Inexpensive ways to reduce noise?

I hear a lot noise in my apartment- car traffic and foot traffic. The windows are little flimsy, so I am thinking that may be exacerabting the problem.

Any inexpensive solutions?

Earplugs?

Good headphones for your iPod?

Sorrowssong,

Double-pane storm windows are very expensive (about 5 grand for about 5) but very effective. (Until you put your air conditioner in for the summer.)
Obviously this doesn't make any sense if you're renting, in which case I'd go for the earplugs. I use them all the time.

a white noise machine or a fan

Ditto the earplugs comments. You may need to try several different types before you find the ones that work best for you. I like ones that squish pretty deep into my ear canal and then expand. I hate the wax ones.

Good luck.

Subject: Noise Filters?

Has anyone tried noise filters (the kind you buy at Home Depot for $30 or $40)? I'm thinking of that but can't figure out if/how they would work.

Subject: Re: Noise Filters?

Sorrowssong wrote: Has anyone tried noise filters (the kind you buy at Home Depot for $30 or $40)? I'm thinking of that but can't figure out if/how they would work.

wow, cool, do you put them in the windows like an air conditioner? or do you wear them like a hat with earflaps?

they have those white noise things at therapists' offices so you cant hear the conversations inside....if you dont mind that kind of noise, i bet you could get used to it and like it.

i used to have a roommate back in college that would have people over at 4am partying, so i used to turn on my loud ass air conditioner (even in the winter) to drown out the sound, and i didnt hear a thing : )

Cabaki wrote: i used to have a roommate back in college that would have people over at 4am partying, so i used to turn on my loud ass air conditioner (even in the winter) to drown out the sound, and i didnt hear a thing : )

I thought the topic of the thread was inexpensive ways to reduce noise... :twisted:

Luckily for me, it didnt happen so often, so it was inexpensive for me

I have plexiglass interior storm windows on my house, they cut a LOT of sound. It was suddenly wierdly quiet...
OK for historic districts, too, because they don't alter the exterior.
Get the plexi cut to size at a wholesaler, and you can easily build the frames yourself. Not very expensive for a couple of windows.
Here's the company I used: http://www.magnetite.com/

Anonymous wrote: I have plexiglass interior storm windows on my house, they cut a LOT of sound. It was suddenly wierdly quiet...
OK for historic districts, too, because they don't alter the exterior.
Get the plexi cut to size at a wholesaler, and you can easily build the frames yourself. Not very expensive for a couple of windows.
Here's the company I used: http://www.magnetite.com/

HOw much did it cost per window? This is a rental, so I'm not looking into doing anything drastic- though would not be adverse to a pricier solution that I could take with me when I left. Things I am thinking of: some padding around the windows (could be totally useless), interior windows mixed with stained glass panels that I could maybe pick up in salvage, or maybe just a fan.

Maybe some very heavy curtains over the windows. I heard curtains deaden sound-don't know if this is true or not.

Guest #2 wrote: Maybe some very heavy curtains over the windows. I heard curtains deaden sound-don't know if this is true or not.

this is probably the easiest and cheapest solution, along with heavy carpet and pading