An ideal home is one where noise from the outside world can’t disturb your peace of mind inside. You get all the concentration you need and the freedom to enjoy relaxing habits and hobbies inside your home.
The case is different with your kitchen area, though. You’d want to isolate the noise within the four corners of your kitchen to avoid disturbing your family or guests from whatever it is they’re doing.
The good news is, it’s possible to soundproof your kitchen, and it doesn’t need complicated handiwork to do so. You can isolate the noise in your kitchen space with these 4 easy ways.
1. Seal gaps around your door
Noise has both the ability to penetrate through a door (especially through hollow-core doors) and sneak its way through the gaps around it. Even if you keep the door tightly shut while you’re in the kitchen, people outside can still hear your ruckus.
What you want to do here is to seal those gaps around your door, like those between the hinges of the door and the space between the door and the floor. Your best option here is to install weatherstrips on these gaps.
They’re quite easy to install, particularly the adhesive-backed foam type weatherstrip. You’ll only need to measure and cut the adhesive-backed weatherstrip, then carefully stick it to those gaps around the door.
To seal the gap between the door and the floor, install a door sweep. It may not do the job of sealing gaps as completely as the weatherstrips, but it’s your only option for soundproofing without impeding the function of your door. On the bright side, they’re quite easy to install too, and there’s plenty of door sweep available in the market.
2. Quieten your appliances (or buy a new one)
Some kitchen appliances like the blender and dishwasher can make loud noises while you’re using them. To stop them from making a scandal every time you use them, soundproof them first before using them again. There are several ways to do this:
- Check if your appliances need repair
Sometimes, the unusually loud noise could come from a faulty area in your appliance, like wiring or a loose screw. Check your kitchen appliances and see if there are any of them that need repairing.
- Transfer noisy appliances to a different spot
Perhaps your appliance is clashing against the surface underneath or around it, and the surface is contributing to the noise production. In that case, try moving the appliance to a new spot in the kitchen.
- Use soundproofing materials
If loud noises are already within their nature, you can use soundproofing materials for help. For instance, you can use the dishwasher insulation blankets to prevent it from making its loud humming noise while doing its job. Other materials you can use are mass-loaded vinyl and sound deadening mats.
If the appliance is beyond repair, you need to replace them immediately. Most appliances today are made to function as silent as possible. If you want to solve the noise problem with your appliances, this would be the most suitable option for you.
3. Add more insulation to your walls
Looking to redo the dull, worn-out colors of your wall and soundproof it at the same time? That’s possible with soundproofing paint. Yup, they’re real, and they work!
Soundproofing paint works the way you expect a normal paint does. The only difference is, soundproofing paint provides both insulation and decor in one go. However, it only provides a minor soundproofing effect. If you want to increase its capacity to deaden sound in your kitchen, you can try painting with as many coats as possible.
You can also choose to attach acoustic foam panels in your kitchen walls if you don’t feel like repainting them. However, they come in dark colors mostly, so they might look awkward to your kitchen’s interior. But if you’re not the type that prioritizes comfort more than aesthetic, acoustic foam panels will block the noise for you, 100%.
If you’ve got the space in your kitchen wall for a work of art, why not go for a soundproof art panel? The soundproofing and sound-absorbing materials they’re made with are perfect to keep noise from coming in and out of your kitchen, all while completing your interior theme for this part of your home.
4. Attach soundproofing materials on your kitchen sink
Kitchen sinks are also known to be noisemakers too, especially those cheaper stainless-steel sinks. The sound of running water in the sink can be pretty annoying for the people enjoying a good show on the TV in the living room.
To deaden the noise your kitchen sink makes, you can attach soundproofing materials on it or underneath it. Here are the best soundproofing materials you can use for your sink:
- Rubberized undercoating
Spraying your sink with rubberized undercoating is the fastest and easiest way to soundproof your kitchen sink. This is also your best option if your sink’s already installed. It does the job of deadening sound the way it works with vehicles’ undercarriages.
- Mass-loaded vinyl (MLV)
MLV is one of the common soundproofing materials people use for their walls and other sections of their homes. The added mass provided by MLV dampens the sound produced by clanking utensils in the sink or the water from the faucet.
Installing it is as easy as installing weatherstrips for your door, only it doesn’t come with adhesive backing. You’ll need a strong glue or adhesive for this.
- Sound deadening mat
A perfect alternative to MLV is sound deadening mats. They’re more affordable than MLV and are also used to soundproof cars. It’s not as effective as MLV, though, but if you want a cheaper way to keep the sink’s noise within the kitchen, this one does the job.
Installing it is as easy and almost similar to MLV. They come with adhesive backing already, but to be sure, you can use a strong glue adhesive too.
If you don’t feel like doing these DIY treatments, you can just replace your sink with a variety that doesn’t make much noise. Ceramic sinks are the best, but if you don’t have the budget for one, granite or metallic ones (that already have soundproofing coating/materials) are also good.
