ᐅ Insulating an Ikea Expedit Desk

Hi!

I attached two IKEA Expedit desks to a shelving unit, one on the right and one on the left side of an IKEA Expedit shelf. On the first evening in the newly set-up office, I noticed how loud this desk is.

When my partner and I both type at the same time, the noise is quite strong. If you place a glass down, it sounds like hammering a nail. I suspect this loud sound comes from the hollow construction and would like to add some sound insulation to the desk. Not just for my own sake, but also because we had neighbors at the door on the very first evening asking us to stop the noise.

Is it possible to spray some foam insulation into the desk surface at a hidden spot, or would the wood not be able to handle that load? I’m open to other soundproofing ideas as well 🙂 Thanks in advance for your replies.

Hi...,

I think this will be extremely difficult with the insulation foam since it is a closed honeycomb system. You would have to drill into each honeycomb cell and fill it... furthermore, any warranty claims on this item would no longer be valid. A thick desk mat would be a better and simpler solution.

Best regards

There is now a thick desk pad on it, but it doesn’t really help. This thing has better acoustics than my sound system. It’s a pity that the foam solution probably won’t work, so I guess only a new desk remains.
Still, thanks for the quick response.

Already found an answer? The thread is a bit old... 😀

Have you tried attaching felt pads to the underside of the Expedit? Felt furniture gliders are available in various sizes and shapes. Distributing several of these evenly should help decouple the floor.

Rubber mats under the keyboard should reduce the noise slightly (in computers, they also minimize vibrations from the hard drive being transmitted to the case). But actually, this model is well suited as a desk because you shouldn’t skimp on office furniture.

But seriously, how do you type on your keyboard? Do you pound on it as if with a hammer, causing the neighbors to come knocking? I only know that from listening to music that’s too loud.

I would also recommend using rubber mats. You can remove them again, and they usually provide at least some relief. Let us know what you decide and if it helped.