How to Soundproof a Home Office
COVID-19 forced people to work from home. As the initial shock wore off and the dust began to settle, many of us found ourselves in our new work areas asking: “How do I soundproof a home office?”
Here we’ll share with you the best tips and a video guide on how to soundproof a home office. When setting up your home office, consider noises coming from both outside of and inside your home. We cover both types here to make sure your office is soundproof and a comfortable place to work.
Tips for a Soundproof Home Office
How to Soundproof an Office
Create a dedicated work space with a door that closes
Determine where the sound is coming from: the source of the sound is important to help you determine if you should be targeting sound absorption inside the office, or sound reduction outside of the office
How you can absorb inside noise in an office:
- Adding an area rug and plush furniture
- Wall art or acoustic panels
- Door snakes
How you can reduce outside noise in an office:
Sealing air leaks with caulk or weather stripping is a fast, cheap way to soundproof
Adding window inserts is a great way to help your underperforming windows block sound
Every “working from home tips” article discusses the technology you need to complete your work and stay connected. They warn of distractions, suggesting you keep them away. But studies show that soundproofing is directly linked to productivity. As is creative thinking, and health. Aside from that, have you encountered a work call interrupted by a child’s scream yet? You will. Make sure it’s not yours.
Watch Tips on How to Soundproof a Home Office
Make Yourself at Home in Your Dedicated Workspace
A dedicated work space will make you feel collected, calm, and ready to work. All you really need is a good chair, a flat surface, and good lighting. Ideally, you also have a door to close. This also gives you the opportunity to soundproof your home office.
There are two types of soundproofing: reduction and absorption. Noise coming from outside your home needs sound reduction, which reduces sound coming into your home. Sound absorption reduces echo by absorbing sounds created inside your home.
Office Soundproofing from Noise Inside Your House
It’s safe to say that the sources of noise inside your home, such as a puppy, or partner on their own conference call, are far more pleasant to our ears and hearts than traffic or construction from the outside. Nonetheless, it’s important to soundproof your office against these noises. Fortunately, soundproofing with noise reduction materials is easy to do, and the solutions are cost-effective!
Use an area rug. It doesn’t just make you look classy, it also helps soundproof your home office. Adding thick materials, like rugs, plush furniture, wall art, or even acoustic panels help keep noise in the rest of your home from disturbing your dedicated work space. Door snakes and door sweeps also keep small noises from swooping through the air between your office door and floor. There are plenty of stylish sound-blocking office dividers to choose from, and they’re not only good options for an open plan office. Placing these next to walls helps reduce noise coming in from other rooms.
Dampen equipment that vibrates along with passing music or noisy neighbors. This article from Popular Mechanics outlines everything you need to secure (vibration-wise) or build for soundproofing a room. These tips are especially helpful for anyone who has to record audio or video at home.
Soundproofing Home Office to Outside Noise
Check for any air leaks around the room. Sound travels by air, and you can fix most by adding caulk and weatherstripping. Adding wall insulation is always helpful, but a big project.
Add office window soundproofing. The biggest reduction in outside noise with the best cost efficiency is window inserts. They allow you to block outside noise by installing them in your existing windows (rather than replacing your windows or opening your wall for insulation). Indow inserts block up to 70% of outside noise as soon as you press them into place.
Extra bonus: your home office still has plenty of natural light (as opposed to using sound-blocking curtains) and they help with temperature control to keep you comfortable.
How do Soundproofing Windows Work?
Window inserts are made of the best sound absorbing materials. They put an extra layer between you and the noise. Indow uses acrylic because it absorbs sound better than glass. The acrylic is surrounded by compression tubing to create a seal in your window frame. This creates a dead air space between the acrylic panel and your window, which also helps stop noise from entering your space.
Sound-blocking curtains also reduce noise, but not as much as window inserts because they do not create a seal, and they also make your home office very dark. Natural light helps our mood, eases stress, and increases productivity.
Adding window inserts is like adding another pane of glass to your window, but with a better sound absorbing materials and an extra large gap between them. Plus, you can remove it at any time with no damage done to your window frames.
Soundproof Your Office to Help Existing Systems
Indow has always relied on RingCentral to let sick coworkers or distant partners join in on important meetings. Now that we’re all working from our homes, that convenience has turned into a daily need to keep business functioning. No matter how much RingCentral adjusts to the times, if our meetings are stopped every few minutes by barking dogs, neighbors, or even our partners’ meeting in the other room, we don’t get much done. Soundproofing for remote meetings is essential – there’s only so much the mute button can handle.
It’s time to prepare our own spaces for the long haul. Chances are, our home office is going to remain our dedicated work space for a while. We can’t control how loud our neighbors are, but we can control our day to day comfort and how we manage our space. If you learn how to soundproof a home office, you are controlling your environment and choosing a healthier work space. We give you permission to elect yourself employee of the month.
Learn more about how to soundproof your home office with window inserts.
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Customer Reviews
4.49 Average 1496 Reviews
Dianne
This is a 5 star company from beginning to end. I purchased the I inserts in 2017 because the bedroom on the second story faced the street. These are very effective for street noise. Noticed a problem on one of the windows recently and they quickly took care of it due to their warranty. Customer service personnel are very helpful. The price of the windows was acceptable for top quality of sleep and less noise during the day
Paula S
From start to finish, we were very pleased with our rep, Reed, and the other staff at the PDX will call! The inserts themselves are stupendous! We purchased six total for the noisiest, road side(s) of our home. The outcome was beyond our expectations! Not only did the three rooms that bordered the road become at least 70% quieter, the other end of our home did as well! I cannot recommend Indow inserts more! The technology makes sense to add the inserts rather than purchasing new windows. Great results and thank you! Paul and Paula Spilsbury
JD
Brian was very helpful & informative. He helped me order the correct windows for my needs. They were shipped with the utmost of care & arrived ahead of schedule. Ultimately, the Indow Windows have been very helpful in muffling unwanted noises & they have helped save on our energy costs. Thank you, Indow Window!
Cynthia M
Very happy with the reduction in noise. Easy to install and use. Great customer service.
Juli E
We are thrilled with our Indow window inserts! I'd been on the lookout for a more permanent solution to leaky windows in our third floor living space. I discovered Indow on social media but since then have learned of friends who'd had Indow recommended to them by their rennovation contractor. The entire process went smoothly with friendly reps at hand to talk through questions during measuring, etc. They fit perfectly and help us to maintain the beautiful design of the windows on our 100 year old home! Highly recommend!!
Jen F
Worth the money!
Elizabeth H
For townhouse living, this solved my problem with noise from my neighbor's with my kitchen window. A considerable decrease of noise indeed! Measurements were a bit frustrating so I recommend using a laser measurement device and following directions to use a string for the diagonal. They look great and were easy to push into place. I highly recommend as an alternative to buying a new window.
Anonymous
Easy to install, and instantly stopped drafts and dampened outside noises very effectively!
Robert C
The process could've been smoother with the sending of the measuring kit. There was a delay with weather in Oregon but then it felt like my kit was still delayed due to other reasons. Most new homes (like mine) have textured paint and it can also be inside your window frames. I measured everything out but I still have little tiny gaps due to the texturing. Not indows problem but just be aware you made need to sand or fill in those gaps yourself to get a perfect seal. I did the acoustic grade inserts and they have reduced some noise but they will not completely block or significantly reduce road noise. This is most apparent with deep or lower frequencies like truck exhausts or modified street racing cars that are quite popular these days. Taking the inserts out to open your windows isn't an easy task. The little metal hook they provide needs to be either bigger or you can attach something to it as a way to leverage yourself. Overall the process was average. I think they're definitely a good option for weatherproofing and some sound reduction depending on the type of windows you have. I would purchase again.
Shelley C
The process for ordering and installing the Indow Widnow inserts was so easy. They sent the measuring information and it had great instructions. The inserts were delivered by UPS was crushed on one corner, but the company had packed them well, so there was no damage. We installed them the same day. It works best if you have two people completing the installation. We felt the results immediately and are glad we spent the money to make our home just a little more efficient.
Barry B
The insert fits like a glove and insulates the window! No more frost and condensation on the interior of the window! Thank you for an easy, effective and attractive fix!
Susan A
The support during the entire process was wonderful, thank you so much for the extra quiet space!
Volodymyr R
Very good good quality. Overall very satisfied with this product and service. Thanks
Jane H
Our home was built in 1913 and has beautiful old wavy glass single-paned windows. I’m so glad we were told about Indows and didn’t have to replace the original windows. We live in Canada but had no difficulty placing the order and were very impressed by how accurately the company met its deadlines, including cross border delivery. The Indows inserts blend in perfectly with our home and the existing window frames. You don’t see them unless you’re actually looking for them. But what we did notice was how much warmer the rooms feel the minute the inserts were installed! I can’t speak to any heating bill savings because they just went in this week, but our home feels much, much cozier. Our contractor who took all the measurements and installed the Indows says: “Excellent instructional videos: clear and informative. Very impressed with the design and the product. Overall, the ease of installation is quite impressive. Working with all the staff at the company was great – everyone was very helpful.” I’m already recommending this company to any of my friends who live in drafty older homes and want to reduce their heating/cooling bills and do some good for the environment.
Anonymous
Don't be afraid of buying an older home with single pane windows. This company has you covered. Their inserts are super high quality and fit well thanks to the laser measuring kit they send. Highly recommended!