Reducing Sound !! Help

[bby]

The sound level of conversation in our home drives everyone nuts. The sound bounces like crazy.

We have an open floor plan which includes a hall, kitchen, dining and living room all within one large rectangular room approx 15 ft by 40 ft with huge windows with pvc blinds on one end. The ceilings are 9.5 ft high. The floor is laminate and the ceiling and walls just drywall painted over.

We have tried a few obvious things, cloth wall hangings, area rug, but it's still crazy.

We don't want to put shag in the whole place, nor put up huge dividers. We also rather not pull up floors or walls.

I'm guessing there may be strategically placed small things that will buffer the sound. Or things that enhance the appearance of the home. I don't think noise insulation on the walls can pass as art.

Any tips for peace of mind, greatly appreciated.

[Dustbunny]

I think the simple truth is there are reasons for walls and rugs and drapes etc. besides the obvious. If you don't have anything to absorb sound, it just keeps bouncing. Sounds like you have a lot of hard surfaces from floors to window coverings and only the outside walls.

Is your furniture fabric? Can you hang canvas art? How about curtains and either area rugs or a large carpet? Basically, you need to get some surfaces to absorb the sound. You may have to sacrifice a style you are shooting for or live with the noise.

Funny they never mention that or show the people shivering from lack of proper heat when they show the open concept, minimal designs in the home mags. The one complaint that has been around about open concept rooms is the noise.

[bby]

Thank you. That helps as now I know that noise has been a complaint of an open concept design. At least the noise symptom is related to something cool in magazines.

Seriously, sounds like common sense, but I was not aware that many open concept designs had this problem. Of course they also probably don't have little kids around. Will try to pad things as much as possible.

I thought perhaps there was a strip of some special sound insulation in critical places, such as where the ceiling joins the wall or the floor joins the wall or in critical corners etc. etc.

Or some really modern cool applications that just suck up sound.

Thanks for the info DB, much apprecaited.

[Dustbunny]

Most open concept layouts have the problem, it just varies by what they have in the room to absorb the sound and a lot of people find their rugs and furniture enough to keep it sane. The types of insulation and barriers that do exist generally are for keeping sound out, coming in from the neighbours or another room, but do nothing for the sound generated inside the room. Think of how studios have that spongie looking stuff on the walls. It's there so the sound from inside the room doesn't bounce.

I know a lot of people like open concept but the reality is they are not the most comfortable spaces because of issues like sound, being more difficult to heat, and lacking privacy. They are also awful to try and decorate compared to normal rooms and generally lack storage space. Just the trade offs for the open design.

If you are really bothered by it, you might look at replacing the laminate flooring with something softer. Cork or wood even might absorb better. Meanwhile think of other things you can bring in, pillows, drapes or whatever.

[tarnator]

I love our open concept place - but I will have to admit that in our next reno I will be putting down a cork floor. For more reasons than just the sound factor, but it is a consideration!