Whether you live in the middle of a city with lots of traffic or in a suburban neighborhood with children screaming outside as they play or in the country with animals making a ruckus, there’s a lot of noise that can impact the peacefulness of your home. Of all the measures people take to reduce noise inside their homes, many don’t factor their siding into the equation. However, your siding can play a significant role in how much exterior noise gets into your home.
Your siding can help to reduce noise in a variety of ways, from its material, to its thickness, and more. Here’s what you need to know about how siding can reduce noise in your home.
Siding Serves As A Barrier To The Outside World
You know how if your siding needs replacement, you’ll likely notice that reflected in increased energy bills due to a lack of insulation? This is because your siding works to insulate your home from the outside world. It doesn’t do this solely in regards to temperature, but also with sound. The better your siding’s insulation is, the better it will be at noise reduction. This is also why thicker siding is better if you are looking to reduce noise in your home, because the thicker your siding is, the harder it will be for soundwaves to get through.
If you have a noisy home, you may consider having a contractor come out and take a look at your siding. If it isn’t very thick or well-insulated, this can reflect in how much exterior noise you hear from the interior of your home.
The Material Matters
Another way siding reduces noise in your home is through the material. Some materials are better at dampening exterior sound than others. For instance, if you have vinyl siding, that is considered to be among the most effective at reducing noise. Vinyl siding has been shown to reduce noise better than some other materials, such as brick, cement, and aluminum.
This is for frequencies below 4000Hz. This is the range of human speech, so if you have loud neighbors, vinyl siding can reduce noise from conversations outside. For frequencies that go above that, organic materials work better.
Vinyl siding isn’t the only type of siding that can help to reduce noise. Wood is also very effective.
Consider The Thickness
Material isn’t the only factor into how effective your siding is when it comes to trying to reduce noise. Thickness matters too. The thicker that your siding is, the better it will be at reducing noise. Insulated vinyl siding is incredibly effective and can reduce noise by up to 39%. If your existing siding isn’t very thick and you’re looking to reduce noise and really try to get a quieter home environment, the thicker your siding is, the better it will likely be at reducing exterior noise.
You’ll want to have a contractor come out to examine your existing siding. A contractor will be able to go over your siding options with you and help you find the right siding for your home that both increases its curb appeal and muffles noise.
Other Ways To Reduce Noise
Your siding isn’t the only way you can reduce noise in your home. There are additional measures you can take in order to achieve a quieter and more peaceful home atmosphere. Some of the other ways to reduce noise in your home include:
- Window replacement. Old, drafty windows don’t just cause you to lose energy, they also let noise in. Double-paned and triple-paned windows are better at noise reduction than single pane windows.
- Plant trees. Trees not only give your home a more aesthetically pleasing yard and a more relaxing environment, they can also reduce noise. If you don’t have trees in your yard, or you don’t have many of them, you may consider planting some more to help reduce noise in your home.
- Opt for energy efficient doors. Energy efficient doors won’t only help to lower your energy bills, they can also help to reduce noise in your home. Again, as with your siding, the materials and thickness of your doors matters when it comes to how much they help to reduce noise inside your home.
Do You Need Siding Replacement?
Unlimited Siding can replace the siding in your home with siding that is better at reducing noise. We can also evaluate your existing siding in order to determine if it is doing a good job at noise reduction or not. To learn more about our siding services, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!
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