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The sound of silence: How to design a quiet home offi ce
In today’s increasingly digital world, it’s
no surprise that more employees are opting
to work from home. While there may
be a shift of physical locations - from the
offi ce building to the home - productivity
is still paramount, making the need for
quiet home workspaces more important
than ever.
“As urbanization continues, builders
and developers are focused on optimizing
available land, which results in more
homes, apartments and condos built
near highways and airports,” says Mark
Montgomery, vice president of marketing
for leading window manufacturer Ply
Gem Windows. “Th e convergence of telecommuting
and higher noise levels means
there’s a growing need to enhance homeowner
comfort with noise reduction technology.”
If your workspace needs a sound makeover,
consider the following tips. For even
more information on home improvement
solutions, check out websites like www.
plygem.com.
Think from the outside in
Everyday sounds like traffi c, trains,
leaf blowers, music, barking dogs or car
alarms may go unnoticed on the weekends,
but can easily interrupt conference
calls and concentration during the busy
workweek.
To cut down on outside noise, look
for windows with Sound Transmission
Class (STC) rating. A typical single hung
window unit without sound control glass
has an average STC rating of 27. Sound
control glass packages, on window lines
like Ply Gem’s 1500 Brickmould Vinyl
Collection, have ratings of up to STC 35.
Th is reduces outside noise by approximately
40 percent when compared to single
hung window units with no protection.
“STC glass packages may not be necessary
for every window in the home, but
should be considered for the rooms where
the reduction of unwanted noise is most
important - like the home offi ce and bedrooms,”
advises Montgomery.
As an added bonus, according to the
Department of Energy, new windows
will boost curb appeal, reduce maintenance
and can signifi cantly improve your
home’s energy effi ciency.
Insulate the interior ...
and the exterior
If your home offi ce space shares a
paper-thin wall with, for instance, a loud
family room television, adding batt wall
insulation for new homes, or blown-in
insulation for existing homes, will help
blanket sounds and temper vibrations.
For homes that face busy roadways,
insulated vinyl siding is another solution.
Look for options made with a premium,
recycled-content vinyl siding panel permanently
bonded with polystyrene (EPS)
foam insulation. Th is wraps the home
with continuous insulation to cover the
entire exterior envelope - including wall
studs where air and sound can penetrate.
Another quick fi x for insulating the
home offi ce is to install a solid core wood
or molded interior door. Many standard
interior doors are hollow, which means
that sounds pass through more easily.
Solid core doors, which are thicker than
hollow doors, act as a noise blocker. Once
installed, make sure to surround the door
with weather-stripping to fi ll any holes
or gaps.
By keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be
well on your way to creating a quiet home
offi ce retreat and defending your workspace
from unwanted interruptions.
Courtesy BPT
To create a quiet home offi ce retreat, consider features like sound control window glass, insulated
vinyl siding or interior wall insulation.