4 Smart Hacks To Deal With Living In A Noisy Area

This situation isn't hard for city dwellers to imagine: You've put on your pyjamas and are just about to climb into bed with your favourite book, and that's when it happens: Sirens, someone honks loudly outside your window, or a group of rowdy neighbours goes nuts with complete disregard for other people's bedtime. No matter what the source is, noise pollution is never pleasant.

If this becomes a serious issue, and slamming your windows shut or threatening to call the police didn't work, it might be time to think of other workarounds to make the noise a little more bearable — starting with soundproofing your room decor. We're invited Mark Liston, president of Glass Doctor, to share his hacks for eliminating unwanted sounds. Thank us later for a perfect night's sleep.

Installing acoustical curtains on your windows is a cheap and convenient fix for the problem. These specialty curtains are lined with mass-loaded vinyl or MLV materials, making them much more noise absorbent than your run-of-the-mill variety. Plus, your whole room will instantly look fresher with a new set of window dressing. Eclipse makes an "absolute zero" blackout curtain that blocks 100% of light rays and significantly reduces noise levels.

These are double or triple pane windows separated with either an air or a gas insulator. While their intended purpose is to insulate the home and help you save up on energy bills, they also have the added bonus of reducing noise pollution. In fact, most homeowners report that 60-75% of exterior noise is muted when they installed IGUs in their home, according to by Liston. The result: an increasingly peaceful home environment.

Believe it or not, noise can seep through even the smallest of spaces. You should double check the framing of your windows to see if any cracks exist. "If there are any holes, you can either completely replace the previous caulking or fill them in," says Liston. "This will significantly reduce and prevent air from coming in or escaping."

The materials around your windows plays big a factor in noise penetration. "Thick stone and brick will block more sound waves than vinyl or wood materials," says Liston. If you're living somewhere long term, it might be a good idea to think about replaces the window borders.