9 Ways to Reduce Noise in Your Home Office

The impact of COVID-19 has been felt in many ways for everyone. The home office which was once a luxury has become a necessity for business professionals. In-person board room meetings have gone virtual and are being held from the comforts (or discomforts) of your home. Today, OHi - Our Home improvement provides you with nine ways to reduce noise in your home office. 

1. Choose Your Space Wisely  
One of the most important aspects in reducing noise in your home office is to make sure your space is located in a low trafficked area of your home. Keep it away from the kitchen and young children’s rooms. With remote learning also becoming a norm, the home has become a much noisier place during the day time hours.

2. Utilize a Sound Machine 
A white noise sound machine can mask background noiseIt drowns out any interruptive or annoying sounds. Once thought of as a gimmick, white noise sound machines provide a cheap and affordable solution to improving your work productivity and decreasing your home office noise. 

3. Solid Door
The quality of your door goes a long way in containing the sounds from penetrating through to your home office. Hollow-core doors are in many homes because they’re affordable. The poor quality allows sound to intrude. Solid wood doors will provide a better sound-absorbing ability to block noise that is coming from the other side.

4. Door Sweep
The sliver of open space between your floor and your door creates an opening for sound to come through. An affordable improvement that you can utilize is a door sweep. This will block all the sound that is coming through the opening. 

5. Acoustic Panels
One of the best ways to reduce the excess noise  in your home office is to install acoustic panels. Bare drywall can create an echo chamber, but by installing sound-absorbing panels you can help improve your workspace. 

6. Add Finishing Touches
The addition of area rugs and other finishing touches provide additional sound absorption in your home office.

7. Wall Hangings & Window Treatments
Window treatments provide more than just an aesthetic benefit. Installing window treatments or window blinds you can help reduce the sound that comes into your home office.

8. Caulk Spaces in Your Drywall
Holes or gaps that are commonly found around outlets and ducts create the opportunity for more sound vibration and sound penetration. By sealing the holes with caulk, you can reduce the amount of sound that enters your office.

9. Consult an Expert
Contact one of our interior designers and revamp your home office to reduce noise and eliminate the issue permanently.  If you are working from home for the foreseeable future, it is wise to invest in your space now, rather than waiting until you just can't bare it any longer.