Tips for Noise Proofing Your Office

When you’re working, the last thing you need is a distraction. It messes with your productivity, and if you’re working with a team, it messes with theirs too. You find yourself either irate and impatient because of the noise or you get into the noise. Regardless of your reaction, the effect is the same. It takes away from what you should be doing. This is especially true for people who work at home, near a construction site or next to insensitive neighbors. If you’ve tried everything else – from talking to the building owners and the people making the noise themselves, then the only other solution is to noise-proof your office.

Prevent Noise Pollution with These Noise-Proofing Tips

To help you work better, here are a couple of tips you can try when noise-proofing your office.

Decide on How Much You’re Willing to Do or Spend

Budget is the key deciding factor when considering how to noise-proof your office. If this is a small office in your home, then you probably do not want to tear the down the walls. However, for bigger companies plagued by noise, remodeling the office might be a better solution. They can either opt for thicker walls (by adding a drywall or some form of insulation) or they can move the employee area away from the source of the noise.  A precast concrete fence is also a great way to ensure that your property is protected from noise pollution.

Change the Interior

When deciding, you should also consider if the noise is temporary – like a construction site – or if it’s going to be constant – like neighbors who just don’t understand the concept of lowering their speakers. If it’s the latter and you don’t want to remodel, you can try fabric wallpapers, a thicker paint or cork tile squares on the wall closest to the source of the noise.

If your concern is keeping the noise in or minimizing it, you can also add good carpets that muffle the floor noise and arrange your furniture so it is a more open floor plan, with less crowding. That way, sound does not vibrate as much.

 Install Glass Walls

If you’re predicting noise before even constructing your office, then you should install glass walls. It rates high on Sound Transmission Class (STC), which is what measures the ability of a particular material to block sound. Choosing which type to install depends on the type of business you have. For example, if you have a law firm or a finance-related business which requires full privacy, you can try double glazed walls.

The same is true for conference rooms and other areas where people are discussing pertinent information about the business. What people seldom forget is, in offices, you don’t just have to keep the noise out. You also have to keep it in.

What are your reasons for noise-proofing your office?  Let us know in the comments below!

Sources:

https://www.hometips.com/buying-guides/soundproofing-insulation.html