Well, in this post, I’ll walk you through the cost-effective soundproofing methods that will help you enhance productivity even when working from your home office.

Being your own boss is perhaps the best feeling for people with an entrepreneurial blend of mind

Correct me, if I’m wrong.

From my childhood, it was my dream to work for myself. 

As a soundproof consultant with a decade of experience, I can say that working from a home office isn’t as easy as you think.

In fact, your performance can drastically reduce if you haven’t customized your home office against loud noises and other distractions.

Soundproofing your home office is one of the many options you’ve when it comes to dampening external as well as internal noises.

For temporary relief, you may opt for a white noise machine/fan, noise-canceling headphones, ear plug, etc.

But, if I’ve to talk in the context of the permanent solution, then the best option would be soundproofing your home office.

As a mother of two kids, it was really difficult for me to work from home office because of the kids’ ruckus and the dog’s barking.

Well, my pet is my third kid and if you’re a pet owner then you must know what it takes to manage a dog.

As discussed earlier, there are many ways to soundproof a home office still I would recommend you to go for cost-effective permanent soundproofing solutions.

However, if you’re a tenant then you need to take permission from your landlord to do any modification in your home office.

Anyway, you don’t have to worry, we’ll be discussing the methods that would help you to soundproof your home office without any modification.

Trust me, I’m not blabbering, it is quite possible to dampen the external noise without doing any modification in the home office.

I’ve done it for my home office, so why can’t you?

Even before starting the soundproofing home office project, I would like to ask you a few questions.

What percentage of the external noise do you want to dampen?

Is your home office in the vicinity of a high-traffic zone, an airport, or a railway engine?

If the answer is yes, then you would have to certainly walk an extra mile to soundproof your home office.

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the cost-effective methods that will help you to create a noise-free environment.

So, the question remains the same, how to soundproof a home office cheaply?

Soundproof Home Office: How To Do It Cost-Effectively?

Well, I’ve come up with 10 soundproofing ideas that will definitely help you to achieve the epitome of silence.

Needless to say, most of the ideas are budget-friendly and can be implemented without any professional help.

Seal the Gap

In my previous article on how to soundproof a room cheaply, I’ve highlighted the importance of sealing all types of gaps, holes, and cracks.

Even the smallest of the gaps can spoil the outcome of the project if left open.

I’m assuming that you’re aware of the fact that sound needs a medium such as air, water, etc. to travel from the source to the destination.

Gaps, holes, and cracks act as a medium for the sound waves and allow them to traverse inside the room.

Inspect your home office for the holes in the walls, ceilings, and most importantly, in the vicinity of the doors & windows.

Needless to say, this process is time-consuming, but once you’re done with figuring out the holes, cracks, and gaps, the remaining steps are quite easy.

You can select sealant from a variety of options available on the market.

However, I prefer fiberglass bat insulation (Check the Current Price On Amazon) over its counterparts because of its effectiveness and long-lasting features.

The insulation of fiberglass isn’t as difficult as it may seem.

I’m attaching a self-explanatory video for your perusal.

Soundproof the Door

I’ve written an in-depth article on soundproofing interior doors, and in the article, I’ve explained about solid doors, solid core doors, and hollow doors.

I can give you in writing that the success of your home office soundproofing project depends to a large extent on how well the doors and windows are soundproofed.

At times, soundproofing a door can be quite challenging.

There are a couple of ways to soundproof hollow doors.

Select the one that caters to your needs.

Weatherstrip is a cost-effective way to soundproof the door.

The installation of a weatherstrip is quite easy.

I would recommend you place it on your door jam.

Since it comes with an adhesive you don’t need to buy any soundproofing adhesive.

Weatherstrips are made of materials such as fiberglass so you can expect a tangible reduction in the unwanted noise.

Fiberglass is also good at absorbing noises, so you can expect weatherstrip to absorb a certain percentage of airborne noise.

As a result, you’ll get rid of echoes, reverbs, and vibrations.

Although Weatherstrip doesn’t absorb all the noise still it does a good job.

I’m sure that this self-explanatory video on soundproofing doors will help you.

A soundproof door blanket could be a good alternative to a weatherstrip.

These moving blankets are well known for their thickness and weight.

You can install these heavy blankets behind the door and the result will definitely surprise you.

If your office door is a hollow one and you’ve got a decent budget to spend on soundproofing your home office then I would recommend you replace your existing door with a solid door or a solid core door whichever works for you.

A draft stopper (Check the Current Price On Amazon) will be needed if you want to place carpet under the door of your home office.

The good thing about this draft stopper is that it will glide across the bottom of the carpet to provide insulation against sound.

Nowadays, you’ll find quite a good number of draft stoppers made of soundproofing materials, and they perform extremely well against unwanted noise by decreasing their intensity.

If your home office is in the vicinity of high traffic zone areas such as an airport then I would recommend you to fix an additional solid core door.

It will act as an additional protection layer against the unwanted noise.

However, it depends upon your budget as well as requirements.

Soundproof Air Vent

Have you overlooked air vents while soundproofing your home?

If so, then you’re doing a BIG mistake.

 Especially, newbies wouldn’t be aware of the fact that air vents are one of the biggest holes in your walls. 

As we all know, sound uses air as a medium to traverse so air vents are used as a passage by the sound waves to travel in and out of your home office.

And, now you know the drawbacks of air vents so, sealing them wouldn’t be a big deal.

In fact, air vents are the biggest ways through which noise passes into your office.

There are a couple of cost-effective ways to block the air vents.

Expanding foam or other soundproofing materials could be used to block the air vents.

However, I prefer to build a sound maze in the vent.

The good thing about this sound maze is that it will retain the airflow and dampen the noise passing through the vents.

Soundproof Windows

Similar to the doors, the thin pane windows could be a BIG problem.

Unfortunately, the thin glasses in the window pane don’t have the capability to dampen the unwanted noise especially if you’re living in a high-traffic zone such as near an airport, a railway station, etc.

There are many ways to soundproof windows, and you can select the one that caters to your needs as well as suits your budget.

If you’re looking for a high-end solution then I would advise you to buy soundproof windows and get it fitted professionally.

Nonetheless, If you’re not aware of the soundproof windows then let me tell you, these are double-paned windows separated by a spacer.

These heavy acoustic drapes will not only block the external noise but will also absorb the airborne noise.

As a result, you’ll not only find a tangible decrease in the external noise but also, an improvement in the acoustic properties of your room.

Don’t Ignore Floor

Most of you will not be aware of the fact that the floor is one of the worst sources of noise that you can have in your home office.

Especially if the surface of the floor is hard such as wood, then it will lead to echoes.

The problem with the hard surface is that it reflects sound and as a result, any sound in your home office will be reflected back.

As the name suggests, these soft rugs will absorb the reflected sound making your home office soundproof.

Even you can place some soft rugs outside your office.

These rugs will absorb the noise before it will enter your home office.

 Well, but, what you’ll do if the noise would be coming underneath your home office? 

It may happen if your office is above the laundry room or garage.

In that case, install an acoustic board (Check the Current Price On Amazon) under your floor carpet.

These acoustic boards are made of sound-absorbing materials.

When you place them under the carpet, they will absorb the sound and thus, you’ll a decrease in the intensity of the noise.

Nevertheless, it is a time-consuming process but worth every penny spent.

To know more, you can check out our article on soundproofing floors.

Dampen Echoes in Your Home Office

Especially if your home office is big then echoes can be an additional source of noise that can prevent you from concentrating on your work.

Reducing echoes will not only improve the quality of sound in your room but will also impact the noise coming from outside.

Of course, in a positive way.

Before you start the soundproofing process, I would recommend you execute a simple experiment to check whether your home office is prone to echoes or not.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to perform a tedious task.

Simply yell as loud as you can and listen for the echoes afterward.

If you hear echoes then you don’t have an option but to fix it.

As mentioned earlier, fixing the echoes isn’t as difficult as it seems to be.

Install a plush rug on the floor that will absorb any sound rather than reflect it.

The canvas art gallery is something that I recommend my clients (Check the Current Price On Amazon) to install on the walls. 

Needless to say, by installing soundproof curtains on the windows and doors, you’ll find a decrease in the bouncing of the sound waves.

In short, the secret to dealing with the echoes is to add thick and soft materials across the home office.

Once you’re done with your setup, I would advise you to perform a simple experiment that would help you to check the effectiveness of the setup.

Go to your bathroom and play music on the loud pitch.

Since the bathroom is a high echo zone the probability is very high that you wouldn’t hear the words clearly.

Then, play the same music in your home office and check for the difference.

Check whether you’re able to hear the words clearly or not.

It’s a free-of-cost experiment and anyone can perform it.

Soundproof Ceiling

The soundproof ceiling is definitely not a “must-do” part of a soundproof home office project.

Moreover, it goes without saying that it will add to the cost of the project, and if you’re on a shoestring budget then I would recommend you to skip this section.

However, it definitely adds to the overall soundproofing of your home office.

On the contrary, soundproofing the ceiling becomes the top priority if you’re experiencing lots of noise from the room above your office.

Soundproofing a ceiling is a time-consuming project.

It involves attaching drywall to the ceiling with the help of the frame.

First and foremost, you’ll need to build a wooden frame and attach it to the ceiling.

Once done, add a layer of drywall to the frame and you’re done.

If you’re new to the soundproofing domain and not aware of drywall, then let me tell you, drywall aka wallboard is nothing but a panel used in the construction of the ceilings and interior walls.

It is made of materials that enhance the sound-absorbing capabilities of the panels.

At the same time, the materials used in the manufacturing of the soundproof panels also increase their resistance to fire.

I can assure you that once you’ve installed drywall on the ceilings and walls, you’ll find a significant reduction in the amount of noise that is being transmitted through them.

Another feasible option would be to purchase acoustic ceiling panels.

Similar to the acoustic boards, they are also made of sound-absorbing materials.

In case, you’re very particular about the decor of your home office then this could be a great option for you.

You can choose from a variety of colors, styles, and designs.

Moreover, you’ll have something to choose from that will match your existing decor.

It goes without saying that it will involve loads of work and you’ll need a few helping hands for sure if you want to complete the home office soundproofing on time.

Sound-Absorbing Paints and Wall Foams

Sound-absorbing paint is a topic of debate.

In fact, many of you may be wondering if sound-absorbing paints really exist.

Definitely, paints can help you to dampen noise up to 30%.

There are a couple of companies manufacturing sound-absorbing paints and trust me, they are doing a great job.

Furthermore, redecorating can help you to dampen noise to a great extent.

If sound-absorbing paint doesn’t interest you then you can also give acoustic wall foams a try.

The mechanism of the acoustic foam panel is idiosyncratic.

It reduces the amplitude of the sound waves by increasing air resistance.

These foams have shown satisfactory results when it comes to reducing the amount of noise getting transferred through the walls.

These panels are highly recommended in case the walls of your home office are thin.

To enhance the sound dampening of the walls, you’ll need to hang some fabric paintings on the wall.

Not only these paintings will improve the sound quality of your home office but will also add to the decor of your office.

White Noise Machine

Till now, our focus was on the permanent solution to the unwanted internal and external noises.

Nevertheless, in this section, allow me to walk you through some of the temporary solutions that can do wonders.

A white noise machine is a great way to dampen unwanted noise.

White noise machine produces white noise which is capable of masking any frequency in the range of 20 Hz to 20, 000 Hz.

In layman’s terms, when you switch on the white noise machine, it will produce a constant sound in the background that will help you concentrate on your work without getting distracted by the external noise.

I’ll not deny the fact that the market is saturated with white noise machines and fans.

However, making an informed buying decision is not as difficult as it may seem to be.

Just do some research before making a final decision.

Until and unless you’re very particular about the white noise machine, I wouldn’t recommend you go for a costly machine.

Trust me, even a budget machine will serve the purpose if installed and used in the correct way.

Are you aware of the fact that a white noise machine can be used to get the baby a sound sleep?

Take Measures Against the Structural Noise

Before we dive deep into the structural noise, allow me to brief you about types of noise.

Does it make sense?

There are mainly two types of noises that you need to dampen if you want to achieve the epitome of silence.

Unfortunately, impact noise aka structural noise is bound to create a distraction if you’re in the home office.

The worst part is that these sound waves are capable of traveling through the walls of your home office in the form of vibrations.

To make it simple for you, allow me to explain with an example.

In case, your home office is above a garage then definitely closing and opening of the garage will send some vibrations to your office, right?

I prefer the isolation technique over other soundproofing techniques when it comes to dealing with structural noise.

Especially for the newbies, the process may sound a bit complex.

In this process, you’ll need to separate the layers of the walls in order to dampen the vibrations as it travels through the walls.

The outcome of this process is definitely promising and eventually, the intensity of noise that will reach your home office will be decreased.

In order to achieve a high level of silence, you’ll need to install a layer of drywall on all the walls of your home office.

On the downside, it may lead to some reduction in the space of the home office.

I can assure you that if you follow the aforementioned method then the reduction in the vibration will be tangible and highly noticeable.

Pro Tips: Soundproof Home Office

• As a soundproof consultant with a decade of experience, I always try to educate my clients on the soundproofing topic before discussing with them the various aspects of soundproofing projects.
• In fact, it helps me and my clients to be on the same page.
• Similarly, I would like to explain the difference between sound-deadening and sound-blocking so that it can help you make an informed decision.
• Does it make sense?

Sound-Deadening Vs. Sound Blocking

When I interact with soundproof enthusiasts for the first time, most of them think sound-deadening and sound-blocking are the same, but the reality is that the difference is so significant that if you flip one with the other, the outcome of the project may totally change.

Of course, in the adverse sense.

After interacting with quite a few people, I can say with confidence that most people think of purchasing acoustical panels and placing them on the walls as soon as possible.

And, when they don’t get the desired results they get disheartened and start criticizing either the soundproof consultant or the soundproofing products.

Nonetheless, they didn’t achieve the desired result because of a lack of proper information about both the projects and the products.

These foam panels aren’t the best choice when it comes to blocking the external noise.

It works well in improving the quality of the sound in the room.

Installing the foam panels will definitely prevent the reflection of the sound from the room but by no means, it can block the noise coming from the next room.

So, if your main aim is to block external noise from entering your home office then you would’ve to work towards sealing the gaps, cracks, and holes in order to achieve pin drop of silence.

FAQs

Moving further, I’ll be taking a couple of questions. These questions have been frequently asked by either my clientele or my readers. In case, you also have a similar query, you can mail us.

How can I soundproof my home office with road noise?

• I would recommend you concentrate on blocking external noise such as road noise.
• However, coupling sound-absorbing materials with soundproofing materials will give you optimum output.
• Always remember, to get rid of the external noise, you must seal all the holes, gaps, and cracks.
• And, if the glasses of the window panes are quite thin then install a soundproof window plug and also, hang soundproof curtains.

How much will it cost to soundproof a home office?

• To be honest, there isn’t any hard and fast rule.
• In fact, the budget for soundproofing a home office depends to a large extent on the selection of soundproofing methods as well as soundproofing materials.
• Nonetheless, I’ll try to help you with a rough estimate.
• Does that sound great?
• On average, the cost of soundproofing materials could be somewhere in the range of $150 to $250.
• If you’re involving professional labor in the project then they may cost you around $300.
• Again, it depends, I’m just helping you with a rough estimate.
• You may need some specific tools for the project, and the cost of tools may go up to $100.
• Feel free to contact me, in case, you still have doubts related to the cost or other queries related to the soundproofing of the home office.
• I’ll try my best to reply at the earliest to your emails.

It’s A Wrap

• Working from home is definitely fun if you’re able to concentrate on your work without any distractions.
• Soundproofing a home office definitely needs investment but it will pay you in the long run.
• Since I’ve been working from my home office for quite a little time now though not on a regular basis, I can assure you that soundproofing my home office will definitely make you more productive which will directly reflect in the profit made.
• Especially if you’ve small kids and pets then I would recommend you to soundproof your home office.
• Well, you don’t need to follow all the aforementioned steps to achieve quietness.
• Rather, I would suggest, that you should select the steps from the aforementioned list as per your budget and requirement.
• What are some of your favorite steps to soundproof your home office?
• What is the budget that you’re willing to spend on the soundproofing home office project?
• Did you use any other method than the ones mentioned in this post?
• Let us know your view in the comment section.
• Last but not least, share this piece of information with the ones who are in need of it.
• After all, sharing is caring!

[Also Read]

• How to Soundproof Air Vents