What is Sound Masking?

In order for a business to be successful and profitable, it must designate resources strategically and utilize them efficiently. Gauging employee productivity is one means of determining the return a business is getting from its investment in human resources. Call center or telemarketing environments make up one area in which employee performance is measured quite literally, using metrics such as the number of calls made, average length of time taken to resolve issues or the concrete dollar value of revenue generated. Companies are increasingly beginning to realize something that many studies have already concluded: a person’s work environment can impact performance as well as job satisfaction.

Telemarketing centers and other large, open office environments are designed to maximize physical space, which often equates to a number of people working in close proximity to one another. Massive rooms brimming with cubicles in which employees must hear and speak over a drone of distracting background noise are not uncommon today. Owners and managers of companies utilizing such office environments are increasingly realizing the negative effects that noisy surroundings can have on employee productivity, and taking action to improve upon the work environment they provide for workers. In large, open office environments, controlling distracting background noise to allow for better focus is becoming a key concern in the minds of managers and business owners.

Minimizing distracting background noise in an office environment can be accomplished in several ways, one of which is the implementation of sound masking technology. Sound masking is a modern sound reduction method which introduces a comfortable background sound that masks inflections in surrounding voices and other distractions to provide a greater level of privacy to individuals in open office environments. Sound masking emitters are installed in strategic locations throughout an open office or call center environment to drown out distractions and provide for a quieter work environment that is conducive to concentration and productivity.

Sound masking is an innovative sound control option that is being increasingly implemented as open office environments become more abundant and greater emphasis is being placed on employee productivity and satisfaction. Sound masking products may be used in combination with other soundproofing treatments such as absorptive panels to control reverberations and further reduce the overall background noise levels within a room. Due to the unique needs of individual office environments, it is advised to consult with a reputable soundproofing supplier prior to attempting to implement sound masking or any other soundproofing solution.

About the Author: Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of soundproofing products, sound reduction treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

Noise Reduction Solutions for Offices

Noise transmission is a common challenge faced in multiple inhabitant office environments. Individual office enclosures commonly consist of thin walls or a practical arrangement of partitions, neglecting to provide privacy among workers. A practical arrangement for space efficiency is not always the most effective for maintaining privacy in the office or providing employees with a pleasant work environment where they can concentrate. Multiple wall and ceiling soundproofing solutions are available that can drastically reduce noise transmission and enable a quieter and more private work setting when installed as recommended by a soundproofing expert.

For an office that has existing walls, a treatment which increases density with dB-Bloc heavy vinyl and establishes a disconnection with the wall surface can help prevent noise bleed between rooms with common walls. This option entails a fairly simple process of mounting a second layer of drywall over dB-Bloc and a disconnected framing structure that can be applied to new build or existing walls to break up sound waves. Acoustical wall coverings can also be applied to slow voice reflections down within a room to provide greater clarity and protection in an open office environment.

Offices consisting of a large room divided into smaller sections, such as a cubicle setup, cause audible noise transmission which can be distracting to workers in the vicinity. Cubicles can be replaced with cubicle desk systems and office furniture designed specifically to weaken noise exposure in heavy phone activity environments such as call centers and busy offices. If upgrading to a complete noise reduction office system is not an option, retractable sound barrier curtains can be used to divide a room and reduce sound travel through different sections, resulting in increased privacy.

Wall treatments for noise reduction are most effective when utilized in combination with modifications to the ceiling, a common surface allowing sound to travel between rooms. A variety of sound absorbent ceiling tiles are available that can either accompany or replace the panels used in typical grid style ceilings. Ceiling Caps can be inserted above an existing ceiling tile to help place an acoustic “lid” over your room to prevent the bleed of noise through an existing drop grid ceiling tile system. For new grid systems, there are also Granite Tiles that serve to deaden the bleed of noise in or out of a loud office environment. Always consult a professional to determine whether the current ceiling structure can support the additional weight associated with the installation of any ceiling treatment.

Confidential administrative business such as executive meetings, negotiations and interviews can be conducted without the risk of being overheard or interrupted by extraneous noise. Additionally, worker satisfaction and productivity can be positively affected by the institution of noise reduction treatments in an office.

About the Author: Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of acoustic products, sound reduction treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.