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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.

home office with door and large window with work space and various noise-absorbing decorations

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

Get an instant estimate for soundproof windows here

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

man & child in home office: stacked artwork against the wall helps absorb noise from adjacent rooms

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

traffic outside of apartment window: outside noise needs sound-blocking items such as window inserts

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.

woman next to large bookshelf installing Indow window insert: sound-absorbing vs sound-blocking

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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bedroom with window with Indow inserts installed for soundproofing in San Francisco

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Customer Reviews

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4.49 Average 1479 Reviews

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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!

Posted 5 hours ago

Katie M

We purchased three Indows to reduce drafts and noise in our bedroom, which faces the street. The improvement was immediate. Our house was built in 1958 and although we have exterior storm windows we didn't want to replace the windows outright due to cost and architectural consistency. These were an excellent solution.

Posted 1 day ago

Matthew L

Indow inserts were easy to measure, order and install. They've provided great insulation for old single-pane and stained glass windows in an antique home. We can significantly feel how much better the home holds heat.

Posted 4 days ago

Ellis W

I ordered two Indow inserts for my home. They are doing a great job, entirely happy with them and the ordering process.

Posted 2 weeks ago

Elizabeth W

I can't say enough good things about this product and company. Our house is 101 years old and the sidelites next to our front door are single pane ancient wavy glass which means when it gets very cold (Chicago temps) we can have an inch of frost covering the INSIDE of our windows. I was desperately searching for a solution so our front vestibule was not so cold and a friend recommended Indow. The process could not have been simpler and the temperature difference it has made is off the charts.

Posted 2 weeks ago

Austin T

I have several historic single pane gridwork mullion windows. They're beautiful but have almost no thermal protection. Indows proved to be the perfect solution to preserve these windows while getting the thermal comfort we need. They were easy to install and work perfectly!

Posted 4 weeks ago

Kathryn M

Amazingly easy to install even the safety chain holders. I. Noticed an immediate sound level difference and the room atmosphere became more solid feeling and pleasant. They also gave an insulating feature to the window drafts are non existent! The house is 50ft off a State highway that is heavily traveled in warmer months I'm confident the indows will handle it. I'm very pleased!

Posted 1 month ago

Anonymous

We ordered the acoustic inserts to help with road noise, and we've been sleeping so much better with them!

Posted 1 month ago

Sienna K

We used the windows inserts in our skylight. They are great! They the horrible drafts and noise out and were cost efficient. My only comment would be to provide better measurement and installation instructions for skylights specifically. It took us a lot of guessing and research to measure and install because skylight directions were not provided and the windows install guide doesn't always apply to skylights. Other than that though great product and I would buy again!

Posted 1 month ago

ted t

Our home was built in the late 1800s and we have spent a lot of money over the last 20+years restoring it.We did not want to replace the windows with modern windows because of the cost and originality. But the single pane windows come with a price also. the main reason we purchased the Indow window inserts is because of the condensation on the inside of the windows.We would literally have a take a towel and wipe them down every morning in the winter. There would be a puddle on the sill,and wood and water dont get along to well. SO we looked into the best solution to our problem and found Indow. Was reluctant to spend that much money but am super glad we did!! They have been installed now for over two months and our condensation problem has been virtually eliminated.!!! AND our furnace does not run as much as it did before. Over all it was money well spent!! The process was a little scary at first but they have a simple formula. And our contact person,Reed was awesome. Answered any questions i had and was always available.

Posted 1 month ago

Anonymous

Used to block interior side of a garden window in the the kitchen. Without insert, cold air literally poured into the kitchen making a winter jacket almost mandatory when preparing meals or washing dishes

Posted 1 month ago

Rob S

Highly recommend! The team (Brian) took time to help me figure out the best solution. They were made and delivered faster than expected. It was very rewarding to install them because I could feel the cold air get squeezed out as they went flush against the single pane of glass. Solid quality and great fit.

Posted 1 month ago

Alexa L

My inserts fit beautifully into my 125 year old windows - many of which were 5 feet tall. Easy to unwrap and install. Great product and even better service! I liked the process of measuring the windows with a laser measuring tool which was easy to use and precise. The product came in good condition after shipping across country and was well marked. The customer support was excellent.

Posted 1 month ago

Sarah D

Received our Indow Windows and can tell they are blocking a lot of the noise we could hear. Right now the weather is mild, but hoping to notice a big difference when the summer heats up. Our house is in a historic district and we cannot change our windows. They are very drafty and thin glass. We only ordered two, but we are in the process of ordering for four more. Love that we don’t need to drill holes or anything and they just pop right in.

Posted 2 months ago

Allan F

Every thing arrived in perfect condition, thanks to the very secure packaging. Windows fit as expected, although quite tight. After installation we noticed that the cold drafts were gone and the room felt a lot warmer. We are very satisfied with the product and the result.

Posted 2 months ago