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28 votes

How can I reduce noise coming in a window for under $100?

Yes, road noise causes stress Road noise is often underestimated as a cause of tension and stress, so you are on the right track. There are of course windows with better noise attenuation available ...
P2000's user avatar
  • 16k
10 votes

How can I reduce noise coming in a window for under $100?

Consider testing your idea first - try wearing some cheap foam earplugs and see how that helps your sleep. This is just a short-term way of checking up whether the noise reduction will help before ...
Criggie's user avatar
  • 11.4k
9 votes

Cover & sound-suppression for doorbell transformer in utility closet

The best way to eliminate transformer noise is to purchase a quality transformer. The noise is because the laminated core is heavily loaded or overloaded and the plates are actually vibrating because ...
Ed Beal's user avatar
  • 103k
7 votes
Accepted

How can I reduce noise from tenants coming through my heating duct?

If you only have access to the inside of the duct, and then only as far as you can reach, you won't be able to make a huge difference, but you might be able to reduce it a little. The sound is ...
fixer1234's user avatar
  • 6,128
6 votes

Reduce low-frequency noise from nearby rail yard during home renovation and wall (re)construction

After comments: You won't achieve this in a domestic build, unless you're starting from scratch. You need mass & air-gapping (de-coupling). When you're dealing with such low frequencies & ...
Tetsujin's user avatar
  • 11.5k
6 votes

How can I reduce noise coming in a window for under $100?

Just a note: The window may not be the only way noise is coming into your house. Having blown-in insulation added to my (previously minimally-insulated or uninsulated) walls significantly reduced ...
keshlam's user avatar
  • 32.1k
5 votes
Accepted

Why don't heat pumps run for a bit BEFORE starting the air circulation fan?

I don't think the problem you're having would be solved by a fan delay. When the fan turns on, it has to purge all the "cold" air from the ducts, before the warm air reaches the registers. There's ...
Tester101's user avatar
  • 132k
5 votes

Cover & sound-suppression for doorbell transformer in utility closet

First, even though the exposed wires are low-voltage, likely 16 VAC, they should be covered for esthetics (if the transformer were accessible to children, not inside a closet, it is likely required). ...
DrMoishe Pippik's user avatar
5 votes

How can I reduce noise coming in a window for under $100?

Do you care about aesthetics? Buy some sound baffling foam. You can get 50 sq. feet for about $40. Leave it black or spray paint the back of it white and fill up that window; double or triple layer it....
MonkeyZeus's user avatar
  • 16.8k
5 votes

Concrete legs for sound-proofing bed

You are on the right track to decouple the bed from the floor in terms of low frequency vibrations, by combining weight with absorption. Heavy machines and sensitive audio turntables also use the ...
P2000's user avatar
  • 16k
4 votes

How can I mitigate humming from a streetside electrical transformer?

That noise can really get annoying. Hate to say it, but I'm not sure there is much you can do about it in your house. However, there are steps the utility company can take to mitigate it. Here is ...
beswald's user avatar
  • 621
4 votes

Loud brass valve - how to make it quieter?

A "globe valve" would be more suitable for the task. Both ball valves and gate valves are intended primarily for shutoff - either fully open, or fully closed. A likely noise source is ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 223k
4 votes
Accepted

Is it OK to have multiple layers of faced insulation on an interior wall for sound deadening?

It will not be a problem. Condensation occurs where temperatures reach the dew point, and that's generally not going to happen in a floor cavity between conditioned spaces. Be aware that sound ...
isherwood's user avatar
  • 145k
4 votes

Baby cry noise reduction

Sound proofing is hard and expensive. Sorry the easiest solution in your case is going to be ear plugs. You need a very good air seal to cut noise. After you have the air seal you add density. 95%...
Fresh Codemonger's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

Loud noise in closet from door slam below

You cannot expect to solve this problem in your apartment. The sound is conducted through the building structure, which spreads it over so large an area that you cannot reduce it much if at all. I’m ...
MadMonty's user avatar
  • 1,874
3 votes

Why don't heat pumps run for a bit BEFORE starting the air circulation fan?

Many fan coils do have a delay for the fan. A solid state delay and relay could also be added to a fan coil unit. However the air is not actually cold but room temperature except for any air trapped ...
user76730's user avatar
  • 1,616
3 votes

How can I stop my radiators "clicking" when they're turned on or off?

As the radiators heat and cool, they expand and contract. During this process they rub on the brackets that they are hung on. There should be small nylon horseshoe shaped inserts fitted into the ...
Paul Wallis's user avatar
3 votes
Accepted

Isolating a workstation located in an open space office

Why not just put up sound barrier screens around the noisy desks. To make this work you will have to, as a minimum, keep it to one person per desk and where desks are adjacent move them apart enough ...
Michael Karas's user avatar
  • 65.8k
3 votes
Accepted

Replace drop ceiling with drywall and soundproofing

I've been interested in this topic for years, but 'back in the day' there wasn't much info on the 'net about it. Jacks post about RC1 made some sense, so I took a deeper look and found that while ...
virtualxtc's user avatar
  • 2,617
3 votes

Constant humming noise in house

I have a very similar experience. Living semi rural, in the hills/ mountains 1 mile away from a busy Interstate. Inside we don’t hear the road, outside sometimes. Inside the house I hear a very low ...
Marianne's user avatar
3 votes

Reducing wind noise inside

In my experience there are several common sources of sound caused by the wind at a window. Banging screen. The screen is loose and the wind rattles it back and forth in the frame. To test, removed it ...
Ack's user avatar
  • 5,739
3 votes

How can I reduce rain noise on a metal roof?

butyl type material... sound deadening mat... search car sound deadening material on amazon, stuff like Dynamat The heavier (or thicker) the mat when it is attached to the [underside] sheet metal [...
ron's user avatar
  • 1,252
3 votes

New Minka Aire ceiling fan is making this tapping noise

In my experience this is a symptom of a box that is not fan rated, and which therefore has too much flex. The box that the fan is mounted to should indicate that it is suitable for a fan; if it doesn'...
Sort of Damocles's user avatar
2 votes

How can I stop our duct work "pinging" at night?

If you have spots that "oil can" in and out. You can get some light gauge angle metal. L shaped lengths. Trim them to the width of the duct. Pre drill a few holes in them. Attach with sheet metal ...
Jeff's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes

Kitchen Cabinet "Cracks" when opened

Your hinge is adjustable for both how far away from door to door (front screw) and also how far from frame to door (back screw) . The hinges also have the non interesting door to door height alignment ...
Ken's user avatar
  • 5,433
2 votes

Mystery constant, fast, and barely audible vibration in private home

I had the exact same problem for over two years and sometimes I could hear the vibration. It drove me just about crazy. I would feel it when I laid down in my bed, lay on the floor, standing in the ...
Rnixi's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes

How can I build a wood fence to block sound?

We have lived in our home for a year and a half now. There is constant multilevel noise from the nearby 4 lane hwy - though it does vary in extremes - more at rush hour, less in between and on most ...
SoundWarrior's user avatar
2 votes

How can I stop my radiators "clicking" when they're turned on or off?

It sounds like the clicking noise is not the radiators, but the pipes expanding and contracting. The clicking noise is sometimes due to the pipe moving in the clips that are holding it, or maybe where ...
Ken's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
Accepted

Means of adjusting fan speed on Bryant gas furnace

When you look at the motor there are 7 wires. 2 brown for the capacitor, a White common wire, Black for high, orange for medium high, blue for medium low and red for low. It comes from the factory ...
user76730's user avatar
  • 1,616
2 votes

Constant humming noise in house

The intensity changes as I move around the house Yes, this is normal. Low frequency sounds create standing waves inside rooms. It's a bit like an organ pipe or a flute, where the acoustic wave ...
bobflux's user avatar
  • 10.4k

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