#2 about noise from outside
my question below was answered about putting in new window. i already knew that. and i’ve already tal ked to landlord, they will do nothing. . aside from these two things, could you let me know if closed-cell 2″ foam , or 2″ acoustical tiles will help at all? just wondering what i can try in addiction to the things i have tried that are mentioned in my note below. thank you, cindy
hello….I live in a groundfloor apt. there are two a/c units right outside my bedroom window, about 2 feet away…my unit and my upstairs neighbors’ unit. i don’t use mine much, but they use theirs ALL THE TIME, even when it’s 65 outside! i really don’t want to move, but i cannot go through another summer of listening to the pervasive deep buzzing sound of their unit. so far, i have tried styrofoam insulation and also sound board, cut to fit into the window on the inside which has a 3 inch sill all around it. have also hung a heavy thick blanket. all of these together cut it about in half, but i can still hear the buzzing throughout my apt. any ideas? i’m just a renter, so i don’t want to replace the window.
there is thick, closed-cell foam available….would this work? i’ve heard the acoustic foam squares would NOT work.
thank you
cindy in reno, NV
Replies
Cynthia,
Air sealing goes a long ways towards reducing noise transmission. Theoretically, you could use caulk or high-quality tape to seal any air leaks at the edges of your sash and window frame.
Other than that, additional layers of heavy curtains, foam, or blankets will all muffle the sound somewhat.
Before you implement any of these measures, however, I feel duty-bound to mention an important safety tip: a window in a bedroom must be operable. This allows you to escape from your bedroom quickly in the middle of the night in the event of a fire. Any attempt to seal the edges of a bedroom window, or to cover the window with multiple layers of materials that might make escape difficult, could easily be seen by your local fire marshal as a code violation.
More importantly, these measures are dangerous.