What is an Acoustic Door

Acoustic doors are designed to reduce the escape of noise and vibrations from one room to another. With a multitude of potential uses in a wide variety of industries and sectors, these doors are available in different decibel ratings to cater for the needs and requirements of individual circumstances.

Acoustic doors are vital to properly insulate the sounds inside a room. The combination of the doors’ solid build, their edge seals and the frame, along with the insulated engineering within the body of the door, all contribute to a significant reduction in the vibrations and sound that pass through it.

These doors can have a variety of purposes, such as enabling confidential discussions to be held inside a room without the risk of those outside overhearing, and allowing noisy activities to take place, such as music rehearsals, without nearby rooms and areas of the building being disturbed.

Music studios are one environment which typically makes use of acoustic doors. When audio is being recorded it is important that external noises do not interfere with the sound being captured. The control room with producers and engineers inside it needs to be isolated, and each room in the studio must contain its own noise levels successfully to avoid disturbing those in neighbouring rooms. Sound insulation in these settings is not an optional extra, it is absolutely essential for the functionality of the building.

Another work environment where acoustic doors are increasingly commonly used are medical or healthcare premises. When patients talk in confidence to their doctor, nurse or counsellor they have an expectation of privacy and discretion. Compromising this, and their trust in the service or staff they are working with, by having doors which allow sound to penetrate through could have a detrimental impact on their relationship with their physician or healthcare worker, so if they can overhear a doctor’s discussion with another patient through the door, they will have no faith that their own personal conversations and concerns are being kept private.

Another scenario where acoustic doors can provide considerable benefit is for corporations or businesses who have meetings where sensitive information is discussed. This might include meetings about staffing and human resources, product development, grievance procedures or business strategy; all of which could have a negative effect if overheard. Even if just a snippet leaks out of the room, assumptions can be made and confidences broken, so mitigating against this risk by installing acoustic doors can make situations easier to manage, and keep sensitive information to within the appropriate group of people.

Factories or businesses which house heavy machinery are also prime candidates for benefiting from an acoustic door. The business owners can promote positive aural health by limiting loud noises to one part of the premises where adequate hearing protection is used. Preventing this noise from leaking to other sections of the building will make it a more pleasant, as well as safer, place for employees and managers to be.

Further sectors which have benefited from the installation of acoustic doors have included:

• law enforcement, so police interviews can be held in complete confidence
• broadcasting
• building sites
• schools and universities, for quiet study areas and language labs
• audiology laboratories and testing facilities.

Making sure your acoustic door is also fire resistant is a sensible precaution, and if you buy as a pre-hung door set, you will receive the entire product, including all the necessary seals, ready to install.