How To Soundproof Your Stairs
Posted on: 24 February 2015
If you have ever accidentally waken a crying baby or caused your dogs to bark in the middle of the night due to a creak, you know just how frustrating it is. Unfortunately, a lot of house noises occur when using the stairs. You can't always avoid the stairs when others are sleeping, but there are ways to soundproof them. Here are some easy tips for soundproofing your stairs and letting everyone sleep peacefully.
Get What You Need
As is true with many other DIY projects, you should start by getting everything you will need. If you are accustomed to home projects, you probably have most or all of these supplies in your garage. Others can be picked up at your local hardware store. Tools and supplies needed to soundproof your stairs include:
- Claw-foot hammer
- Pull bar
- Sandpaper
- Hand sander
- Hand planer
- Construction adhesive
- Deck screws
- Drill and drill bits
- Wood glue
- Wood putty
- Tape measure
- Screwdriver
- Carpet knife and square
- Staple gun
- Carpet staples
- Carpet tack strip
- Carpet stretcher
- Thick-pile carpet
Repair Sources of Noise
Once you have gathered all your supplies, you will first need to repair any current sources of noise. This is usually a squeaky step or board that is causing a creak every time you walk over it. Find the sources of the noise and work to repair them. Fill any gaps or cracks you see with extra wood and shims. For steps that are creaking because the adhesive is wearing off, use your construction adhesive to put it firmly back in place. This adhesive also provides a good seal between creaks and wood surfaces. Use deck screws to put all boards in place.
Cushion the Stairs
The next thing to do to soundproof your stairs is to cushion the impact. Wood stairs with no carpeting will always make more noise than stairs that have carpeting. The carpet helps to absorb a lot of the noise when someone walks up and down the stairs. The best type of carpet for a cushion is thick-pile carpet. You can do this yourself by using double-sided carpet tape and pieces of carpet that fit over each step. If you don't have experience laying down carpet, ask a flooring professional to do it for you.
Add a Stair Runner
Finally, add a stair runner to the stairs. This is optional if you already have carpet, but if you aren't laying down a cushioning layer of carpet, you need a runner. This is essentially a long rug that fits snugly over all the steps. It provides an even better soundproof area if the runner is over thick-pile carpet.
If you want professional carpeting services, call Carpeteria for hassle-free carpet replacements.
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