Acoustic Door For Home Interior: Why and How to Choose?
It is irritating when noises in/outside the house disturb your sleep or reading time. We get used to these sounds surrounding ourselves 24/7, which is not really a good idea. Sound, especially the frequent, harsh noises, can have a bad effect on our health, causing different health conditions like sleeping disorders, hearing problems, etc. Using a soundproof door is an ideal solution for this everyday problem, as doors are most susceptible to noises. Most of the conventional doors allow sound to penetrate easily. Also, gaps along the side of the doors are the entryway for the sound. On that account, it becomes essential to choose doors having soundproofing quality.
It is important to focus on interior doors, while soundproofing as sounds mostly revolve and cause disturbance inside the house. And, you want most privacy, relaxation, and peace inside your bedroom, study room, and other places.
However, choosing interior soundproof doors can be confusing, especially when you are inexpert in furniture and soundproofing. So, here are some tips to help you choose the right soundproof doors for home interior.
Before that, let’s understand why soundproof doors are important.
Why Soundproof Doors are Important for Home Interior
Noise Reduction
The most important reason to install soundproof doors is to reduce the outside noises. The interior soundproof doors are solidly insulated to prevent noise and vibration from traveling through the door. Due to their excellent quality material and soundproofing properties, soundproof doors greatly help reduce the noise and achieve a peaceful environment in the house. If your house is located in a noisy area, these interior doors are the ideal choice as they serve as a strong barrier against annoying noises.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Everyone wants privacy and peace when at home. For that reason, installing an interior acoustic door is essential. If you want better communication with family members or wish to read a book peacefully in the bedroom, installing interior soundproof doorset can be of great help. They prevent noises from disturbing your communications and confine your private conversations to the house.
How to Choose Soundproof Doors?
Simply put, soundproof doors are specifically designed to absorb, reduce, and prevent the sound level from traveling through the door, both inside or outside of the house. The amount of sound reduction depends on the intended STC Rating.
STC stands for Sound Transmission Class, an integer rating for determining the acoustical performance of a door, wall, windows, and other household material. The higher the STC values of doors, the better they can resist sound transmission. You must keep STC in mind while buying acoustic doors for your home interior.
| STC Level | Performance |
| 25 | Normal speech is clearly understandable. |
| 30 | Normal speech audible but not understood. Loud speech can be understood. |
| 35 | Loud speech heard but not understood |
| 41 | Loud speech seems like just a murmur |
| 45 | Loud speech is hardly audible |
| 50 | Loud musical instruments hardly audible |
If your house is situated on busy streets, near a music auditorium, or surrounded by a noisy area better to choose acoustic doors with STC 50 and above. And, if you are frustrated with noisy neighbors or don’t want sounds from the living room to enter the bedroom, consider installing soundproof doors with 45 or above. However, the standard STC levels considered for acoustical doors are STC 51, 53, 55, 61, and 64.
Below are some best acoustic doors that you can choose for your house interior to reduce noise levels.
Types of Acoustic Doors You Can Choose
- Solid Core Six-Panel Door
Due to the dense make-up of solid core doors, they can prevent airborne noise from passing through the door into the next room. You can consider installing six-panel solid core doors at a different threshold in the house to get rid of everyday noises. For instance, if your living room and kitchen are attached by a hallway, installing solid core six-panel doors in both doorsteps, and closing them, both will provide a great amount of sound insulation.
- Solid French Doors
A pair of doors can offer better noise prevention than a single door. French solid doors are best at reducing noise levels. They also provide a great aesthetic touch to your interior. For more effective soundproofing, consider installing solid french doors with glass door screens. Two glass with slightly different thicknesses attached to french doors can prevent the sound wave vibrations and cause it to lose intensity to a great extent.
- Sliding Solid Wood Barn Door
Sliding barn doors slide on a track installed on above the door frame thus they are
Better soundproofing than doors mounted within the doorframe. If you have less space for a doorway, a solid barn sliding door is an ideal choice. These doors can save your space at the same time, and offer you great soundproofing.
Final Thoughts!
Though soundproof doors seem an expensive option, it is worth the investment to make your house a peaceful and better place to live. But, make sure you buy doors with the best STC to get maximum soundproofing. When it is about the material, solid core doors are the best offering excellent sound reduction and prevention. You can also choose glass fire doors as they offer triple benefits i.e., safety, soundproofing, and aesthetic.
