Silencing Noise With Acoustic Doors

In the busy modern world, noise – or rather excess noise – can be a significant factor in our everyday health! Indeed, recent reports show that exposure to road traffic noise considerably increases the risk of stroke in older people, whilst for children, prolonged exposure to excess noise has been proven to impair long term memory, reading and speech perception! Getting the required amount of sleep and rest is important to everyone’s health and wellbeing – so being disturbed at home by other people watching TV or playing music whilst you are trying to sleep can be a real nuisance! One solution to these issues is installing acoustic doors and frames – they can be deployed anywhere at home and create a much calmer, more peaceful environment for all – here is some information about, and reasons for, considering soundproof doors for your home environment:

Around The Home 

Many people do not consider the amount of noise that penetrates the home from outside – through a typical external door, noise will easily pass through any weak or missing door seals, a letter box, glazed panels within the door set, and any gaps around the door frame – and even through the keyhole! Whilst these issues exist with your external doors, your internal doors are probably far LESS noise resilient – typical interior doors are constructed of two wooden panels with a hollow internal core and rarely fitted flush into the frame and threshold without gaps around them!

Decibel Ratings 

Sound levels are measured or rated in decibels – these are noise levels against the sensitivity of the average human hearing capacity. Starting at zero decibels being complete silence – but regular exposure to a decibel rating of 85 or above can result in permanent hearing damage to an individual. When you consider that an average conversation between two people is normally conducted at a rating of around 60 decibels and everyday household items can generate a higher level of rating – a vacuum cleaner is typically around 70-80 decibels, whilst the noise generated from heavy traffic registers at around 85 decibels – then you can see the need to install acoustic doors, as sound insulation inside the typical home is very poor!

How Acoustic Doors Work 

The main principles of an acoustic door are as for any soundproofing exercise or equipment – an increased mass that serves to ‘dampen’ or ‘muffle’ and dissipate soundwaves, and closing any gaps through which sound may travel from one room or space to another. To combat noise levels, soundproof acoustic doors are manufactured from materials that are efficient in absorbing sound – timber, steel, aluminium and often PVC. Most acoustic doors are not solid single pieces – they are usually composed of acoustic inserts between the outer cladding of those material mentioned – often made from dense fibre-plastic composite materials. These materials offer different levels of sound protection by absorbing and reflecting soundwaves, thereby preventing them from passing through the doors into adjoining areas or spaces.

Reasons For Installing Soundproof Doors 

Acoustic doors and frames can provide a barrier to reduce that noise interruption and create a more peaceful environment – an important factor in times of stress or if you are one of the many people who now work from home. In the home, installing soundproof doors can create spaces for you to listen to music, watch TV, or just talk without being disturbed or, just as importantly, disturb others!

Aesthetics 

You may think that the description of soundproof and fire rated doors that they would be industrial-looking and unattractive – this is not so – these doors can be manufactured in aesthetically suitable and attractive finishes so that they complement any home environment.

Summary 

There are many alternative ways to soundproof your doors – installing acoustic door sweeps under the doors, or soundproof weatherstripping, and using acoustic caulk or sealant, or expanding acoustic foam around your door frames. Fitting acoustic door curtains will reduce noise, but the best solution to properly soundproof your home is to install specially manufactured acoustic doors – and there could be another important factor and reason to do so!  Installing soundproof fire rated doors can also provide protection against a fire outbreak in your home – soundproof doors can be manufactured from materials that are not only sound absorbent, but also effective in resisting heat, flame, and smoke in the event of a fire breaking out in the home.

Enfield Doors

If you would like more information about acoustic doors, please don’t hesitate to contact us.