Imagine: A day without loud background noise and distraction from loud colleagues. More and more companies are turning to measures such as noise-cancelling headsets, but this often means that communication between colleagues falls by the wayside. But how can you reduce noise pollution in the office? It's not that difficult!
Why are good room acoustics important in the office?
Good room acoustics are important because they can make the difference between being comfortable and uncomfortable in a room. Poor room acoustics can lead to background noise that makes conversation difficult or prevents you from concentrating at all. In an environment with optimised room acoustics, on the other hand, it is much easier to concentrate on what you are doing. Good room acoustics are also important because they can help improve the quality of life. In a room with poor acoustics, noise can be unpleasant and cause stress. In a room with good acoustics, on the other hand, you feel comfortable and relaxed. So room acoustics are important for both communication and well-being. Fortunately, there are some simple ways to improve room acoustics. Here are five ideas you can use to reduce reverberation in rooms.
5 tips for improving room acoustics
Tip 1: Curtains instead of pleated blinds
Curtains, drapes and other textile soundproofing measures can help to keep out noise from outside and improve the acoustics inside the room. Curtain fabrics should be heavy enough to effectively keep out noise, but not so heavy that they impede the sound waves in the room. Even commercially available curtains bring a noticeable improvement in most cases.
Tip 2: Placement of furniture
Placing furniture strategically can help absorb noise in the room and improve overall acoustics. For example, bookshelves can be placed along the walls to absorb noise and break up the sound waves in the room. Sofas and armchairs can be placed in the middle of the room to better absorb sound.
Tip 3: Carpet instead of parquet
Carpets can help to absorb noise in the room and improve the overall acoustics. If possible, carpets should be placed so that they cover most of the floor. If it is not possible to lay carpet tiles over a large area, deep-pile carpets can also help, for example, placed under conference tables. You can also create visual highlights with decorative deep-pile carpets.
Tip 4: Use soft surfaces
Use soft surfaces instead of hard surfaces such as wood or stone. Examples of soft surfaces are fabrics such as velvet or polyester. These absorb the sound waves in the room better and create less reverberation. Soft surfaces can be attached to the walls or used as rugs, curtains or cushions.
Tip 5: Use highly effective sound absorbers
Professional sound absorbers are the best and most effective way to improve room acoustics. Their different sizes, shapes and colours, as well as the ability to mount them on the ceiling and wall, make them very flexible to use.
The effectiveness and sound absorption values of Lindner's MUTE+® sound absorbers have been measured and confirmed for many dimensions by accredited laboratories.
What this means for you is that the results of optimising room acoustics can be planned and calculated right from the start.