Silence is golden

send them ricocheting around the room. That’s not to say your furnishings have to be soft and a well-stocked bookcase is nearly as effective as a furry wall-hanging.

Even simple additions such as posters have some impact but wall insulation is determined more by their main covering.

“Knowing what materials to use is terribly important,” says Julian Prieto, head designer at MyEdge2.

“Wallpaper is great for absorbing some of the sound, but tiles will reflect most airborne noise.”

It’s worth experimenting with noise reduction techniques before you invest in costly structural change. Simple, DIY measures like silencing squeaking floorboards don’t insulate your home, but they lessen the amount of sound you’ll need to proof. cut out noise and deliver handy savings on your heating bill. Gaps in window frames allow sound to seep in and out, so seal up any cracks with industrial sealant or adhesive foam strips.

Ill-fitting doors experience similar sound leakage, so install a brush or draught excluder to plug gaps between door and floor, and, for the best results, consider making your door lead-lined. Remember that noise intrusion is a two-way problem – if you can hear the hallway, your hallway can also hear you.

Many interior doors are hollow core and poor at keeping out noise. Install solid-core doors on private spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms, and add vinyl weather stripping for the best results. SO much for the literal window dressing – but it’s your walls, ceilings, and floors that are doing the heavy lifting. In cities, it’s often ceilings that take the most flak, as heavy footfall from the flat above can shake the rafters with the force of a steel drum. “Sound passes through floors as vibrations generated by footsteps,” says Ben Hancock, managing director at Oscar Acoustics. “Prevent this by installing a ‘floating soundproof ceiling.’” By adding a layer, these ceilings leave a cavity which breaks the path of vibration. They’re quite expensive, but you get what you pay for.

There are similar solutions for walls and floors. “Think of your walls as a boom box,” says Prieto. “If you tap one side and the space between is hollow, your walls will work as an amplifier.” Filling the space with rock wool or acoustic foam will muffle any party wall.

“For floors,” he continues, “there are rubber membranes that will ins ulate from impact noise, so you can still use hardwood floors without any problems. Nowadays, most refurbishments include underfloor heating – they also work effectively for reducing noise.”