Soundproofing a Psychologist’s Office [Case Study]

Updated March 27, 2024 We often receive messages from individuals, businesses, and organizations describing their noise problems and asking about applicable solutions. Every space has unique soundproofing and sound absorption needs but, more often than not, there are materials available to mitigate their issues. One such letter comes from a psychologist in Missouri who’s worried their clients might be audible from other rooms. We’ve included the message here, along with some key techniques for preventing psychologist office noise transfer. Whether you’re worried about excess sound in an office, clinic, or any other setting, these solutions can help prevent noise transfer and are applicable to a wide variety of spaces.

A Concerned Letter from C.C.

I have a psychological office in St. Louis. Mostly our clients do not talk loud, however, sometimes our clients are brain injured and they make quite a bit of noise. In other rooms, counseling might be going on. We are in a three story building with regular tiles above, and when we moved in, they put extra insulation over the wall joists, but I knew that wouldn’t do it. We are getting busier, and I don’t know what to do. I’m thinking of white noise, I don’t know if we have enough money for new tiles, and I don’t think I want to change the foam stuff that I would put in, instead of the landlord, who would probably nix the whole idea. We have four offices that are affected, all about 9×12 or a little larger. Do you have any ideas or persons I could contact in st. Louis? Or types of companies? Or heavy materials that maybe I could put on top of the tiles between the rooms? I feel like I can only whisper when I talk about things/people because they might be able to hear us. Looking forward to your post. C.C. St. Louis, MO

First Off, Identify Escape Points

The first step in quelling sound transfer is to find out where it’s escaping from. Noise in a room works a lot like water in a fish tank—with even the slightest hole, it’ll keep spilling out until there’s nothing left. Since C.C. is specifically asking about a psychologist’s office, we considered the general design of clinics, offices, and exam rooms and identified some main points of sound transfer:

• The ceiling – Far more often than not, offices and clinics have standard drop-in ceiling tiles. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this design, such tiles are generally outdated and have minimal sound-reflecting qualities.
• The walls – Pull out one of those drop-in tiles and check your interior walls. Oftentimes, they won’t reach from floor to ceiling—leaving a major highway for sound to cruise through between rooms.
• The door – Darken your room and see if any light leaks in from the hallway. Even the smallest air gaps can lead to significant noise transfer, so you’ll want to seal them up.

Check all of these common culprits for potential sound loss. Then, when you’ve isolated the issues you have in your space, you can move on to “patching the holes,” so to speak, and remedying your noise issues.

Keeping Sound Within the Walls of a Psychologist’s Office

Once you know the source, you can find a solution. Below, we’ll break down potential issues and explain some effective products that can solve your noise problems once and for all.

Prevent Noise Transmission Through Your Ceiling with a Barrier-Decoupler

As mentioned in the letter, C.C.’s office has a regular drop ceiling with traditional, non-noise-blocking tiles. Such is the case with many offices, classrooms, and clinics. Instead of replacing the entire ceiling (mentioned by C.C. to be cost-prohibitive), there are simpler solutions. A barrier-decoupler is a kind of noise barrier that can go in between your drop ceiling and the structural ceiling above. It comes in 54-inch wide rolls in either 20- or 30-foot lengths. To cut it to size, simply grab a pair of sharp scissors or a utility knife and slice right through. Installing a barrier-decoupler is just as easy as cutting it—simply lay it atop your current tiles and you’re ready to go. They work because the mass-loaded vinyl significantly increases the weight of your ceiling and adds an extra layer of dense material to absorb sound. Density makes it difficult for noise to move through a surface. It’s the same reason why the traditional insulation around C.C.’s wall joists, which is mostly air, isn’t doing much to prevent sound transfer. A few quick tips to note before pulling down your ceiling tiles and rolling out your barrier-decoupler include:

• The mass-loaded vinyl has a Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating of 26, so it’ll stop an average of 26 dBa from passing through—about the same amount as a well-built wall.
• The added mass of a barrier-decoupler will significantly weigh down your ceiling so, for those with 2-foot by 4-foot tiles, you may need to add a T-bar across their center to prevent bowing.
• For spaces where the interior walls only go as high as the drop ceiling, this solution is a great start in preventing most major noise transmission between rooms—especially when paired with the next couple of solutions.

Seal Your Doors to Prevent Noise Transfer

Using an adjustable door seal kit is a quick and cost-effective solution for minimizing sound transmission through your entryways. If noise transfer is a major concern in your space, you’ll want these surface-mounted seals in every room. To install, first determine whether you have hollow-core or solid-core doors. Then, simply grab the standard kit (½-inch thick) for a hollow core or the heavy-duty kit (⅞-inch thick) for a solid one and cut them to fit perfectly around your door (a carbide-tipped saw blade will slice through them like butter).   Slide the gaskets into place and make sure they’re tight, but the door still has enough space to open and close. Screw the gaskets to the door’s frame starting with the hinge side, then near the handle, and on top. The foot-level seal should slide in last and make solid contact with the floor while still clearing any carpeting or raised segments. For a more detailed look at installing our door seals, you can check out this video. Our door seals have been put to the test in one of the loudest clinical environments possible—St. Boni Pet Hospital, where they were installed on the doors to keep the barks and meows contained. Other, roll-and-stick style door kits may be slightly easier when it comes to installation, but they don’t provide the tight seal of our heavy-duty gaskets and, ultimately, allow for more noise transfer.¹ So, bust out the miter saw and screw gun—confidentiality is well worth the effort.

Utilize White Noise to Increase Ambient Sound

Ambient sound from a white noise machine makes it more difficult to discern what others are saying—especially when it’s already muffled by noise-absorbing materials. The soothing tone they create is similar to a fan or air conditioner and each covers a 12-foot by 12-foot room. The best part? There’s no installation required. Simply plug them in and enjoy the added privacy they bring.

Silence Sound Issues in Your Office, Clinic, or Elsewhere with Acoustical Surfaces

If you’re dealing with sound issues in your home, workplace, or anywhere else, there are plenty of materials available to help contain and minimize the noise. Barrier-decouplers, door seals, and white noise machines are exceptional choices for clinical environments—but they’re just the tip of the sound control iceberg. From acoustic panels to soundproof curtains, Acoustical Surfaces is here to help with all your noise issues. Contact us about your sound problems and we can help create a custom solution that fits your space and budget.   Sources: 

1. Audimute. ACOUSTIC DOOR SEAL KIT. https://www.audimute.com/

Additional Resources

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Solutions to Common Noise Problems

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