How to Instantly Reduce Noise in the Office Through Sound Masking
Noisy co-workers keeping you from getting your work done? Is your office space uncomfortable because of the noise distractions that go on around you while trying to your work? You are not alone! This is a common ‘problem’ of the open office environment. The good news is that this is solvable. Your productivity matters; in fact, your skillset and output potential are why you were hired to begin with! A sleek office environment may have been one reason you were attracted to work at your company but the distractions of office noise was not. There are a variety of noise reduction solutions for the open office environment but many of them are complicated, inefficient or just plain expensive. The good news is that sound masking (a method to reduce noise in office) is instantly effective, easy to implement, and truly changes how effective an office can be.
How Noise Quickly Becomes a Problem in the Office
Whether you are overhearing the collaboration of a business concept or a weekend update between your coworkers, overheard conversations are distracting. It becomes difficult to concentrate on the task in front of you when “Betsy is discussing her cat’s condition. Excessive office noise leads to lost productivity. So, you pick up and find a quiet space or a conference room to work in – which now changes your environment and makes your space uncomfortable because it is not your own. Again, lost productivity. Studies show that for every workplace distraction it can take an average of 25 minutes to return to normal production levels (learn more about the ROI of sound masking here.)
Overhearing your coworkers not only decreases your productivity, it also makes you question the amount of speech privacy you have in the office. What do your coworkers think of your conversations? This lack of speech privacy causes concern and unease for many in the open office environment. Whether you are in the office space everyday or just concentrated times during the week, you want an office environment that feels inviting and safe. Speech privacy is an important component of that very environment.
The loss of productivity and the lack of speech privacy in the office space leads to an uncomfortable work environment and reduced employee satisfaction. This only leads to an employee’s desire to come to the office less. There is a serious need for a solution to reduce office noise if this is the case.
Traditional Ways to Reducing Noise in the Office
Traditional methods of office noise reduction have centered around the ABCs of noise control. A is absorb sound, B is block and C is cover. Absorptive materials such as acoustic ceiling panels, fabric acoustic wall panels and partitions, and even carpet can reduce loud noises but have fallen out of favor as design elements. More reflective materials such as glass, metal, reclaimed woods and even concrete are selected due to their aesthetic elements but are bad for sound reduction, instead enhancing the noise within the office space. Construction methods to block noise has changed due to the cost associated with building walls from the floor all of the way up to the deck. It is just much more expensive. Cover, or masking, is often one of the first essential elements to be value engineered out of a project. Oddly, it is one of the first solutions to be retrofitted into a space after it is built because of the ease to implement it as a solution – however, it is more costly to install sound masking after construction is completed.
More recent ways to reduce noise in the office is the use of huddle rooms or dedicated quiet areas. Huddle rooms have grown in popularity and have evolved to be more effective solutions. Huddle rooms certainly have their place. As do separate meeting areas or conference rooms. The limitations of these types of solutions are the amount of space that they consume as well as availability. An employee shouldn’t have to wait for an available space to be productive; and, a facility should be able to utilize all of the space for it’s employees to produce great work.
Other solutions to excessive office noise, like to installing acoustic panels, have come a long way in terms of aesthetics and material. Although these methods can absorb sound and reduce office noise pollution, they have an overall impact on the design of the space, and they are typically used in “spot” areas and not in blanket coverage.
Last, noise cancelling headphones are also an alternative to solving office noise issues. Noise canceling headphones allow an employee to block out the unwanted overheard discussions which allow them to concentrate on their work. Headphones also allow an employee to create an environment by the sounds that they enjoy. This is a great short-term solution and one that should be embraced. However, there is an impact on office culture which can be disruptive by making employees siloed and unapproachable. Also, there is an impractical nature of designing and developing a space where employees are only productive by using a pair of headphones.
How Sound Masking Reduces Excessive Office Noise
Think of sound masking as a noise reduction office product. Without being too technical, sound masking is the introduction of background noise (similar to white noise) just above indirect speech levels with the intention of minimizing the distraction of unwanted, indirect conversations. Said another way, sound masking takes you from the library where you can hear the whisper of a conversation and puts you in the coffee shop – where you know there are conversations and ambient noise going on around you, but you are not distracted by them. Minimizing distracting noise, improving speech privacy and creating a comfortable environment is the intention of sound masking. To learn more, check out What Is Sound Masking or How Sound Masking Works.
Let Lencore Sound Masking Experts Help Cut Open Office Noise
Sound masking is the introduction of noise into a space in order to make it more productive by reducing the amount of distractions. Lencore sound masking systems produce a comfortable noise, blending white noise and pink noise frequencies, into the space at a level slightly above indirect speech levels (around 47-48 decibels.) This solution minimizes the level of office noise distraction caused by the collaborative discussion occurring 10-12 feet away. Sound masking reduces the percentage of the conversation that the unintended listener(s) can understand and allows them to focus on their independent work – making them more productive.
Lencore has helped thousands of clients and has millions of square feet installed around the world. These clients come from a variety of different verticals – as you can see from a snapshot of our various clients!
Furthermore, Lencore prides ourselves on the ease of doing business. By providing a simple floor plan and answer a few relevant design questions, Lencore will help guide you through the decision process. We provide options based on your space and do not constrain ourselves based on our system restrictions. We design what is right for your environment and can assist with installation, tuning and balancing through our expert, certified network. We will provide a quote and design layout – at no cost to you! If you would like to know more about Lencore’s Guide to Choosing a Sound Masking System just ask us! We are happy to help.
Finally, if you would like to get a quick cost on what it would take for a sound masking system (equipment only) you can find it through our Quick Estimate Form. Or, if you are ready to go to the next level and plan out your sound masking system, you can Request A Quote, and we will provide all of the details necessary to finalize your design.
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