Kids can be noisy and that’s kind of a universally well-known fact. If you want to be a good and supportive parent while still keeping your sanity, design solutions can let the kids be kids without driving the parents crazy. Here are five tips to help your house reduce the noise level.
Install Carpeting
Having carpet installed throughout the majority of the home is a great first step towards keeping the noise down. A lot of people prefer hardwood or laminate due to style preference, but carpeting can help keep the noise levels down when children are running about or playing indoors. This may be the single most effective thing that you can do to help keep noise down. It will help keep the sound of feet running around to a minimum and it’ll also help keep squeals and cries from echoing as well. You can check out some carpet samples from Georgia Carpet Industries or any other home improvement center near you. Just make sure to ask about which types of carpet will help when it comes to keeping sound down.
Place Closets Strategically
Closets can help create sound barriers between various rooms, such as the Master Bedroom and other bedrooms or between living areas and bedrooms. They tend to be filled with noise-insulating items, such as clothes, and you can close the door on them to help further buffer the sound transmission between spaces. Of course, this is something that you’ll definitely have to consider before even building your home. However, this is also something that you can look for when trying to buy one as well.
Install Long Curtains
Covering windows with curtains instead of blinds can help dampen noise. If you make the curtains floor to ceiling, it can do an even better job of dampening sound, both from outside the house and from within. This is such a great idea, you don’t need to limit it to windows or even outside walls. Inexpensive, long curtains can be used to cover bland interior walls or as impromptu doors over large archways, helping to improve privacy and noise reduction. You can also go with a traditional curtained bed in one or more of the bedrooms to allow for bedtime reading or other nighttime activities without disturbing other household members.
Choose Sound-Dampening Materials
Whether you are considering materials for the construction of the house or for the furnishings therein, choose things that absorb sound rather than things that reflect it. Go easy on materials like glass and metal that amplify sound. Choose wood, leather, upholstered pieces, cloth and similar materials that are known to lessen noise.
Control the Electronics
Electronics are a big part of modern life. Many of them make noise. There can be many ways to control the electronics so as to control the noise without preventing others from enjoying their use. You can limit them to certain areas. You can install parental controls that limit the settings so that the volume can’t be turned up so high. You can issue headphones or earbuds as well.
Good home design can help keep things quiet. This can help keep the peace at home for both parents and children.