Front door sound proofing help

[bldozier]

Hi,
My doors to my apt are hollow and the hall can bet noisy even from my android tablet. Which I can hear at mid to high levels down the hall with it in my bedroom.
Can yall help me out with doorproofing ideas.
I did ask a neighbor if tv was loud one day a ways ago.

My walls are also thin but I dont get much noise from them if any. The noise comes froms windows. Nothing unsightly.
I was thinkg dense canvas stuffed with sound foam and embroidered like a quilt wouldhave been.
This or a few wrung moving blankets



Thanks.

[1audiohack]

Sound proofing, or the minimization of sound transmission is all about vibration isolation and mass. On a door, mass is your best weapon. A surprising amount of sound leaks around any unsealed gaps but if the door is hollow, the leaks are less significant as the thin door transmits so much sound anyway. If the door fits pretty well then nearly anything that adds weight will help.

We have solid core doors at our shop and the machine room doors have added layers of foam over mineral laden rubber. It is heavy as hell, but it works.

Heavy doors are hard on hinges so be careful there.

If the main issue is higher frequencies, like what your tablet is able to produce, you might get a significant reduction with just foam and seals.

Hope that helps a bit,
Barry.

[mech986]

Would first check to see if the door seals are tight - you do have seals around the door frame, and along the top, plus a brush seal on the bottom over the threshold, right? That stops noise from going around the door.

You could then consider buying a heavy used comforter at goodwill and maybe using a couple of over the top hooks and a bar of some type, hanging the comforter over the back of the door, maybe overlapping the sides a couple of inches - that will help stop transmission of typically midrange and high frequency through the door both ways.

the moving blankets are also a good idea, but they are usually heavier, harder to hang, and rather unsightly unless you like that warehouse look. Comforters can be had in different shapes and sizes, and then colors. You can also fold a twin, queen, or king to match the door, and they could be cheap enough at a local thrift store to try out - and they come in handy for apt. guests!

As for the windows, the same issue, be sure the seals on the windows are good, but be sure you do have controllable vents for air circulation. If you use gas heat or gas cooking, you do want to have fresh air coming in, not completely sealed. Otherwise, seal the windows well with draft excluder foam (adhesive foam or rubber about 1/4" thick and however wide you need so that they seal properly. That can help with outside noise - best though is to consider double or even triple pane glass if that's an option on the most noise windows - helps with heat insulation too. thick drapes can help but the windows make the biggest differences.

As for the walls, and even the floors, consider heavy rugs or thick comforters again as trials on the noisiest ones and see if they make a difference to you or others. In some cases, you might be able to get a bit more volume out of your system by making the ambient quieter, and you might be able to play a bit louder without bothering your neighbors. You may make friends by enlisting their help and their judgements on how loud is ok for your system before they can hear it or it bothers them.

[JoShHuTt]

This is a brilliant idea!! My brother is going to need something like that when i am finished

[Ruediger]

... from F. Alton Everest, 2nd edition. Available at amazon for a single cent plus shipping.

A quote from chapter 16: Doors with sufficient transmission loss may be a problem if money is scarce. The Far East Broadcasting Company in Manila is very happy with the inexpensive doors they have developed over a period of years.

The pictures show that they have recycled parts of a fridge. The book is fun to read.

Ruediger

[gasfan]

Hi,
My doors to my apt are hollow and the hall can bet noisy even from my android tablet. Which I can hear at mid to high levels down the hall with it in my bedroom.
Can yall help me out with doorproofing ideas.
I did ask a neighbor if tv was loud one day a ways ago.

My walls are also thin but I dont get much noise from them if any. The noise comes froms windows. Nothing unsightly.
I was thinkg dense canvas stuffed with sound foam and embroidered like a quilt wouldhave been.
This or a few wrung moving blankets



Thanks.

First of all, get outside door seals and a rubber door sweep. Stick some 1/2" wide automotive foam seal on the inside perimeter of your door casing. Then go online and buy a piece of 1/2" thick 'mass loaded vinyl' about an inch larger than your door, top/sides/bottom. Glue that to the door and voila!

[bldozier]

I've already got the door foam which
creates a tight bond from both the frames and door

i was thinking of sewing a door mat to drape over it to
block unwanted noise I have also seen it for sale

[mech986]

It might be the fastest to just buy and hang a new solid core door that has insulation properties. Just have it cut properly for the deadbolt and door knob/lock, and make sure it seal. For not that much money, and maybe a lot less time and experimentation, it will work the fastest. You may have to leave it when you move but your peace of mind and ear (inside and outside) may be enhanced.