If you own or manage an office of any sort, you may know the importance of adding soundproofing to the space. Workers can easily get distracted by ringing phones, the conversation of others, and noise coming from outside. In turn, they may work less effectively, be less productive through the day, and suffer from headaches and other physical discomfort due to all the noise. There are some easy, effective, and affordable ways to soundproof your office space; note a few simple suggestions here.

1. Use curtains or fabric blinds

Fabric absorbs noise, whereas hard surfaces and materials such as plastic or metal can bounce sound waves around. If your office has plastic or metal blinds, switch to curtains, which will absorb more sound. If you must use blinds, try fabric blinds. These too can absorb more sound than metal or plastic blinds.

2. Add film to glass

Very thin glass may do little to insulate a space against sound, which is why you might consider adding sound-insulating film to all glass areas in your office. This can include the inside of building windows so your staff isn't as distracted by outside noise. You can also add film to glass walls around a conference room, glass windows to offices, and the like. The more glass areas you cover with sound-insulating film, the quieter the space.

3. Use fabric panels

If you have the budget, you might add panels to the tops of cubicle walls; if they're fabric covered, they will absorb more sound overall. You can also add fabric panels as artwork. Rather than hanging a picture behind a glass pane and frame, choose art on canvasses instead. The fabric material will absorb more sound than glass frames. There are even acoustic fabrics you can buy that can be stretched over pin boards you might have around the office, which can then add to the sound insulation of your space.

4. Add ceiling clouds

A ceiling cloud is a product you would buy from a company specializing in building acoustics. It's a drop panel that hangs from the ceiling that may resemble artwork, but which is made from a material designed to absorb sound waves. You can add these over conference rooms, phone banks, the reception area or lobby, or any area that produces the most noise in your office. They will keep the sound waves from carrying and also may reduce noise produced from the floor overhead.

Implementing these ideas will help keep the noise level down in your office so you and your employees can focus on work.