Everything You Need to Know About Soundproofing Your Apartment

Brooklyn apartments can be noisy places. Maybe it’s coming from your neighbors and you need to keep noise levels outside of your home. Or maybe you’re the loud one (think instruments, playing kids, barking dogs, etc.), and you want to ensure the sounds don’t bother your neighbors.

Thankfully, the following soundproofing tips can help, no matter what type of noise troubles you’re tackling right now.

The Two Types of Soundproofing

To start, it’s important to understand the difference between soundproofing and sound absorption. Soundproofing stops vibrations and sound waves, helping keep noise levels inside of your space. Sound absorption, on the other hand, helps with the noise that exists inside of your apartment — without affecting what leaves in any way.

So, if your neighbors are complaining about noise levels, you want to soundproof. If your own space is a bit loud and echoey, you’ll want to focus on absorption instead.

Tips to Soundproof Your Space

First things first, you’ll need to identify the noise in your apartment and its cause. Are you and your friends making music together late into the evening? Do your kids like to run and jump, causing noise for the floor below you? Try to picture the exact sound and where it’s most likely escaping your space. Then, use the related tips below to lessen the noise that leaves your apartment.

In the Room

To absorb sound within your own space, try furnishing your apartment with plenty of soft items. Furniture like couches and beds, rugs, blankets, and more can all help reduce echoes and sharp noises from inside of your own living space.

Plus, who doesn’t love to redecorate??

On the Walls

Soundproofing your walls can help keep music levels inside, or loud neighbor noises outside. You can use a few different techniques to make this happen:

Mass loaded vinyl
Acoustic wall panels
Bookshelves and wall art

Up on the Ceiling

Soundproofing your ceiling is similar to your walls. You’ll need to place something on it to keep the sound from transferring from one room to the next. You could hang wall panels like those mentioned above, or a stylish tapestry for a more homey look.

If you’re trying to soundproof your floors to keep noises from going to your downstairs neighbor’s ceiling, try a thick, padded rug on your floor.

Around the Doors

Doors are a common culprit for noise transfers in apartment buildings. They are typically made of hollow wood, and they lead to a busy, shared hallway. You can help this by:

Adding weatherproof seals around your entire door (use acoustical tape or caulk for a stronger effect)
Hang the same soundproofing panels you used on your walls, on your door
Consider hanging a thick blanket over your door for occasional noise reduction

Around the Windows

You can try weatherproofing your windows and filling the gaps, similar to doors, as well as hanging thick, soundproof curtains.

If these tricks don’t work, you can special order window inserts for an extra layer of glass to reduce the amount of noise that goes in and out.

White Noise Solutions

And if all else fails, white noise is a great way to reduce the noises that go out of your apartment, and the ones that occur inside.

Consider starting with a sound machine or fan in the loudest rooms.

All in all, there are plenty of ways to soundproof your apartment, whether you want to keep noise in or out. Try out the tips that best suit your lifestyle and budget from the list above. And don’t forget to let us know how your setup turns out!

Ready to buy your own place? Download our free Buying Into Brooklyn Ebook to get a step-by-step guide on the buying process and decide if now is the right time for you.