noise issues and feel for you!

Here's a soundproofing challenge.

I have good sound-dampening glass windows.

However, I would like to just about kill all sound coming from the bedroom window.

How can you further dampen the sound but still allow light to come through? I already have frosted film on the windows so full vision is not necessary, just light.

I have panel curtains so I thought about lining the back of the panels with heavy felt.

But, I'd like to go a step further, I have a few inches of window frame to play with. I was thinking of making a framed plexi panel that could squeeze into opening. The space between the plexi panel and the window itself could be stuffed with some sort of transparent material to absorb sound. Would something like cotton batting allow light to come through?

My method seems somewhat complicated I guess.

Thanks for the earplug suggestions! I'll try the cutting method tonight!

Idea for the air conditioner:
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/slideshow/slideShow.jsp?slideid=/templatedata/bhg/slideshow/data/mirrorsSS_09162002.xml&page=24

Different style for your home, of course.

And I wondered if you could tell us about the cream chairs in the living room? Perhaps you have a side image of them too?

They're quite intriguing. They appear to have no back legs/support, with an interesting angle, coming from the arms to the front.

Do they slightly "rock" too, like the IKEA Poang chair? And what are their measurements, your chairs? The base?

They look wonderful. I like the high back. I like the shininess. Did you get them that way, did you have them reupholstered?

Inquiring minds would like to know. Thanks!

I used to live right at the crossroads of I-65 and I-70 in Indianapolis (if I opened the windows, I would get road soot in my living room).

I tracked down some places that sell used sound proofing from studios, movie theaters, etc. I got a couple of LEAD lined curtain backers to cover huge windows for about $600 total.

The real trick was installing them as they weighed over a hundred pounds. Cut the noise in half (to whisper quiet) and blocked all light.

Thats probably the cheapest method for windows. The best is to completely replace the windows and frame with double double glass specifically made for high noise environments. Talk to New Yorkers. All that stuff is made for their market.

Just wanted to thank everyone for the help. Going to try a couple different things and see whats works best. As for the two chairs in my living room. I found them at this really cool thrift store in burbank one day on my lunch break. Scored them both for 75 bucks. They are basically rocking chairs. The base is wood and metal and abotu 4ft tall. They were in pretty awesome condition when I bought them. I just had do wash them down. Went back a week late and the place was closed. :(

I just discovered that there are windows specifically designed to fit into existing window frames for sound dampening.

This product was featured in a building trade show. Now I hope the builder who told me about them can track down the manufacturer.

I wish it was mandatory for apartment owners to invest in double pane windows (in addition to energy star fridge/updated stoves)! If I owned my apartment that is the first thing i would do! Growing up in the barrio you get used to all those noises, I guess all the newbooty hipsters have to get used to these urban "charms". The 'burbs are quiet!

Am I the only one where the frames feel off and the left hand navigation runs over the main post?

Here they are! Sound proof window inserts.

http://www.soundproofwindows.com/index.html

The website seems a little complex in my opinion. But it may be worth checking out.

In addition, there are several sites that talk about "window plugs." These are essentially simple frames that are filled with sound dampening material such as foam that can be plugged into the existing window during noisy times. The key from what I understand is to create an air gap between the plug and the window.

Case study on soundproofing downtown LA building:

http://www.soundproofwindows.com/cs2_apartment_soundproofing.html