How to Soundproof a Door
Walls, ceilings and floors are relatively standard to soundproof, but what about your doors? Having a large hole in the soundproofing in your room can seriously compromise its effectiveness. Here we offer hints and tips on soundproofing doors.
The door is, of course, the biggest opening in most places that anyone would tend to soundproof and most people fail to realize that the doorway tends to be one of the most usual ways to let sound into the house. Instead of ignoring it, it would be advisable to prioritize the doorway whenever one is embarking on a soundproofing project. There are many ways of soundproofing the doorway, and the good news is that very few are expensive.
Use of Solid Core Doors
In our opinion, the best way to soundproof a door in your home or office would be to install a solid core door instead of a hollow core door. Also attaching a rubber door sweep that is tight enough on the floor would seal the lower gap completely. There are many other ways of soundproofing the doorway because installing a solid core door can be expensive.
The below picture is a standard internal door cut in half to show how hollow the inside is:
Seal All the Gaps and Cracks
Gaps and cracks on the door are to be blamed for letting sound through the doorway. Most doors have cracks and gaps, and when you are looking to soundproof the door, you should try to seal them first. The challenge here would be to identify gaps and cracks especially when these are too tiny. We would, therefore, recommend that you ensure the room is dark and watch out for any light passing through the small cracks and gaps from outside. Sealing these cracks is easy since you can use the insulating sealant and in case the gaps are too small, you may want to use Red Devil Small Gap Foam.
Use Weather Stripping Tape on the Door
This tape is usually made from sound absorbing materials such as fibreglass. They are cheap and easy to install, they come with an adhesive that allows you to easily install. It would be good to ensure that you get enough compression while installing the tape to make sure that an airtight seal is formed between the door and the tape since we are relying on this seal for keeping noise out.
Use a Soundproof Blanket
These blankets are also made from fibreglass. Heavy soundproof blankets will absorb much of the sound. The blankets are easy to install, all you are required to do is hang them onto hooks on the back of your door. They are a good choice since it is possible to put them up and take them down at will. A mass-loaded vinyl product such as Tecsound is also a good option for this.
Soundproofing Curtains
Curtains make good sound absorbers since they are made of thick materials with the capability of dampening the impact of sound. When soundproofing your door, you may decide to use curtains that are specially designed to keep sound away and using them on the doorway will block out most of the unnecessary noise.
The Ultimate Solution
Here at Soundstop we have a collection of ready made solutions which will provide you with tried and tested methods - from retrofit soundproofing kits, to full stud quality soundproof doors.
