How To Reduce Noise When You Have A Party

You’re likely familiar with your neighbor’s voices and musical tastes if you live in a neighborhood with little space between houses. If so, you’ve probably also heard them host loud parties and want to spare them the headache of listening to your loud party. You’re not alone if you want to know how to reduce noise when you have a party. 

You can reduce noise when you host a party if you keep the guest list small and establish an end time. That way, you can ensure you don’t violate local noise ordinances and upset your neighbors. Close your windows, seal your door gaps, and isolate the music to one room in your house to make the party less noisy. 

Soundproofing blankets and acoustic panels can also absorb the sound from loud music and conversations. Don’t hire a live band to play at your party unless you get a permit, as you can’t contain the noise, and you may get fined. Follow along as we explore how to reduce noise when you have a party. 

How To Make Your Party Less Noisy

Nobody wants to have a silent party, but an all-out extravaganza is too much for the average neighborhood. Luckily, you can find a happy middle ground and reduce noise without sacrificing fun if you keep several things in mind, such as:

1. Have A Small Guest List

A party doesn’t have to be overly loud if you carefully plan your guest list. Naturally, the more people you invite, the more noise you’ll all create. This is a recipe for a noise complaint, as neighbors can likely hear a large crowd in your house and yard. 

It’s also important to specify whether or not people can bring people with them. Many know not to bring strangers, but some don’t get the memo. The last thing you want is an extra 4 or 5 strangers in your house who add to the overall noise. 

If you have enough seating for everyone, follow the 6 to 10 square feet per guest rule. However, this should only include the areas where guests can go, so you can’t measure from your entire home floor plan. This concept makes it easier to reduce noise when you have a party and ensure your guests are comfortable. 

2. Seal Gaps And Cracks

The gaps and cracks in your doors and windows can let outside sounds into your home, and indoor sounds out of your home. These gaps can also let bugs into your house and waste all the hard work your HVAC system does to keep your house comfortable. That’s because cool air will leave during summer, and hot air will enter, which makes your AC work harder. 

The opposite can happen during the winter, and your furnace will work harder than it needs to. You can kill two birds with one stone if you seal the gaps to keep your home comfortable and reduce noise. Draft stoppers and weatherstripping are great options if you want to quickly fix the problem. 

They will help keep noise from entering and escaping your home’s entry doors. However, it’s worth patching window cracks or replacing your windows altogether, as temporary fixes aren’t always trustworthy. Even something as simple as silicone caulk and putty can help reduce noise when you host a party. 

3. Isolate The Music

Most partygoers expect to listen to some good music and socialize with their friends. You shouldn’t deprive your guests of music, but you should at least isolate the noise to avoid problems with your neighbors. For example, you should keep the music in one room in your house. 

Contain the music in a room where the sounds can still spread throughout your house. You may need to experiment with the volume to make sure it’s not too loud. For example, it’s a great idea to step outside and see if you can hear the music from out there. 

This can tell you whether you need to turn the music down or not. You won’t run into trouble unless your music is too loud or it’s blasting in several rooms of the house. Pick a moderate volume, so people can hear each other talk, and you won’t subject your neighbors to it. 

4. Close The Windows

You can’t mistake the sound of a party seeping out through open windows, even if you’re two doors down. Close your windows to ensure loud conversations and music don’t spill out onto the street in your neighborhood. Otherwise, you may make enemies with your neighbors, and that’s the last thing you want to do. 

Set a reminder on your phone or place a sticky note somewhere you’ll see it to remind yourself to close the windows. That’s an especially good idea if you plan to air out your home for a few hours before your guests arrive. Shut the windows before guests arrive, and it’ll be one less thing you have to worry about. 

5. Soundproof Your House

While you don’t need to professionally soundproof your house for a party, a little bit of soundproofing is a great idea. That’s especially true if you plan to regularly host big parties in your house. Soundproofing a house is cheaper and easier than ever, and you may not even need to buy anything. 

For example, you can soundproof your walls if you place heavy bookcases against them. You can also hang thick curtains and blankets to absorb the sound. Almost anything you put on your walls can help absorb the sound in the room. 

Otherwise, it’s worth looking into acoustic panels and sound blankets to hang on the walls. Even adding another layer of drywall can significantly help you soundproof your home. 

6. Avoid Live Music

You can’t deny that live music is much louder than streaming songs to your Bluetooth speakers. The mixture of loud guitar amplifiers and cymbals from an acoustic drum kit is hard to ignore. You simply cannot reduce noise when you have a party with a live band. 

Of course, you most likely need to get a permit, and even then, you must comply with local noise ordinances. You must follow the local noise ordinances even if you obtain a permit. Furthermore, you can’t simply click a button and turn down the volume on an acoustic drum kit. 

The last thing you want is to receive a fine simply because you exceeded the noise limit. Similarly, the police may visit your home and draw unwanted attention from your neighbors. Forego live music and simply play music through speakers instead. 

7. Make Sure Your Guests Are On The Same Page

You can’t blame your guests for being louder than you want if you don’t establish gentle rules. “Gentle” is the operative word because you don’t want to come across as overbearing. However, it’s a great idea to politely mention something about noise reduction in the invitation.

For example, you can leave a polite reminder that says, “Be mindful of nearby neighbors”, or something like that. The last thing you want to do is make people feel unwelcome and hesitant to come over. 

8. End The Party On Time

Ending a party can be awkward and confusing, especially if you don’t set an end time beforehand. You can’t count on everyone to read your social cues when you want to wind down. However, you can largely avoid this problem if you set a timeframe for the party. 

Include a start time and end time on the initial invitation to avoid confusion. Hopefully, your guests will notice the end time and keep it in mind throughout the night. Otherwise, you may have to drop subtle hints when the end of the party approaches.

For example, you can mention that you’re tired and have early morning obligations the following day. There’s nothing wrong with politely asking your guests to leave when it gets late. Even saying something as simple as “I’m about to fall asleep” will do the trick. That way, your neighbors can’t complain about late-night noise. 

Summing It Up

The best way to reduce noise when you have a party is to isolate the party to a specific part of the house and close the windows. That way, noise won’t spill out of each of your entry doors and windows and onto the street. Lower your speaker’s volume, close the windows, and set an end time, so you don’t disturb your neighbors with noise. 

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• How To Reduce Noise When You Live On A Busy Street
• How To Reduce Traffic Noise In The Backyard