Though working from the corporate office can be quite noisy with chatty coworkers, busy city streets, and everyone’s telephone ringing, noise problems can still exist in your home office. Noises from your family members, your neighbors, and household appliances can not only distract you when you’re trying to be productive, but also be heard during virtual meetings. The good news is that, unlike your typical office cubicle, you have the power to soundproof your home office with some cheap DIY projects.
While there are plenty of gadgets that make working from home easier, when you’re looking to make your office quiet, you’re targeting the main areas where noise comes in. Namely, the doors and the windows. By sealing these against sound coming in, you will automatically have a quieter office. You can go one step further, however, to help minimize extra noise. Ensuring that there is extra padding on the floor to absorb sound will keep the area quiet, as will having items like bookshelves on the walls to act as a sound buffer.
You want to focus on areas where the most noise bleeds through and seal those first. After that, you need to take stock of the layout of your home office. If it is open and wide with very little in the way of furniture or decor, then there isn’t much there to absorb sound waves and you risk getting an echo as you speak during meetings.
Door and window soundproofing fixes that cut outside noise
The gap under the door to your home office lets in sound from the rest of your home. One simple DIY way to fix this is by installing what is known as a door sweep. It attaches to the bottom of your door and blocks that gap. They are very easy to install yourself, typically either just sliding into place under the door or being attached via an adhesive strip, depending on what specific product you purchase. They are not expensive, either. You can find a variety of door sweeps on Amazon from as cheap as $9 to as much as $30. You can get one that blocks the door gap on one side, or ones that block it on both sides, depending on your preference.
The window of your home office is another place that sound can get in from the street outside. Though you can have soundproof windows installed, it isn’t exactly a cheap or simple solution that you can do on your own. A more affordable option instead is to hang some curtains over the windows. You can find them through online retailers such as Amazon, usually under names like acoustic or blackout curtains. Or if you’re willing to wait on the sci-fi option, MIT scientists are working on soundproof silk sheets that could one day be used to dampen sound from your windows.
Rugs and wall panels that help quiet a home office
If you have a wood or tile floor in your home office, that can create added noise. You don’t have to pay to have a professional install carpet in the entire room, though. By purchasing a rug, you can help absorb ambient sound and soften the noise of feet and chairs on the floor. Go for thicker, larger rugs to cover the most area and absorb the sound effectively.
Use furniture and other home office items to help block noise from around your home coming into your office, and to stop any echoing of sound. A bookshelf is a great way to add some professional-looking decor that has the added benefit of absorbing sound. Hanging tapestry-like wall art will also help. If you want to be super simple and cheap about it, just find some curtains you think are pretty, make sure that they are decently thick, and hang them on the wall for a splash of art. It also never hurts to have fluffy chairs or a small futon with pillows and a throw blanket on it to further absorb sound waves that travel around your home office. Want to save even more money? Ask a family member for a few of these as birthday or holiday gifts, along with some other great desk upgrades to work better from home.
