Noise in an office can be incredibly disruptive and cause stress and loss of productivity and should therefore be taken very seriously. Particularly in large open plan offices where everyone is on the phone competing to be heard and the hum of fax machines, copiers and printers is ever present, noise levels can become intolerable. Add into the mix the always present member of staff constantly shouting over everyone else and you can see something needs to be done. However, sound is one of the hardest issues to deal with and many factors come into play so it is necessary to look at the whole environment before embarking on a hit and miss problem solving exercise.

First we should look at the building itself as this can often have a limiting effect on any potential solutions. If you have ever been in an empty room in a house with no carpets or curtains you will know how sound echoes and the same applies in offices. Plaster ceilings, wood or laminate floors plus acres of hard office desks and storage cupboards means that any noise will simply bounce around the room.

A good starting point then is to add softness to the room and there are a number of ways in which we can do this. If your office has hard floors consider laying carpet as this will have a dramatic effect on sound levels. Carpets don’t have to be boring grey or brown and a little imagination can create a major design statement. Indeed carpets can be used to define corridors or different departments or perhaps colour coordinating different floors.

Many people buy office screens in the mistaken belief that they will cut noise levels and this is hardly surprising when many retailers describe them as ‘acoustic screens’. But if you consider that basic screens are simply boards wrapped in fabric, at best with a little foam added you can see that sound will simply hit the screen and bounce off. Also if you have desk mounted screens at say 35 – 40cm high then most of the noise will simply travel straight over the top. Make sure you are buying true acoustic screens and ask for evidence of how much sound is absorbed.

Products such as Lamaphon, a sound absorbing material developed for industrial applications are now used in office screens and can absorb 75% – 90% of the sound waves that hit them. Even so to gain maximum benefit install floor standing screens in strategic locations and consider wall panels and even cupboard backs to further reduce sound levels.

Hard ceilings can add to the problem and installing a suspended ceiling with acoustic ceiling tiles can make a tremendous difference. As with office screens be careful to ensure that the ceiling tiles offer maximum benefit by checking the technical specifications.

If noise is a real problem in your office there are easy ways to improve sound levels but it is best to take professional advice and think carefully before parting with your cash.