Hardwood floors or wood plank flooring were quite popular back in the 20th century. They were considered to be some of the most practical types of home flooring solutions in the world. At the turn of the century however, their popularity began to fade with the advent of newer flooring systems using synthetic materials which were not only cheaper to produce but which were also fire-resistant and waterproof upon manufacture. In recent times, however, the once-humble wood plank flooring solution has been enjoying a comeback and it seems that it is here to stay. Wood plank flooring is considered a luxury type of flooring solution nowadays due to the steep prices of authentic hardwood flooring installations as well as the fact that wood plank flooring is still considered to be one of the most beautiful types of home flooring systems available in the world. The beauty of hardwood floors lies in the natural whorls and knots that remain on the wooden planks from the trees from which they were cut. This is especially true for exotic types of hardwood such as tigerwood and Brazilian teak floors.
Brazilian teak is especially noteworthy as an exotic hardwood building material because it has many properties that make it unique even among hardwood floors. While its natural patterns are not immediately striking, it is in its functional characteristics that Brazilian teak shines best. The teak is native to South America as well as in some places in Southeast Asia such as the Philippines. Due to the hardy environment in which the tree has evolved to grow in, it is naturally resistant to wood-boring pests and even has an oily coating that makes it waterproof to a certain degree. It is also very hard and outperforms many varieties of oak on the Janka scale, which is used to test the strength rating of all types of hardwood.
Can Cheap Soundproofing Work?
When most people think of soundproofing, they imagine acoustical engineers, complicated formulas, and specialty contractors. While there is a place for all of those methods of soundproofing in large scale, high budget projects, there are a lot of things you can do for less than 100 dollars to make your home more soundproof than it is. Yes, it will be difficult to make your home “soundproof” completely without a few thousand dollars to buy soundproof materials, but, you can see a noticeable improvement in most cases with little or no investment.
The key to cheap soundproofing is managing expectations, and fixing problems in your home to aide in soundproofing rather than try to cover them up with the latest product on the market. Soundproofing progress is measured by a metric called the sound transmission class. In general, most home walls have an STC rating of 40 or less, while it is accepted that pretty much anything over 50 is soundproof. While you won’t likely get your walls much higher than 40 without additional investment, you can see that even a small improvement can make a big difference.
Types Of Soundproofing
By fixing soundproofing problems rather than seaching for quick solutions like soundproof curtains drapes, or blinds, we can not only save money but have more effective results. With that being said, the cheapest way to soundproof a room making it completely air tight. Most sounds travel through the air and into your room. Although it may seem like your room is already airtight, there are several problem areas common in modern construction. First, the gaps underneath the trim of window and door frames are notorious for transmitting sound. Second, the cavity in the walls behind power outlet boxes also usually have large air gaps. By filling these three areas with canned foam insulation, silicone, and fiberglass you can reduce the amount of noise entering your home significantly for under $10 dollars.
