Got Noisy Neighbors? Why Carpets Are Essential In Every Apartment
The Boston Municipal code defines unreasonable noise as anything louder than 50 decibels anytime from 11 p.m and 7 a.m. Noise levels above 70 decibels any time of the day are also unacceptable, according to a report on boston.gov. Living in a noisy apartment complex can be nerve-wracking. Luckily, there are simple sound treatment tricks you can try to reduce noises caused by loud music, footsteps, and voices. Remember, controlling excess sounds isn't a matter of choosing the right music equipment, talking with a low tone, or walking lighter. It's about absorbing sounds coming in and out of your apartment. And the best way to achieve this goal is by installing carpet flooring. If you're wondering why carpets are essential when living in a noisy apartment block, read on to understand.
High Sound Absorption
Thanks to its fibrous property, carpet flooring can absorb sounds ten times higher than hardwood and concrete flooring. Carpets are fiber-woven items, meaning they can efficiently trap vibrating air molecules and stop them from moving freely within rooms. Note that sounds are transmitted in and out of your home through vibration. When this vibration gets into contact with carpets, air pockets present in the fiber material wrap it in. In simple terms, rugs prevent sound from bouncing in living spaces, resulting in the overall reduction of volume and echoes.
Best Flooring Material To Fight Unwanted Noises
The ability to lower sound transmission and minimize the duration of reflected noise makes carpets an ideal floor material in apartments. The different fiber materials, underlays, and tufts found in carpets have unique resonating frequency levels of sounds. Ideally, sound waves from the surroundings transfer to carpet flooring in the same way you hear loud noises. This property enables carpets of all sizes to dampen noises like footsteps, music, and voices coming in and out of living spaces. While you can install any carpet to minimize the noise in your home, it's wise to invest in carpets designed for soundproofing. With so many options out there, you'll need to consider several things to ensure you're selecting a great carpet brand for noise reduction. The top three factors to look at when shopping for acoustic carpets are impact and sound transmission class and density.
Carpets Reduce Airborne Sounds
As much as walls are the primary suppressant of outside noise, carpets can block ambient noise by 30 to 70% in the same way it suppresses unwanted sounds in living spaces. Choosing the right carpet is the key to minimizing noises coming in from the outside. With this in mind, shop for wool or vinyl carpet floor coverings. These materials are ideal for reducing sound vibrations due to their dense nature. The soundproofing nature of carpeting creates quietness in your home hence improving your overall well-being.
There is nothing quite frustrating like living in a noisy apartment. Fortunately, with the right carpet flooring, you can transform your house into a peaceful haven. The fiber present in carpets makes them perfect for absorbing impact noise such as footsteps and blocking music, voices, and other sounds from the outside.