Materials you'll need:

· Acoustic ceiling tiles
· Glue or furring strips
· Caulking compound
· Felt pads
· Wall panelling
· Insulation material
· Gloves
· Cutting board
· Light and ladder

Tools you'll need:

· Sharp knife
 

Walls, ceilings and roofs can all be insulated to help you control noise and weather extremes. Remember, more heat escapes through your floors and walls than through your ceiling.

Fibreglass bats come in various thicknesses to suit your need. They are a very efficient way of insulating your ceiling against heat, cold and noise. Always wear gloves and long clothing when cutting and handling fibreglass.

For comfortable living, your home needs to be insulated against two major problems - excessive noise, and extremes of heat and cold. Noise is not only a hazard in that, it can cause fatigue, loss of sleep and resulting health problems. It is also illegal to cause excessive noise. Cheek with your local council or police station for current regulations regarding noise from lawn mowers, record players, other people's parties, and similar sources. There is often some action you can take to control the noise at its source. Inside your home, there are also ways to dampen noise.

Ceiling tiles.
If you live in a flat or unit, you will know how much noise can be transmitted through the ceiling from flats above. One way of reducing the sound transfer in this direction is by installing acoustical tiles on your ceiling. The tiles are decorative and can also be used to hide unattractive ceilings. The tiles can be cemented directly to the ceiling or fixed to wooden strips which are fixed to the ceiling. In the later case, the vacuum between the tiles and the ceiling creates even better sound proofing. When installing the tiles, start from the centre of the ceiling and work towards the sides to ensure the tiles at the sides are of uniform width.

Other noise Sources.
Of course, if nobody made any noise there would be none to shut out, so it is up to each householder to make his own home as quiet as reasonable. Without walking around on tip toe, there are lots of small ways you can reduce the noise output of your own household.

• Plan fences or baffle walls to screen your home from noise travelling both ways.

• Have a plumber attend to pipes which “knock” or are noisy in other ways. Taps can often be quietened by changing the old washers.

• Stand large machinery such as washers and driers onto felt pads.
  

• Fit door closers to prevent doors slamming.

To stop noise coming in:

• Caulk around doors and windows to cut down noise coming through these sources.

• This will also save on heating and cooling costs as heated and cooled air often escapes through these gaps.

If your home has common walls through which sound passes readily, think about installing wall panelling on wooden strips. The air pocket in between the walls will help prevent the transmission of noise. 

Weather extremes.
Nobody likes to be either too hot or too cold and the best way to maintain an even temperature in your home is through proper insulation.
Home insulation works by resisting the passage of heat. The less heat that can pass through, the more effective is the insulation.

In summer, your home stays cool because the insulation reduces outside heat entering the house.

In winter the warmth from heaters is kept inside, keeping your home warmer. Inquire at your local manufacturer for the best way to insulate your home.

Fibreglass batts can be installed between the joists in the ceiling. All you do is pass the batts up into the ceiling through the manhole and start laying them at the point farthest from the manhole. Press the batts down between the ceiling joists and work back towards the manhole worn until you have covered the whole ceiling. Fix a batt over the top of the manhole before closing it. Remember to walk only on the joists and never on the ceiling.

Other kinds of insulation include polystyrene sheeting which is installed in a similar way. The sheets can also be used to lag water tanks and keep drying cupboards insulated. For roofing foil insulation is usually laid under the tiles, before the tiles are laid. See heating and cooling for more information about home insulation.