Soundproof your home to dial down din from noisy neighbours

Home of the Year winner Jennifer Sheahan shares easy ways to enjoy some peace and quiet in even the busiest of living spaces 

Acoustic panels are surprisingly thin panels, usually made from foam or another porous material that absorbs sound. Picture: iStock

Most of us who live in small houses or apartments are squished in snugly between our neighbours. This is great when you have wonderful neighbours, but not so great when you have noisy ones — or if you like to be noisy yourself but are polite enough to feel bad about it. Perhaps you need to work from home and can’t have background noises interrupting your focus time or intruding on your Zoom calls. 

Maybe you like to sleep just when your neighbours like to tap dance. Or possibly you are a household of burgeoning musicians — in which case why give away a free concert? Soundproof your walls and make your neighbours pay for the pleasure!