Most offices offer open floor plans to encourage collaboration and communication within teams. Aside from that, it is considerably cheaper, so more and more offices are opting for this option. However, open floor plans are usually noisy.
What do you do if you want to keep the noise to a minimum? Continue reading to find out.
Why Soundproof an Office Space?
The main reason to soundproof your office is to reduce the amount of noise that trickles in from outside. The two main sources of noise are outside traffic and commotion from workers. It can be incredibly frustrating and disruptive to hear the traffic or conversations of your completely different colleagues.
Noise travels through open doors, ceilings, and even through walls. So, even if you are in a separate room from the noise source, you will be disturbed. Even though you might think that you can cope with a bit of background noise, it will undoubtedly impact your workflow.
What Are the Materials Needed for Office Soundproofing?
The materials needed for office soundproofing depend on what you are trying to do. Essentially, you are trying to block noise from one place to another. Here are three main options when soundproofing an office:
1. Carpet and Upholstery
You can use carpet and upholstery to quieten hard flooring or wooden flooring. If you do not want to carpet the entire office, you can use carpet runners. A carpet is an excellent option if you need to soundproof several rooms.
Rugs and carpets are especially effective at absorbing sound. So, if you use carpet and rugs to soundproof an office, you will also soundproof the room and make it cosier for workers.
2. Sound Masking
Sound masking is another great way to reduce the effects of outside noise. Sound masking involves adding noise in the same frequency range as the noise coming from the outside. This is an excellent way of soundproofing an office because it uses white noise to cover up the outside noise.
To soundproof an office effectively, there should be a lot of noise covering all frequencies. If there is not a lot of noise covering all frequencies, then the two sounds will simply cancel each other out.
3. Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels are the best option for soundproofing an office. These panels are designed to absorb sound, not just cover it up. Acoustic panels are great for soundproofing an office, because they reduce sound by up to 80 percent.
However, acoustic panels need to be installed by a professional. This is because the panels need to be attached to the corners of the walls. It is very difficult to install acoustic panels by yourself.
4. Acoustic Curtains
Acoustic curtains are another great option for soundproofing an office. Acoustic curtains are designed to cover windows and doors. They are similar to acoustic panels because they reduce sound by up to 80 per cent. However, they are much simpler to install.
Acoustic curtains are much cheaper than acoustic panels. However, if you want to cover several windows and doors, it is recommended that you use acoustic panels instead.
Final Thoughts
Noisy coworkers, traffic and other background distractions can be incredibly disruptive. If you work in a noisy office, you can use these tips to soundproof your office and get back to work peacefully before you know it.
If you need acoustic curtains to help in soundproofing your office, contact us today at Direct Fabrics. Our acoustic curtains are laboratory tested to 95% acoustic absorption and reduce echo and reverberation throughout a room. Message us today for a free quote.