How to Soundproof a Doorway – 8 Easy Steps!
Did you know that doorways are one of the most usual places from which sound comes into your room or your house? Many people who are worried about the sound coming into the house or the room, usually forget about the doorway. So if you are looking for how to soundproof a doorway, then you have landed on the right article.
In this article, I will show you several ways to soundproof a doorway. Some of the steps need drilling and screwing and a bit of effort, while some steps are easy and quick to install. You might need to spend a bit of money to undergo the soundproofing procedures mentioned.
How to Soundproof a Doorway:
- Use sealant to caulk the gaps and holes.
- Install weatherstripping tape for the door.
- Install a door sweep.
- Attach Mass Loaded Vinyl.
- Add soundproof panels.
- Place a curtain or soundproof blanket.
- Place a rug.
- Buy a new solid core door.
1. Use sealant to caulk the gaps and holes:
If you look closely, you will see small holes or cracks on the edge of the door. Holes and gaps on the door are one of the main reasons for airborne noises passing through the doorway. Most of the doors have these cracks and gaps and most of us neglect caulking them.
The first step you need to do is to take a good look at your door and find the gaps and cracks. You will find most of the cracks are on the edge of the door. One pro tip is to turn off all the lights and then ask someone to hold a light behind the door. The place through which light penetrates is the place you should caulk the gaps.
To fill up large gaps on the edge of the door, I found GREAT STUFF Big Gap Filler 12 oz Insulating Foam Sealant to be one of the best sealants. This is a water-resistant airtight and paintable sealant that is perfect to fill and insulate gaps that are 1-inch or greater. Check out GREAT STUFF Big Gap Filler 12 oz Insulating Foam Sealant on Amazon.
Some doors even have small cracks which may transfer a decent amount of sound to the other side. So if you have small cracks that are less than 1-inches, it is difficult to fill these gaps with the Great Stuff Big Gap Filler. For small holes, I recommend Red Devil Small Gap Foam 12 oz because it can seal and insulate gaps and cracks up to 1″ in size.
2. Install weatherstripping tape for the door:
Filling the gaps with sealant is a cheap and affordable way to start your doorway soundproofing journey. Another affordable way is to install a weatherstripping tape for the door.
Weatherstripping tape is mainly used to keep out rain, wind, and dust passing through the door. However, they are also great for preventing sound passing through the door.
To avoid the hassle of installation, you should buy an adhesive weatherstripping tape. I recommend you to use Indoor Weather Stripping from Keeping Fun because this has unique grid adhesive backing. Just stick this weatherstripping along the door frame to create compression and an airtight seal to prevent noise passing through the door. Check out Indoor Weather Stripping from Keeping Fun on Amazon.
3. Install a door sweep:
The weatherstripping tapes are great to deal with noises coming in from the small crack around the edge of the door. However, if you take a closer look at the bottom of your door when it is closed, you will see gaps between the floor and the bottom of the door.
This gap can let in lots of noise, and that is why installing a door sweep is necessary to soundproof your doorway. The function of a door sweep is to block the noise that passes through the gap between the floor and the bottom of the door.
M-D Building Products 5090 Triple Fin Door Sweep (DV-1, 36-Inch, Silver) is our recommended product. This is made of triple fin aluminum which makes this door sweep sturdy and durable. You can also adjust this door sweep with the slotted holes.
However, you should know that installing a door sweep is not easy as installing a weatherstripping tape. Door sweeps have fasteners which must drill and screwed. So you might want to take the help of a friend if you don’t want to take the hassle of installing it. Check out M-D Building Products 5090 Triple Fin Door Sweep on Amazon.
Along with blocking the noise, door sweeps are great for keeping those insects and dust coming inside your room. Door sweeps are also good for conserving energy. For example, the cold air from your air conditioner will escape from the gap between the door bottom and the floor. However, door sweep will block this gap and reduce cold air from escaping.
4. Attach Mass Loaded Vinyl:
Mass loaded vinyl is a type of thick sheet that is a great barrier for airborne noises. If you have a studio or you use your room for home theatre and the noise of the doorway is disturbing you, then you should install the mass loaded vinyl to reduce the noise.
Our recommended mass loaded vinyl is TMS Mass Loaded Vinyl 4′ X 10′ (40 Square Feet) 1 Lb MLV Acoustic Barrier. The thickness of this material is 1/8 of an inch and the 27 STC rating is good to reduce airborne noises.
Just buy a mass loaded vinyl and cut that according to the size of your door. Then you can either attach the mass loaded vinyl with staples or if you want less hassle, you can stick it to your door with some heavy adhesive. If you want to reduce more sound, then double the layer and attach them to your door. Check out TMS Mass Loaded Viny on Amazon.
One thing you should know is that mass loaded vinyl is a bit expensive. There is some cheap mass loaded vinyl sheet, however, attaching them will not reduce much noise and will be a waste of money. So if you are willing to spend lots of money to soundproof your doorway, then you should invest in this material. Also, these sheets tend to be black in color and some people may not like to change the look of their door.
5. Add soundproof panels:
If you don’t want to spend hundred dollars on mass loaded vinyl to soundproof your doorway, you may ask how to soundproof a doorway cheaply. That’s when the acoustic foam panel comes in. They are cheap and they are a great barrier to noise specially echoes.
If you have a studio on the other side of the doorway, then installing acoustic panel is a great choice. You can purchase a 12 pack acoustic foam and use some of them to soundproof your studio as you don’t need all 12 of them to soundproof your doorway.
The 12 Pack- Acoustic Panels Studio Foam Wedges 1″ X 12″ X 12″ is one of the best acoustic panels that are affordable to buy. One thing I like about this product is that you have many colors to choose from. This product includes 12 pack of acoustic panel. Each of the panels is 1 square foot and has a thickness of 1-inch. They are great for reducing echoes and waves. Check out 12 Pack- Acoustic Panels Studio Foam Wedges on Amazon.
You can attach these acoustic foam panels with nails and hammer, however, that may damage your door and it is not recommended. However, you can use some adhesive strips or adhesive glue to install this sound dampening panel on your door. You can get Clear Glue Craft Fabric Floral Adhesive Liquid Silicone from Amazon.
6. Place a curtain or soundproof blanket:
You may think that curtains are mainly used for windows and why am I suggesting you place a soundproof curtain on your door. The reason is that curtains a are a great absorber of sound and they are excellent for dampening the sound. Also, there is no reason that you cannot install a soundproof curtain on your door.
Also, some room does not have any doors. Maybe your basement stairs do not have any door and you work or have a studio in your basement and lots of sounds comes into the basement. Also, you do not want to spend a hundred dollars on installing a soundproof door. That’s when installing a soundproof curtain comes very effective. Also, besides reducing the noise, curtains are also great for blocking light coming in and insulated curtains can also trap heat.
If you are looking for a good soundproof curtain, then I would recommend you to buy the popular NICETOWN Blackout Curtains Panels for Bedroom. You have different size and lots of colors option to match your door design. Per package contains 2 panels of this curtain that are soundproof, thermally insulated and block 85% to 99% light. Check out NICETOWN Blackout Curtains Panels for Bedroom on Amazon.
7. Place a rug:
By placing a rug near your doorway, you can reduce the noise that comes from the other side especially a hallway. Rugs can also reduce echoes and it is wise to place a rug in your hallway or basement where there are lots of echoes. Beside soundproof, rugs can also enhance the aesthetic look of your room.
Buying a thick rug can further dampen the noise. However, rugs are pretty expensive and although they dampen the sound, they are less effective to reduce noise compared to other affordable soundproofing methods. But the plus point of the rug is that they do not need any work or construction to reduce noise or echoes like some of the other methods need and they also enhance the look of your doorway or room.
You can also place an area rug near your doorway (inside your room) to bounce the noise that comes from the other side of your doorway. My recommended area rug is Safavieh Hudson Shag Collection SGH280A Ivory and Grey Moroccan Ogee Plush Area Rug. This is an extra thick 2-inch rug that is made with polypropylene fibers which makes this rug durable and long lasting. You also have the option to choose from many different sizes and many colors. Check out Safavieh Hudson Shag Collection SGH280A Ivory and Grey Moroccan Ogee Plush Area Rug on Amazon.
8. Buy a new solid core door:
Most of the doors installed in a house is a hollow core door. Hollow core doors are lightweight, thin and are a great amplifier of sound. The hollow core door is maybe one of the reasons why lots of sounds come through the doorway to your room.
By installing a solid core door, you can solve this problem. They are a thick and a great absorber of sound. You will feel a huge difference by replacing a hollow core door with a solid core door.
However, they are one of the most expensive methods to soundproof your doorway. You have to spend hundreds of dollars. Also, replacing or installing a new door is not a child’s play.
You need to have some experience or do some research before installing the door. If you think that installing a door by yourself will be hectic, then you can take help from a professional to reduce your work.
So if you have a high budget and you are a handyman, then I would suggest you install a solid core door. This will dampen a lot of noise and you will have a soundproof doorway.
However, if you do not want to spend a lot, then making the door thick and heavy can reduce the noise. So installing wood or even drywall can make the door thick and reduce noise leakage through doors.
First, purchase some drywall. Then measure the size of your door. After that, cut the drywall according to the measurement. then attach the drywall with either screw or adhesive materials. Although this will dampen the sound, however, installing drywall will not enhance the look of the door.
Conclusion:
After reading this article, you may have the knowledge that the doorway can leak a lot of noise. Soundproofing a doorway is very cheap and affordable and I hope my article will help you to do it without any hassle.
