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Soundproofing issues in the workplace can originate from many sources. From environmental factors like nearby transport links and the hum of servers, to reverberation issues caused by reflective surfaces like walls, floors or tables that seemingly amplifying the sounds of voices and phones as they bounce around inside the space. The most likely entrance points for unwanted external noise are doors and windows, and internally the most common points are thin partitions between office spaces, ventilation ducts or suspended ceilings. Reverberation issues are typically the fault of tiled, wood or marble floors, masonry or concrete walls and wooden or tiled ceilings that are very good at reflecting sounds back into the room causing them to reverberate. Accordingly it is important to address the right sound issue with the correct solution as these will differ greatly depending on the source of the noise and the general environment created by the office space. Thus, environmental factors, leading to either unwanted airborne or impact noise, should be addressed by installing effective sound or acoustic insulation solutions to prevent the transfer of sound through the walls, ceiling, floor or through other areas of entry like doors, windows or even ducting and vents. Problems with doors or windows are typically solved by adding addition panes of glass, or heavy "barrier" curtains and by using thicker or solid doors that are tightly sealed around the door frame. Sound Absorption issues should be addressed by installing acoustic absorption panels that reduce the overall volume of reflective surfaces and absorb these unwanted reflections to effectively deaden the space. Carpets, although not always the most aesthetically pleasing option, can also greatly help to reduce the volume of noise reflected off the floor. For example, a common soundproofing issue is caused by suspended ceilings that allow a flanking path (where the offending sound takes the path of least resistance around solid objects) over the top of partitioned walls and create a problem both in terms of the unwanted noise it creates, along with possible issues of confidentiality that occur if private conversations are able to be heard in adjoining rooms. This is a relatively simple fix using acoustic insulating foam to create an additional barrier in the cavity above the suspended ceiling. So whilst there are many different ways in which unwanted sounds can penetrate and reverberate around office spaces, there are also a myriad of effective solutions to reduce and control these nuisance noises.
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