Sound control key to a calm, relaxing home

Inside and out, life can be loud. Retreat from the hustle and bustle of the world by making your home, or specific rooms within it, a calm, relaxing sanctuary.

There's a room in every house that could benefit from greater sound control, whether it's a home theatre, music room, studio, home office, children's play room, bathroom, mechanical, or laundry room. Insulating properly will allow you to enjoy your home that much more and achieve a higher level of comfort.

Experts suggest selecting a dense insulation with a non-directional fibre structure to combat airborne noise such as music, speech and foot traffic. A top choice among builders, contractors, and homeowners is a product called Roxul Safe 'n' Sound which is specially designed for your home's interior walls, ceilings, and floors. This insulation material creates an excellent sound barrier that effectively absorbs noise and reduces the transfer of sound waves from one room to another. Its resistance to fire is an added benefit that also adds passive fire protection to your home, a type of fire precaution that is part of the core of the building and will help control fire by limiting its spread.

Certain sound dampening measures such as carpeting might also help alleviate echo and reverberation, as will acoustic panels that prevent sound reflections throughout a room. With basic DIY skills, you can simply and affordably construct your own acoustic panels using a stone wool rigid board called Comfortboard 80, which is effective at reducing the intensity and propagation of noise. Find an easy-to-follow tutorial at www.roxul.com/diy.