Apartment windows are the most vulnerable to noise entering your apartment. If it is not the neighbor having a party or arguing with his wife, then it is the other neighbor driving in or out of the building.
Or even the highway close by or your train station. Either way, all these produce unwanted noise.
You find it difficult to enjoy your peace at home anymore. In this case, you know where the noise is actually passing through into the room – it’s that window.
And that is why you are here to find out how to soundproof a window in an apartment like yours.
You thought to yourself the best way would be to remove this thin window and replace it with a thick soundproof window. But then you can not do that in an apartment.
Because one, the apartment rules and regulations do not allow that, and two, there is way too much cost that will be involved like hiring a professional.
Well, I have been in this type of situation before and I will show you some of the things I did to help me soundproof my apartment windows.
If you have one window in a room, it is not probably wise to block it out entirely. After all, you still want to be able to look outside and once in a while get some fresh air. So how do you achieve this without blocking the window entirely?.
Well, there are a couple of ways to achieve this with these soundproofing window techniques. Some apartments have very strict rules on how the exterior of windows should look like.
So be sure whatever soundproofing technique you allow here is in accordance with the rules.
The one I lived in, said all windows when looking from outside should have a white background. What it means is that, whatever material you use on your window, is the white part people must see outside. It was said to ensure uniformity in the building.
However, they didn’t care what the interior of the window was like. How your window looked like in your room is up to you.
Easy Ways to Soundproof a Window
None of these tricks here on how to soundproof a window in an apartment requires an expert. You can easily do them yourself if you have some time over the weekends.
1 . Seal Gaps with Window Silicone Seal Strip or Use Indoor Window Insulator Kit
Before you start to soundproof the window with any other material such as curtains and foams, first check the window for small holes and seal them with the Silicone seal strip or a weatherstripping tape.
This will eliminate the tiny holes that the noise is passing through into the room. Because these window seals are soundproof and will block the noise coming in via the air.
This silicone seal strip is easy to install and but before you use it on the windows just clean off any dust that might be on the window. This ensures the strip sticks well.
You can also use it on your door gaps to block sound and wind. IT will also prevent dust from coming.
The Indoor Window Insulator kit is an assortment of materials you would use. It can insulate around 3 to 5 windows.
2. Hang Sound Deadening Curtains
Sound deadening or soundproof curtains are not only helping keep some noise from the window but also block out light and can add a great appeal to the room.
Use these curtains in conjunction with other soundproof materials. As they alone won’t do a very effective job of blocking out the noise.
You can use them with window foam panels to hide the panels in the window. If you decide to use get these sound-deadening curtains for your windows, I suggest you get ones that are able to cover the entire window from top to bottom.
This way, they are able to reduce the sound of the echoes in the room.
3 . Use honeycomb Shades or Blinds
Just like the sound-deadening curtains, blinds will help reduce the impact of echoes in the room. They will also offer an additional but minimal sound blocking.
These can help with reducing the sound but don’t expect magic with them. If you opt for soundproof honeycomb shades or blinds, then I suggest you go for the thick ones. As they will do a better job than the lighter ones.
The honeycomb blinds can let in a bit of light than the curtains.
Maybe you don’t want to use the soundproof curtains, then these are a better alternative to use instead.
Just like the curtains, you can choose color and size that fits your room decor. Because they also come in sizes and colors.
4 . Use High-Intensity Soundproofing Panels
If the above options do not seem to work for you, then you should install a foam panel before the soundproof curtain or honeycomb blind. This way as the sound hits the window, it will be absorbed by the foam and then the curtain or blind will take care of the rest.
A barrier panel is simply a panel made of acoustic foam that helps to absorb unwanted sound and unwanted sound reflections. These panels are particularly effective at absorbing sounds.
There are different types of these acoustic foam panels that are on the market. Some are big and others are small. Depending on the intensity of the noise you want to dispel, you can even install double foam panels on the window surface before putting the curtain or blind.
I used these Soundproofing Foam Panels for my Windows. They are doing a great job of blocking noise.
5. Make Your Own DIY Soundproof Window Inserts
A soundproofing window insert is just a simple frame that is designed to be airtight to your window space.
It is also known as a window plug and is usually made of foam or sponge.
What’s so great about this is that you can make removable soundproofing for windows which might temporarily block out some natural light – but they can get removed as soon as the noise is gone.
Noise reduction window inserts are convenient since you can simply plug them in and remove them when they are not needed.
For this reason, they are best suited as a temporary soundproofing solution.
Final Thoughts on Soundproofing Your Apartment Window
I am sure right now you are soo relieved you found some DIY solutions for your apartment windows. You would realize that I didn’t mention removing the whole window entirely and replacing it with a new soundproof window.
This is because you will have to seek the building supervisor’s permission to do that. This will take time and if you are not lucky they won’t even allow it.
You can seal the window gaps and cracks with the sealants mentioned above. NB: you don’t have to buy all the sealants I talked about. But instead, choose one that you are confident will get the work done.
When you finish sealing all the gaps and cracks, then it will be up to you to decide whether you will opt for a blind or a curtain.
If the noise intensity is high, then I suggest you get the window foam panel and install it on the window then hang the sound-deadening curtains or the honeycomb blind or shades other the panels. This will still give you your desired room appeal.
Ultimately, soundproofing windows may not entirely block out all the noise (unless you block out the window entirely).
What is important is finding a solution that works best for you. I am sure if you follow these techniques on how to soundproof a window in an apartment, you will certainly enjoy your peace and quietness.
If it is you rather also look for ways to block the noise you are making from leaving the room. These techniques will work as well.
However, you would probably need to soundproof the whole room.
This will require you to:
Soundproofing a window alone is only taking care of the problem partially as the noise could be coming in through the wall, ceiling, door or even the floor.
you would have to identify these areas and take care of them accordingly.
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