Footsteps, slammed doors, washing machines, and HVAC hum travel through a building’s frame instead of the air, which is why they reach rooms far from the source. This guide explains what structure-borne noise is, how to tell it from airborne noise, and its most common sources. It also shows how to isolate, decouple, and damp it, how to stop footfall noise, and how to isolate machinery and equipment.
Voices, TV, music, and traffic are all airborne noise, and they find every gap in a wall. This guide explains what airborne noise is and how it differs from structure-borne noise, then shows how airborne sound gets through walls and what STC ratings mean in practice. It also covers how to reduce it with seals, mass, decoupling, and insulation, and how to treat windows, doors, and floors.
A slamming door is usually a quick, cheap fix once you know why it slams. This guide explains the usual causes, from drafts and fast door closers to latches that clack. Then it shows how to make a door close quietly with felt pads, bumpers, and door silencers, how to adjust a closer, how to stop drafts, how to quiet squeaky hinges, and what it takes to soundproof a door.