Noise reduction

None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.

How this was put together

If you only read a few

Run a fan or air purifier to create white noise.
The repetitive sound masks annoying noises and helps you get accustomed to them.
- It does not work well if the noisy person is in the same room.
- You may become dependent on it for sleep.
9 people, independently
Step with the outer edge (blade) of your foot and roll inward until flat.
It is way quieter; it allows you to judge if the floor will creak before putting full weight down.
- Risk of rolling your ankle.
one person who lived it
Roll your foot from toe to heel rather than heel to toe.
Heel-to-toe produces a thud because the heel cannot flex enough to absorb impact; toe-to-heel absorbs impact more quietly.
- Tip-toeing can result in a loss of balance.
- It puts a lot of weight on the ground suddenly.
one person who lived it
Place a box fan on medium setting near a window to filter out external noise.
It makes it easier to sleep by filtering noise.
- It does not stop bass or house shaking.
one person who lived it
Stay near walls and door frames while walking to cut down on floorboard noise, since tension there keeps boards tighter.
floorboards have more tension near the edges and creak less; however, be careful not to walk into the wall
- you might accidentally walk into the wall
3 people, independently

noise, sound, place, speaker17

Cut the wire leading to the speaker in a noisy toy as a quicker fix to silence it.

Seal toy speaker holes with hot glue, epoxy, or superglue to permanently stop the noise.
Hot glue works well and prevents removal; epoxy or superglue offers a more permanent solution depending on hole size.
3 people, independently
Place a fan outside a closed door to muffle conversation noise and prevent eavesdropping.
The fan muffles the noise so people cannot listen in.
- A person on the outside may turn off the fan to listen; this makes it hard to hear the conversation inside.
one person who lived it
Give your neighbors your phone number and ask them to call you directly if you are being too loud.
It establishes you as friendly rather than just a source of noise.
one person who lived it
Cut the wire leading to the speaker in a noisy toy as a quicker fix to silence it.
6 people, independently

12 more on this

Do not rely on egg cartons for soundproofing unless you layer an extreme quantity of them.
It is considered a modern myth that they work in small amounts.
one person who lived it
Use a sound machine if you do not have a fan available.
It works just the same for masking noise.
one person who lived it
Place keys and coins inside an old sock, twist near the items, and flip it inside out to stop jingling.
They won't make any sound this way.
one person who lived it
If at a distance, whistle or clear your throat to mark your location.
Acts as a marker of your location.
one person who lived it
If you have young children, use colored electrical tape to cover speaker holes.
Children under age 3 often do not notice the tape.
one person who lived it
Use a thick piece of metal, such as a screwdriver or ratchet, to listen for internal mechanical noises like chatty valves.
It allows you to hear sounds through components like a valve cover.
one person who lived it
Place your subwoofer in a corner to use partial horn loading.
This focuses the sound towards you, allowing you to reduce the overall volume.
one person who lived it
Use Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) instead of plywood for soundproofing panels.
Plywood transmits sound while MDF absorbs it, and MDF is lower cost.
one person who lived it
Fill the sound holes of loud toys with clear epoxy or tacky glue to permanently lower the noise to a reasonable level.
This method eliminates choking hazards associated with loose tape and provides a permanent volume reduction.
- Wipe off any excess glue before giving the toy back to the child.
2 people, independently
- Disassemble noisy toys and place compacted cotton or foam pads over the internal speaker before reassembling.1
Use expanding spray foam to seal electrical penetrations in walls.
It reduces sound transmission through these gaps.
one person who lived it
Disable the subwoofer to greatly reduce mechanical vibration and low-frequency noise that travels through walls.
Low frequency vibration gives the impression of loud music.
- You lose the bass.
one person who lived it
isolate subwoofers from hard surfaces using soft materials like styrofoam, yoga blocks, carpet, or foam to stop vibration transfer
this stops the transfer of vibration to the floor and is absorbed by the material
3 people, independently

walk, weight, avoid, helps15

Turn on lights or use a phone flashlight when navigating dark rooms.

Step lightly, as you likely walk louder than you realize.
Most people walk way louder than they think they do.
one person who lived it
Wait about 20 seconds in the dark for your eyes to adjust so you can see.
Your eyes will adjust to the darkness.
one person who lived it
Apply a dab of silicone plumber's glue to bed frame joints and screws.
To prevent squeaking.
one person who lived it
Choose a ground-floor apartment if you have children or walk loudly.
People in units below can hear you clearly.
one person who lived it

11 more on this

Fix creaky stairs rather than trying to learn how to sneak past them.
You can sneak only after the project is done; fixing the stairs is the priority.
one person who lived it
Use a flashlight, such as the one on your phone, to see stairs clearly and avoid spraining your ankle.
It helps save you from a sprained ankle.
one person who lived it
Walk slowly and take intermittent, out-of-rhythm steps.
This breaks the recognizable pattern of footsteps to the ear.
one person who lived it
Be respectful and quiet to avoid waking other household members, especially those who wake easily.
It ensures you do not disturb others in the house.
- Particularly important for households with people who wake up very easily, such as children.
2 people, independently
Walk close to furniture or heavy objects on the floor to reduce squeaks.
The weight of the objects stabilizes the boards so they cannot move much.
2 people, independently
Practice descending from only the last few steps so that a fall is less severe.
a fall isn't too bad from that height
one person who lived it
Turn lights on low and squint as if they are hurting your eyes to simulate waking up from sleep.
It simulates the experience of having just woken up.
one person who lived it
Keep in mind that joists are typically 16 inches apart to identify structural supports for sneaking.
Knowing this spacing helps you be extra sneaky.
one person who lived it
Shift your weight carefully and swing legs out slightly rather than stepping forward directly.
This helps avoid creaking knees.
one person who lived it
Turn on lights or use a phone flashlight when navigating dark rooms.
3 people, independently
Army crawl across creaky floors to distribute your weight and move quietly.
Distributing weight allows for quieter movement.
one person who lived it