Speech Privacy: How To Soundproof an Office

James CoxJames began his acoustical career over 25 years ago as a project manager, focusing on sound attenuation with operable and accordion partitions. He transitioned into specified product sales, creating solutions for designers and contractors. Outside of work, James enjoys activities with his kids and exploring Richmond.1-800-782-5742 Ext. 0122

The Problem

Typically, budget is the biggest concern when building offices, conference rooms and patient exam rooms. Because of this, many offices do not provide speech privacy. Keeping sensitive information and conversations private requires a construction assembly intentionally designed to block sound from one space to another. Human Resource issues require discussions to be private. Company strategies may need to be kept secret and confidential. Health issues should be between only the patient and their health care professional, not overheard by the patient in the next room.

A 1% opening in a wall or doorway will reduce the effectiveness of that barrier by 50%.

Containing the Sound of Speech Within the Room

Sound may pass through, under and around office doors that do not have acoustical seals.
In open plenum space office designs, sound simply flanks over partition walls that do not go all the way up to the roof deck. Sound travels easily travels through standard drop tile ceiling tiles, light fixtures and air vents. This sound reflects back off of the roof deck and down into the adjacent office space or exam room. You can hear every word uttered by the person in the next-door office. You can often hear this occur while you wait for a doctor in their exam room.
In offices that are located on the outside perimeter of the office space with windows running the length of building, sound can be reflected off of the window glass and bounce into the adjacent office through gaps between the drywall and the window.

PrivacyShield® Noise Insulation Class (NIC)

Solutions

Acoustical Solutions offers a variety of products that will assist in soundproofing an office and improve speech privacy by eliminating sources of sound leakage.

The three products shown below increase speech privacy by preventing sound from traveling through a drop tile ceiling grid and over into an adjacent space.

PrivacyShield® Ceiling Tile Barrier

The PrivacyShield® Ceiling Tile Barrier is a unique collection of sound blocking materials for use in a ceiling grid’s plenum space. These pre-cut tiles are available in either a 2'x2' or 2'x4' tile. The layers of these tiles contain a polyester decoupler, a mass loaded sound barrier and a fire retardant fabric backing. These tiles fit perfectly to fit on top of standard drop tile ceiling tiles.

Buy This Product

PrivacyShield Plenum Return Silencer G2, when placed over an existing air return grill, reduces the amount of sound that transfers into open plenum spaces, increasing speech privacy.

PrivacyShield® Plenum Return Silencers

These air return silencers fit over standard plenum returns in drop tile suspended ceiling systems. They block and absorb sound while still allowing air to flow into and out of the office.

Buy This Product

PrivacyShield® Light Hoods

Light hoods fit over standard sized 2'x2' or 2'x4' light fixtures. These hoods have slits in the sides that maintain air flow and allow heat from the lights to dissipate into the plenum area. These are available in sizes to cover a 2'x2' or 2'x4' light fixture in an existing ceiling grid.

Buy This Product

Acoustic Door seal kits install around the door jamb and at the bottom of the door. These products close gaps and provide an air tight seal against the door, preventing the sound from passing, which is a key component of speech privacy.

In addition to be above materials, any seams or gaps in the construction of the room may be sealed with OSI® SC-175 Acoustical Caulk. This helps block sound transmission by sealing gaps and non-moving joints between the drywall and windows, doors and electrical boxes.

If sound appears to be passing directly through the partition walls, you may also need to consider soundproofing the walls.

To take this a step further, adding acoustical panel kits will reduce echo to create a better sounding interior space.

Summary

In conclusion, when you can treat an office or exam room with the right products that eliminate noise leakage, the office truly becomes a private office. Please click on the link below to review a case study of Tandem Mental Health Associates, a counseling and therapy office that utilized these products to create the confidential office environment needed to keep their patient’s trust.

It is important to note that all of PrivacyShield® products carry a Class A per ASTM E84 (UL 723) fire rating, independently tested by outside laboratories.

To learn more about how Acoustical Solutions can solve your noise control problems, use our contact form, call one of our Acoustical Sales Consultants at (800) 782-5742, or visit us on the web at acousticalsolutions.com.

More to explore:

Sound Blocking