You will want your new home to be quiet and relaxing. This article offers tips and tricks to keep noise inside your home to a minimum and especially to prevent outside noise from entering.
Isolation. Probably the most efficient way to reduce noise is the use of insulation, both for exterior and interior walls. If road traffic noise is bad, you may want to consider using 2×8 frames instead of 2×6 on that side of the house. The cost will be a bit higher but it may be worth it.
For interior noise from toilets and washer / dryer, insulation in the walls around them would reduce noise. You may even want to consider insulating all interior walls, including the middle floor. It’s amazing how quiet it can be!
Windows. If you live near a highway or outside noise of any kind, you can consider Milgard Quiet Line insulated windows that can reduce noise by at least 30%. The big drawbacks of these windows are that they are very expensive and are not recommended on the coast.
Another possibility is to consider triple pane windows that are energy efficient and should reduce noise. These windows offer an additional barrier and also allow a low-e coating to be applied to another surface. Again, the big drawback is that triple pane windows are very expensive, but they are something to consider.
Plumbing. One of the worst noises in the walls of houses is the drain between floors. To minimize this noise, cast iron pipe should be used. For the water line, the pex line should be used instead of copper. The Pex water line is designed to reduce noise and will not break when subjected to freezing. For toilet flush noise, it is suggested to use low-profile toilets that are quieter. However, lowboy toilets may not flush as well as standard toilets.
Exhaust system. For the bathroom, get the quietest and best ventilation fan you can get for your bathroom size. In other words, don’t skimp on this. And be sure to ventilate it outside, not the attic. Fan noise is rated by sones, which is a scale that provides degrees of noise. A rating of 1.0 sones means that the fan is very quiet, 2.0 is very good, and 4.0 is noisy.
As for the kitchen range hood, most of the noise comes from the fan motor and the air stream through the duct system. It can get worse if it is not installed properly. For example, using 6 “duct for the hood that requires 8” or when there are too many 90 degree bends in the duct. Just make sure your hood has enough power to get the job done. It may make sense to buy more power than you need and run it at a lower speed. This can reduce noise quite a bit.
Landscaping. Properly made a buffer zone of trees and shrubs can reduce noise by up to 50%. Evergreen varieties that retain their leaves throughout the year are recommended. To choose the best species for your area to compensate for noise, you may want to enlist the service of a landscaping expert who can help you make a design.
Taking steps to reduce noise whenever you can is a worthwhile effort. Coming home to the peace and quiet of the noisy world is good for your well-being.
