Let’s face it, Houston’s urban housing market is a booming area to live and experience what makes Houston special. One thing’s for sure, is that with the growing population in the urban areas of Houston noise pollution is also growing.
Houston being an international business and travel destination urban residents deal with increased airspace traffic, highway noise, and pedestrian traffic.
Listen, it’s no secret that catching a flight at Bush Intercontinental or Hobby can be chaotic, and the ride home on packed Houston freeways are no different. But, should you have to deal with that chaos in the comfort of your urban space too?
Whether it’s a loft overlooking discovery park or a quaint 3-bedroom home off Montrose. You quickly learn that while Houston is a proud city, it’s also a loud one. Even if your home is on a relatively low-traffic street; homes are so condensed in urban areas that neighbors activities can add to noise pollution as well. A dog that persistently barks through all hours of the night, the neighbor who loves to fire up the lawnmower at 6am on a Saturday, or the frat house behind you with parties till 4 am on the weekend—it can really detract from your homes comfort level.
Even though you cannot eliminate the sources of noise pollution in your living space you can make some home improvements that can help diffuse or dampen the noise and add some welcome relief to your ears.
5 Tips To Silence The Noise In Urban Houston
Build An Outdoor Noise Barrier
If you’ve ever driven down some of the Houston freeways and noticed huge walls on either side of the freeway. The serve several very important purposes. One of the most important purposes is to create a physical barrier from roadway sound and the residential areas the roadways pass through.
You can incorporate that same concept on your own property with the use of fencing, walls, and berms. These structures diffuse and break up the sound reducing its volume within your audible range.
You can get creative with noise barriers such as creating a dense wall of hedges, trees, and shrubs that can absorb the sounds. Bamboois an excellent option in the Houston climate as it grows very fast and is naturally thick since the stalks grow so close together.
Erecting a tall fence with thick, tightly packed planks – either double stacked or single can dampen the noise as well. Just remember the fewergaps between planks and the thicker the wood or vinyl; the better job it will do.
Another type of wall is a berm, which is an earthen wall that is very effective at sound dampening.
Noise Reduction Indoors
When it comes to keeping your interior quieted from the outside noise it is best to use soft, thick, and sound absorbing materials. For example acoustic tiles, thick full-length curtains, carpeting, and even indoor plants.
While these materials don’t stop the sound from coming inside, they do help absorb it.
Counteractive Sounds
While you could escape the noise in your home with noise-canceling headphones or earbuds. It’s not the most practical idea, especially when you have company or want to converse with family.
White noise, depending on your situation can be a very effective solution to drown out the annoying sounds. Again, this is not ideal if you have company over but it is better than headphones.
Fill In The Gaps And Holes Of Your House
If you get an excessive amount of noise coming in, you may be wondering just how that is happening.
Since sound travels as vibrational waves through the air. Any cracks or gaps in your doors, walls, windows and attic structure allows air to come through; bringing the noise with it.
You can stop this leakage of air by sealing your gaps, cracks, and holes with silicone caulking or applying weatherstrippingto doors. This can be very effective at stopping the noise from getting in.
The Best Solution Is Replacement Windows In Houston Urban Areas
Superior windows offer unmatched sound insulation from exterior disturbances. With our double and triple pane, window options you get noise reduction and great energy efficiency and UV protection.
There are also many other sound dampening options that can be custom fit to your windows to satisfymany different applications. Not to mention our windows increase your curb value and with our expert installation teams. You can sleep in peace in quiet in under a day!
You can trust the Houston Window Experts at Superior to ensure an exact fit to eliminate any gaps for sound to slip through.
So contact us today and bring some peace and quiet back to your home. We are here to help!
