Most people think of insulation as "that stuff that keeps the cold out." While the energy saving capabilities of insulation are well known, few people realize that by insulating some of the interior walls of their homes they can not only regulate temperature zones more efficiently, but you can minimize sound transfer. By honestly assessing your habits, you can minimize those disturbing noises that might lessen the comfort of your new home.

While planning the design of your new home use sound deadening insulation batts between bedroom, bathroom, laundry and nursery walls to minimize noise from other members of the family. These batts can minimize the sounds of late night TV, early risers going off to work in the morning and even Grandpa "sawing wood." And the cost to insulate is minimal when done while the house is being built!

Faceless fiberglass is installed in the existing stud cavities on all the interior walls of the bedrooms and baths where they join the noisier living areas of the house. Injected cellulose insulation will best deaden the transfer of sound from rooms above or below.

Consider sound deadening insulation in the following locations:

• Between living and sleeping areas.
• Between laundry rooms and bedrooms.
• Under hardwood or ceramic floors.
• Around nursery walls.
• Beneath whirlpool tubs or exercise equipment.

A secondary benefit of insulating interior walls and floors is better temperature zone control within the home when heating or cooling certain sections of the house that might not be used all of the time.