soundproofhouses

Fact sheet · updated

OVERHEATING AND NOISE

Cool air or
quiet nights?

On a hot night, the easiest fix is an open window.

Check a bedroom
A bedroom double-hung window at dusk, a sheer curtain lifting beside it and the blurred lights of a city street outside
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

45 dBHUD's indoor goal

But on a busy road, an open bedroom window lets in traffic, voices and sirens. HUD's noise policy sets a goal that indoor sound stay at or below a 45-decibel day-night average, with special attention to bedrooms.

At a glance

45 dB

Day-night average sound level indoors

It is a HUD goal that the interior auditory environment not exceed a day-night average sound level of 45 decibels.

INDOOR GOAL · 24 CFR 51.101

65 dB

Outdoor level counted as acceptable

Sites with a day-night average sound level of 65 decibels and below are acceptable and allowable for HUD-assisted housing.

SITE STANDARD · 24 CFR 51.101

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

How loud is
too loud?

Both figures are day-night averages
from HUD's noise policy.

HUD's policy applies to its programs that provide assistance, subsidy or insurance for housing. It is a useful yardstick for any home, but not a rule for privately built houses.

A QUICK STREET CHECK

How loud is
your street?

Pick the situation closest to your home to see how HUD's noise policy treats it. The bar shows how hard it is to rely on an open window at night.

Based on HUD's environmental noise policy, 24 CFR 51.101, which applies to HUD-assisted housing programs, and CDC heat guidance. General information, not professional advice.

Street check

Choose a situation
A quiet residential streetEPA goal

HUD's policy notes an exterior goal of 55 decibels day-night average, which it says the EPA recommends.

A busier road, up to 65 dBAcceptable site

Under HUD's policy, sites with a day-night average sound level of 65 decibels and below are acceptable for housing it assists.

A highway or flight path above 65 dBBeyond acceptable

Above 65 decibels a site falls outside HUD's acceptable category, and its policy calls for attenuation, with emphasis on noise-sensitive rooms such as bedrooms.

Windows shut, room above 90°FFan won't do

The CDC says a fan can increase body temperature above 90°F indoors. Find air conditioning or a cooling location instead.

Sources: 24 CFR 51.101, HUD environmental criteria and standards for noise; CDC, About heat and your health.

THE SHORT ANSWER

Cover the glass,
open when it helps.

Keeping heat out matters as much as letting it out.
Noise decides whether windows can do that job.

THE NOISE GOAL

45 dB indoors

It is a HUD goal that the indoor sound environment not exceed a day-night average of 45 decibels, with attenuation used where feasible, especially for bedrooms.

Check a street

SHADE

Cover the windows

Ready.gov advises covering windows with drapes or shades and suggests window reflectors to send heat back outside.

Keep heat out

AT HOME

Know the fan limit

The CDC says to use fans only if indoor temperatures are below 90°F. Above that, a fan can increase body temperature.

What to do
A small white electric fan on a bedside table beside an open window at night
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

FOUR STEPS FROM THE GUIDANCE

Cooling a home
on hot days.

These come from Ready.gov's extreme heat advice and the CDC, and work in older homes as well as new ones.

  1. Cover the sunny windows

    Cover windows with drapes or shades, and consider window reflectors to send heat back outside.

  2. Seal the leaks

    Weather-strip doors and windows so hot outside air does not leak in.

  3. Use a fan sensibly

    Use fans only if indoor temperatures are below 90°F, and do not rely on a fan as your main cooling device.

  4. Check on people

    Check on family, older adults and neighbors, especially anyone who lives alone or has chronic medical problems.

WHEN WINDOWS CAN'T OPEN

Cool the room
another way.

If noise keeps the window shut, Ready.gov suggests installing a window air conditioner and insulating around it, and covering windows so less heat gets in during the day.

If you cannot afford cooling costs, Ready.gov points to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The CDC suggests dialing 2-1-1 or contacting your local health department to find air conditioning or a cooling location.

Pale exterior shutters half closed over a sunny window on a brick row house
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Questions

Questions people ask

Does HUD's noise standard apply to my house?

Not directly. 24 CFR 51.101 applies to HUD programs that provide assistance, subsidy or insurance for housing. It is still a useful yardstick for how quiet a bedroom should be.

What does a 45 dB day-night average mean?

It is HUD's goal for the indoor sound environment: averaged over a full day and night, sound inside should not exceed 45 decibels. HUD stresses bedrooms as noise-sensitive spaces.

Are drapes enough to keep a room cool?

They help. Ready.gov advises covering windows with drapes or shades and weather-stripping doors and windows. Window reflectors can also send heat back outside.

Can I sleep with a fan on?

The CDC says to use fans only if indoor temperatures are below 90°F. Above that, a fan can increase body temperature, so find air conditioning or a cooling location instead.

Where can I get help if my home is too hot?

Dial 2-1-1 or contact your local health department to find a cooling location, says the CDC. Ready.gov points to LIHEAP for help with cooling costs.

Sources

Where the facts come from

  1. 24 CFR 51.101, HUD environmental criteria and standards: noise policy (Cornell LII)
  2. CDC: About heat and your health
  3. Ready.gov: Extreme heat

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