Purposes of acoustic doors – summary
In the previous articles in this brief series we’ve covered the basics of sound-proofing and noise reduction, we’ve begun to look at the levels required in different workspaces and environments, and we’ve taken a look at sound itself. In this final summarising article we’re taking a closer look at the options that are available, and the factors that you should consider.
Fundamentally, as we’ve established, an acoustic door (in addition to its self-evident entry/exit purpose) acts a sound barrier to reduce noise levels entering and leaving an environment or workspace.
And there’s another really important factor that you must always consider – fire! Quite apart from any legislative requirements, ANY opportunity that presents itself to prevent the spread of fire should always be considered very seriously.
So stripping away the complexity, the two primary factors you need to place at the top of your list when specifying your acoustic door(s) are:
- the desired noise reduction
- use as a Fire Door
Let’s cover each in turn:
Desired noise reduction
In an earlier article we covered some noise reduction levels – let’s revisit those numbers:
| 20 dB | Normal speech will be readily audible |
| 25 dB | Loud speech will be clearly audible |
| 30 dB | Loud speech will be clearly audible under normal circumstances |
| 35 dB | Loud speech will be audible but difficult to distinguish |
| 40 dB | Loud speech will be faintly audible but cannot be distinguished |
| 45 dB | Shouting will be audible but cannot be distinguished |
| 50 dB | Shouting will be barely audible |
| 55 dB | Shouting will not be audible |
So basically you need to think about what, specifically, you are trying to achieve in your own workspace and in adjoining workspaces.
Use as a Fire Door
You might like to check out these useful links:
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
If your acoustic door can double as a fire door, then you’ll be increasing safety as well as reducing noise – a win-win!
So how do I decide what to do?
It’s clear that the noise reduction requirements of, say, an opera house or a recording studio will be different to those of a large open plan office, but the principles are the same – how much noise reduction do you need to achieve?
And in addition, do you need and/or want to have additional protection from fire?
Furthermore, are the location and dimensions of the door(s) standard, or do you feel that you might need some bespoke work of some kind?
What sort of installation procedure are you interested in, and how important to you is the after-sales service?
Are you confident that you have all the answers to make an informed decision, or would you like some additional advice and help?
A Google search on ‘Acoustic doors” brings up over 17 million results! It can be a real mine-field navigating your way through all the similar-sounding options. The very fact that you’re reading this says that you’re taking the subject very seriously – visit the home page to get sound, practical, and helpful advice.
