The Quest for Quiet

Homeowners View Shelter From Noise as a Must-Have Amenity, Surveys Show

When Mat Thorp bought his home in the Palisades neighborhood of Northwest Washington, he gave little thought to the airplanes that would be roaring over his residence on their way to and from Reagan National Airport.

That was 40 years ago, when Thorp worked long hours in the aviation field and traveled extensively. Living so close to the airport -- with the quick access it gave him to cities across the country -- outweighed the negatives of noisy days.

His viewpoint changed once Thorp retired and began to spend more time at home. The turning point, he recalled, was a reception he hosted on his patio in 2001. When he replayed a video of the event, Thorp was struck by the number of times an airplane would roar overhead, cutting short conversations and drowning out laughter.

"We all knew the airport was there before we moved into our homes," Thorp said. "And many of us do recognize the airport as a community asset. But the sound of those jet engines can be very disconcerting if you are outdoors or if you have your windows open. What we are trying to do is to work together with the airport on various noise abatement and mitigation programs so that we can all live together."

Thorp is far from the only homeowner in the Washington area struggling with noise issues. There are people who live on busy streets, city dwellers in areas rife with active and noisy nightlife, and property owners whose residences sit close to train tracks. Across the country, homeowners are reporting more frequently that they view adequate soundproofing as a necessary amenity.

Outside noise isn't the only concern. More homes today feature blaring home-theater systems. A growing number of people work from home offices. Homes are being built on smaller footprints in many urban areas. And many buyers still love those large two-story foyers and living rooms. All this combines to make for more noise indoors, noise that floats from room to room.

The good news is that owners can reduce noise in their homes. Some steps are costly, such as replacing windows and switching hollow-core doors with solid wood versions. Others are less expensive, such as adding thicker drapes to windows and decorating with plusher furniture.

Other homeowners, particularly those who live near airports, are turning to a different way to reduce noise in their homes: political action.

Owners who are concerned about noise are finding that builders and architects are increasingly receptive to working with them to reduce the problem, whether these owners are building new homes or soundproofing existing ones.

"I don't think people are any more concerned about noise now than they were in the past," said Michael Lerner, president of Bethesda-based Meridian Homes. "I think the concerns are the same, but there are now more opportunities, more solutions available, to help with the problem. These solutions may or may not have been available in the past."

When most people think of must-have options for houses, they think of items such as granite countertops, double-bowl vanities, three-car garages or hardwood floors. The annual Home Features Survey from the National Association of Realtors, though, adds another amenity to that list: sound deadening.

According to the survey, 65 percent of respondents cited soundproofing as an important or extremely important home feature. The survey found that 38 percent of respondents said they desired less noise throughout the home, while 48 percent said their bedrooms were the most important areas for quiet.