Demountable Walls and SoundProofing Ideas for your Office

As open office plans have become more popular, a growing number of businesses are starting to notice the problems that come with these layouts. While the goal is to encourage collaboration, open spaces can create distractions and make it difficult for your employees to focus on their work. 

Rosi Office Systems has been a leader in office furniture in the Houston Metroplex area, offering strategic office furnishing solutions. Keep reading to learn more about demountable walls and soundproofing ideas for your office.

Why Bother Soundproofing an Office Space?

One expert estimates that employees are 66% less productive in an open office than they would be in a quieter, private space. Humans don’t have the mental capacity to listen to two conversations or one conversation and their thoughts at the same time. All this excess noise increases stress and lowers productivity, especially on tasks that require intense focus. 

Too much noise can also cause health problems. A German study found that the average noise level in a classroom, 65 decibels, was enough to raise teachers’ heart rates to dangerous levels. Increased stress and heart rates aren’t what you want for your employees. Soundproofing can help your employees focus and manage stress.

Office Soundproofing Materials and Methods

Soundproofing is important, and many products are available to help you soundproof your office. These solutions are constantly improving, so you now have plenty of effective choices to help your employees focus better.

Carpet

Carpet and other fabric items like curtains and upholstered furniture absorbs sound and keep it from bouncing around your office space and amplifying. Replacing your carpet with a thicker one and adding a couch or armchair are simple ways to improve soundproofing. These fabric options can also easily combine with another option for a quieter space.

Acoustic Panels

Acoustic panels hang on the walls or ceiling of your office space to absorb sound. Like fabric, the absorption keeps the sound from bouncing around and distracting your employees. They can be any size or shape to fit seamlessly into your space. The panels can be decorative, so they look like a piece of art rather than functional items. Acoustic panels can be a great option to keep your office layout open while improving the sound level. If an open plan works for your employees but is too noisy, panels allow you to add soundproofing without dividing the space.

Demountable Walls

Demountable walls are a flexible solution that lets you create cubicles, offices, or workstations without committing to a permanent layout. These soundproof room dividers are attached to floor and ceiling tracks, so they can be moved around to fit your company’s changing needs. Because they separate different workspaces, they act as room dividers that can soundproof the space. They work by blocking noises and preventing employees from hearing and being distracted by each other’s conversations. Demountable walls allow you to transform your open plan into separate offices or semi-private spaces without requiring a construction project.

You can also look into soundproof ceiling tiles or soundproof paint. If you’re having a new office built or moving into a new space, you can make construction decisions to improve soundproofing.

 

How to Choose the Best Soundproofing for an Office Space

With all the soundproofing options available, choosing the right one for your office can be difficult. There are a few factors to consider to help you make the best decision. These include how much sound control you need, how big your office is, how much control you have over the space, and your budget.

Sound Level

Start by thinking about how much noise your office makes and how much you need to improve the sound conditions. If your office is relatively quiet and you’re only looking to dampen the ambient noise of conversations, a thicker carpet or a single acoustic panel might be all you need. However, if you’re looking for a soundproofing solution, you probably need more sound control than this and will want to look at options like soundproof room dividers.

Office Size

The physical size of your office and the number of people working there will affect your soundproofing situation. A smaller office is easier to soundproof, and fewer people will mean less noise. Acoustic panels or a thicker carpet might be all the soundproofing you need. In a large, open-plan office, sounds can echo and become more of a problem. Soundproof room dividers are a good idea in a larger space. They’ll separate people who need to focus from the busier sections of the office and give teams that need to collaborate space to talk without disturbing others.

Control Over Space

Consider your decision-making authority and whether your company rents or owns its office space. Moving to a new space with better sound control isn’t usually an option. If you rent your office, permanent building walls will probably not be a practical soundproofing solution either. Fortunately, portable soundproof room dividers offer the benefits of separate office spaces without the permanent commitment. When you use demountable walls as soundproof room dividers, you can add, remove and adjust them to fit your office’s needs. For example, you might set up individual workspaces for one project and more collaborative stations for the next one.

Budget

The cost of different soundproofing solutions can vary dramatically. If you’re on a tight budget, you might need to focus on simpler solutions like carpeting. If you have more flexibility, the improved productivity from an option like demountable walls can easily pay for itself. Demountable walls are more affordable, easier to install, and less disruptive than permanent walls.

Shop Demountable Walls & Office Furniture in Houston

Demountable walls are a great soundproofing option in almost any office space. They’re easy to install and offer flexibility for the future. From portable semi-private workstations to sliding soundproof room dividers, your demountable wall options are nearly endless. Choosing the right setup for your office can be overwhelming. The expert team at ROSI Office Systems can help guide you through your decision-making process. Contact us to schedule an appointment today.

 

Photo Credits: Irina Borsuchenko, Petinov Sergey Mihilovich, LI CHAOSHU