Why Soundproofing Door is Important and How to Soundproof the Door
When you are trying to soundproof your house or office or even studio, you will soundproof the walls, windows, ceilings and also the floor but one place that most of the people forget to soundproof or don't think it's important is Door. Yeah, people don't soundproof the door because they believe that's it's not that important and also not worth soundproofing it.
But they are wrong. All your efforts on soundproofing go in vain if you leave out the door. So in this article, I will be explaining Why Soundproofing the Door is Important and also briefly explain to you how to soundproof the door easily.
Why Soundproofing Door is Important?
Most people ignore soundproofing their door as I had mentioned above and the door is the first place that people have to soundproof, and it completes the whole process.
If you consider soundproofing any place then it's usually because of two reasons, The first reasons are that you are responsible for creating the noise and don't want to disturb your neighbours and another reason is that some space in your home or office is leaking sound signals outside which again is causing issues or disturbing your neighbours.
As we know that doorway is the place where people enter through and also exit, as this happens frequently, a lot of waves generate through the path which makes an oscillation route. This Oscillation route creates a wave-like motion which would routine the process.
So as a sound generates near the door, it penetrates into that oscillation route and exits through the doorway. It makes it very obvious and complicated to block the sound. That is why soundproofing the door should be a priority if you are looking to soundproof any place.
How to Soundproof a Door Easily?
There are a lot of ways to soundproof doors and soundproofing door is not that difficult too compared to other places. Here are some of these easy ways to soundproof a door.
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Seal All the Gaps and Cracks on the Door:
You might not know this, but there are a lot of minute gaps and cracks on the door. These gaps and cracks are not visible to the naked eye. Gaps and Cracks are the main culprits that allow the sound to pass through it.
To Identify Cracks on the Door, do this.
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Turn off the lights in the room.
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Ask some to hold a torchlight on the other side of the closed door.
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If there are gaps or cracks on the door then some light will pass through them.
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Mark them so that you can seal them later.
After you have identified and marked the gaps and cracks, you need to seal them. You can use Insulating Foam Sealant to seal them. This Insulating Sealant is an Airtight sealant so it worked perfectly for this purpose. If it looks different after sealing then you can paint on them.
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Install Door Gasket:
You can use the door gasket to seal the gaps at the jambs and the headers of doors. Door Gaskets work perfectly for this purpose. Just install it, and you are good to go. You can buy Door Gasket in any hardware store or on Amazon.
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Use a Door Sweep:
I would recommend you to use a Door Sweep even after using a Door Gasket. Door Gasket would only block the sound on the header, whereas the footer is the huge gap.
Door Sweep is used to block the space between the door and the floor, which will completely soundproof the door. Door Sweep is made using sound absorbing materials which is known for absorbing the sound.
The installation part is a little tough, but it can be done with a little effort. You can get Door Sweeps on the hardware store or on Amazon. There are more benefits of using the door sweep other than soundproofing such as keeping ants or insects away and also don't let air conditioning from escaping through the door footer.
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Use Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV):
Mass Loaded Vinyl is one of the best soundproofing materials that are available. Mass Loaded Vinyl or also called MLV is a thick soundproofing material which acts as a barrier which would stop the sound waves from passing through.
Mass Loaded Vinyl installation is super simple. Just buy some good quality mass loaded vinyl, measure the door and mark it out on the Mass Loaded Vinyl and cut it. After cutting it attach it to the door. You can use Staples or any adhesive to attach it to the door.
The only disadvantage of using Mass Loaded Vinyl is that it is quite expensive compared to other options but trust me; it is more effective than any other method too.
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Buy a Brand New Door:
I know this sounds bad, but honestly, you might have to do it. Most of the old door has so many cracks and gaps that will almost impossible to seal so even after following all the four methods that I have mentioned; you might not succeed in doing it.
So buying a brand new door is the only option. Check some of the door options here in Emerald Doors. We have some good option, which is solid doors.
Solid doors are a thicker door that will deaden or dampen the sound waves passing through it. Installing the door is a tricky job, so I recommend you to get professional help to do it.
Wrapping Up!
I hope that you understood the core problem and why you should consider soundproofing your door. If you have any problems or doubts, then comment below.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: SHABANA KAUSER
Shabana Kauser is the dynamic owner of Emerald Doors, the famous door-selling company in the UK with immense knowledge and experience in working with architecture, interior design, and home decor. She continues to share tips and technical know-how of balancing interior elements, door fittings, room aesthetics, and the like. Personally, she loves coffee, always dabbling with several blends.