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Sound Insulation for a Door

bombardierbombardier Moderator mod
edited November 2006 in Help / Advice Forum
I would like to make my bedroom door a bit more soundproof. I can basically hear everything in the house even with it closed, and it's becoming more and more annoying in the mornings since my schedule isn't the same as everyone else's. The door is pretty light and hollow.

Are there any suggestions for some type of sound proofing foam or material I can stick to one/both sides of it?

bombardier on

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    CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    edited November 2006
    If the actual door is hollow, you may need to actually fill the door with some sort of substance to really effect the sound proofing. Some sort of spray foam perhaps. You could try weatherstripping around the sides of the door, but I'm not sure how good that is at sound proofing.

    Corvus on
    :so_raven:
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    coma whitecoma white Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    egg cartons actually work better than you'd think, and they're obviously fairly cheap.

    coma white on
    closuresig.jpg
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    AlpineAlpine Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    I'll second the egg cartons - it's all about acoustics. If you don't have those readily available, tack up a loose sheet, so that it hangs down in billows - same effect, if it's a thick sheet.

    Alpine on
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    ALockslyALocksly Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    a sheet of foam insulation can be had at the hardware store for a few bucks. Cut to fit the inside of the door and tape/ glue/ nail in place.

    ALocksly on
    Yes,... yes, I agree. It's totally unfair that sober you gets into trouble for things that drunk you did.
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    CycophantCycophant Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Unfortunately, all these ideas involve basically ripping one side of the door off to be able to fill the door. Not only would this be rather difficult, but it would be even harder to get the door back to normal again. Don't get me wrong, it's doable, and if the noise is really bugging you, it's an option, but expect a lot of work for probably poor results.

    You're better off buying the foam and simply making a "curtain" or something similiar you can roll down in front of the door to deaden the sound. That's probably the best you'll get though; the rest of the noise is coming through the likely uninsulated walls, through the heating/cooling vents, pipes, you name it.

    Cycophant on
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    ALockslyALocksly Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Ah, when I said "inside the door" I meant on the side facing into the room, as oppesed to the side facing the hallway or whatever

    ALocksly on
    Yes,... yes, I agree. It's totally unfair that sober you gets into trouble for things that drunk you did.
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    FibretipFibretip Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    avoid taking the door apart.. it sounds like a good idea... it's not, unless you're a carpenter... i got in a mood once and kicked my door, the wood fell out of the sides and it's never gone back together properly (i didn't break any of it, it just fell apart) and it never fitted the frame again and i can hear everything in the house... so unless you're just making a tiny hole at the top and dropping stuff inside... i'd stick to the exterior solutions!

    curtains are a great idea, and you could always cover the outside and inside with anechoic material (expensive though). Just hope like hell that it IS the door that's your problem, not just thin walls ;)

    i'm not suggesting you buy from here... but anechoic tiles like those found on this site might help, they'd be better on the outside of the door, on the inside they'd be keeping your noise away from the people outside... but still, both sides = win.
    http://www.acousticalsolutions.com/products/foams/anechoic_wedge.asp

    they're probably overkill though... a thick curtain will probably help

    Fibretip on
    I believe in angels, not the kind with wings, no...not the kind with halos, the kind who bring you home
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    crakecrake Registered User regular
    edited November 2006
    Despite suggestions to the contrary, I'd still be inclined to take the door off it's hinges, drill a hole in the top and fill with foam. Takes some extra work, but worth it in the end astheticly. But I'm frou frou like that. :)

    crake on
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    EggyToastEggyToast Jersey CityRegistered User regular
    edited November 2006
    yeah, the problem is really that the door is hollow and thin. We have solid wood doors in our house, and even though there's gaps along some of the edges due to the house's age, they do a fantastic job of blocking/isolating sound.

    What you need to do is use a dense or refractive material and hang it off the room-side of the door. Foam isn't dense but is refractive, and cheap, and should offer at least better sound insulation than you currently experience.

    EggyToast on
    || Flickr — || PSN: EggyToast
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    bombardierbombardier Moderator mod
    edited November 2006
    I've looked into the curtain type stuff, looks like I can get a sort of soundproffing type curtain to put in front of the door. Sweet.

    bombardier on
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