FAQ: How To Control Office Echo

Office echo can turn a simple conference call into a noisy mess. Find out how solutions such as wall panels and acoustic ceiling products can reduce this noise pollution for better communication in the workplace:

Q:           We have a 12' x 12' conference room that is glass on 3 walls and drywall on one. The ceiling is also drywall and there is carpet on the floor. As you can imagine, this room is an echo chamber and doesn't work very well for conference calls. I'm thinking of installing some acoustic panels on the one wall with drywall on either side of the 60" mounted television. Will this make much difference? How can I cut down on the office echo?

A:            We get questions about offices like this a lot. A room echo makes it hard to focus when you’re in the same room, let alone on a conference call. Whether you’re trying to do business with new clients or open up the lines of communication among a team over a phone call, it can be hard to manage when the room echoes the conversation back over the receiver.>

You are right to think that some Acoustic Panels will help in this room. Having panels on just one wall, however, will most likely not be enough. Panels work to absorb high pitch frequencies and reverberation, but with so many untreatable walls remaining you may want to explore acoustic ceiling products as well.

We offer both ceiling clouds and ceiling baffles specifically for spaces that don’t have enough treatable wall space. Baffles hang vertically from the ceiling and tend to work best in larger rooms with tall ceilings. Ceiling Clouds can be positioned over the table to keep sounds from bouncing off of the hard tabletop, up to the ceiling, and over to the walls. It can also help to absorb sounds that are reflected off of the glass and towards the ceiling.

A combination of fabric sound panels and acoustical clouds should be enough to take the harsh reverb out of the room and reduce office echo to make it much easier to hold a conversation and conference call.

If you’re having echo issues in your home or office, check out our acoustical ceiling solutions and acoustic art panels, or call an Acoustic Specialist at (866) 505-MUTE for personalized advice.