Key Ways to Reduce Commercial & Residential Noise Pollution
How to Reduce Noise Pollution Through Windows at Homes, Apartments, and Businesses
Noise pollution isn’t just a nuisance experienced by a few; consistent exposure to loud environmental noises is alarmingly common. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association estimates that nearly 20 million Americans consistently expose themselves to noise pollution.
For property owners, minimizing noise pollution inside their properties should be a top priority. Read on to learn about what counts as noise pollution, the many benefits of reducing noise pollution, and how to reduce noise pollution in both commercial & residential settings.
- What is Noise Pollution?
- The Many Benefits of Reducing Noise Pollution
- Four Ways to Minimize Noise Pollution in Cities and Homes
What is Noise Pollution?
Noise pollution refers to excessive or disruptive sounds that interfere with everyday activities, causing harm to people, property, and the environment. These sounds vary due to intensity, frequency, and duration, ranging from the merely annoying to the genuinely obnoxious. Typical sources of noise pollution include loud music, public transportation, airplanes, and industrial work sites, among many others.
Although some people may tolerate noise pollution or accept it as unavoidable, it can cause long-lasting health problems in due time. Prolonged exposure to loud noises can induce hearing loss, cause sleep problems, and even lead to hypertension. Children are especially vulnerable, as loud noises can interfere with their cognitive development. Individuals with pre-existing health conditions and the elderly are most affected by noise pollution.
There are many other often-overlooked consequences of noise pollution. For instance, it
can lower property values and scare away potential renters and buyers. Noise pollution also interferes with natural wildlife, as many animal species rely on auditory communication and signals to breed, acquire food, and navigate their surroundings. Loud noises disrupt these processes and make life difficult for animals on the land and in water.
The Many Benefits of Reducing Noise Pollution
Understanding the damage noise pollution causes is one thing, but understanding the benefits of reducing noise pollution is another. Reducing noise pollution makes life better for people, their communities, and the natural world. Here are a few specific benefits of reducing noise pollution for you to consider.
Reduced Stress
No matter the source, noise pollution causes stress and anxiety among those unfortunate enough to experience it regularly. Whether someone lives near an airport and hears the roar of plane engines all day or if a business owner runs a shop in a downtown area full of construction sites, they will experience stress. Stress causes hormonal imbalances, chronic pain, and countless other health problems, so eliminating sources of stress is a win-win for everyone.
By reducing noise pollution—at home, at work, and in nature—communities can grow into environments that promote relaxation and well-being, improving the overall quality of life for both people and animals.
Better Sleep for Residents
Sleep is the body’s way of recuperating and restoring after long, stressful days. Insomnia and other sleep disturbances interrupt the natural sleep cycle, contributing to daytime fatigue and chronic health problems. Noise pollution, especially from traffic, loud neighbors, or blaring music, can make a good night’s sleep frustratingly hard to achieve. According to Harvard, noise pollution may even have long-term, chronic health impacts.
Knowing how to reduce noise pollution at home by using white noise machines, earplugs, and other soundproofing measures can help. Leveraging these solutions can significantly reduce disruptions from external noise sources, leading to better sleep and an overall improvement in health. Children win most with improved sleep, as they can grow and develop into healthy and capable adults.
Improved Memory for Employees
Excessive noise impacts cognitive functioning, leading to issues with focus, executive functioning, and memory. Nowhere are these issues more apparent than in work environments. Loud noises, such as those from a nearby construction site or trains constantly passing by your office, reduce your ability to effectively recall and process information, wasting precious time and diminishing the overall quality of work created.
Eliminating or, at the very least, minimizing noise pollution inside office spaces and nearby reduces distractions, increasing overall productivity and operational effectiveness. Lower noise pollution makes workplaces far more enjoyable and collegial in nature, helping build bonds between employees and their supervisors.
Four Ways to Minimize Noise Pollution in Cities and Homes
Minimizing noise pollution doesn’t have to be hard. However, different environments may require different approaches. It’s hard to avoid noise pollution in densely packed cities, while residential areas may be quieter. In any case, here are four ways to minimize noise pollution in cities and homes for you to consider.
Noise-Canceling Devices
Noise-canceling personal electronics excel at blocking out noise. These state-of-the-art headphones, earbuds, and speakers use active noise-cancellation technology to block out ambient sounds. These devices make for excellent listening to music, podcasts, and radio shows, and they keep your personal and workspaces free of any obnoxious or potentially harmful noise.
While some noise-canceling devices come at a reasonable price point, many are expensive. One cost-effective option we recommend is a white noise machine. White noise machines are cheap and easy to find, producing peaceful, ambient white noise that masks external noise. You may even use your TV or smart home device to play white noise for you.
Ear Plugs
Simple, cheap, and practical, ear plugs never fail to protect you from damaging noise pollution. By insulating the ear canal with soundproof foam, ear plugs prevent excessive amounts of damaging noise from hurting or even rupturing your eardrum. Ear plugs are excellent for various use cases, ranging from loud music events to sleep.
Ear plugs may not entirely block out noise, however. In some cases, people may find them to be irritating or uncomfortable. While they may not be for everyone, they shine because of their price point and accessibility. For cities where noise pollution is ubiquitous, having a pair of ear plugs is essentially necessary.
Soundproofing Material
Soundproofing materials can absorb, block, or dampen sound waves, either reducing or eliminating your perception of sound within a given space. There are many types of soundproofing materials to choose from, including acoustic foam panels, soundproof curtains, mass-loaded vinyl, and fiberglass insulation, to name a few. Acoustic foam panels, for instance, can use polyurethane foam to absorb noise in a lightweight and customizable package.
Sealing Windows and Doors with DefenseLite
When regular soundproofing techniques won’t cut it, DefenseLite is here to provide you with world-class noise reduction technology. Our polycarbonate solution installs right on top of existing window or door glass, forming a noise barrier that blocks out street noise, loud music, and any other loud noise you can think of. Unlike traditional noise-canceling windows, which only provide protection against noise pollution, our windows provide both security from outside threats and insulation.
Best of all, our soundproof polycarbonate panels are far cheaper than typical soundproof glass. While you can expect to pay nearly $1000 for a double-pane window with traditional solutions, DefenseLite costs about $30-$75 on average to install. Even with additional labor costs, that’s a far cheaper solution that also comes with a warranty.
Eliminate Noise Pollution With the Professionals at DefenseLite
Now that you know how to reduce noise pollution, you need to hire trusted experts to provide high-quality results. If you’re tired of using ear plugs and other temporary solutions on a daily basis, world-class polycarbonate panels from DefenseLite are your key to permanent noise reduction.
Our team has the experience and expertise needed to get the job done. We quality test all of our products and rely on only the finest materials possible. Contact us today and reap the benefits of soundproofed interiors.
