Sound proofing material suggestions?

[eyeteeth]

The door of my listening room seems nearly totally transparent. Is there an effective material I can pick up at a hardware store to attach to the door? I am aware of products from echobusters.com, but thought there may be alternatives. Thanks

 

[Daemoth]

Make sure you get sound proofing material not acoustic treatment material. I'd say the best thing is to start with a solid core door. The denser the door material the better (Lead filled would be best but it might also tear right off the hinges, a normal solid wood core should be fine). Then next best thing is to put limp dense mass on both sides of the door.
Something like:
http://www.auralex.com/sound_isolati..._sheetblok.asp

The stuff at echo busters looks only like stuff to treat reflections in the room, which won't do much to stop sound transmission through the door.

Also, make sure that no air can move through the top, bottom, or sides of the door. Stuffing something under the door would work for the bottom, try covering the tops and sides.

Now, I needed to stop sound going through a door so I used several layers of carpet and the most dense carpet padding glued together to hang over the front of the door. It also blocks the bottom, sides, and top. It works alright for the $25 I spent, but a solid core door with an air-tight seal would probably be much better. You can still have a conversation through the door, though you need to raise you voice a bit to do it.

 

[eyeteeth]

Daemoth, I am stuck with the door. As I will not be living at this address two years from now, the ideal temporary solution is a material I can lay up against the door when im listening to music. If there is a material stiff enough to stand on it's own? I am going to remember your advice for a semi-permanent recidence.

 

[Edwood]

You could use heavy duty door seals (the ones with the aluminum frame with rubber on the other end. , like the ones you use for your front entry door. That will help seal out sounds from the edges of the door.
You could also install a threshold and door sweep at the bottom of the door as well.

-Ed

 

[Daemoth]

Maybe lay against the door a big piece of thick plywood cut to size with some thick carpet stappled to each side?

 

[Edwood]

A really thick sheet of rubber?

Maybe stuff used for industrial flooring. (Not the one's with holes, of course)

-Ed

 

[eyeteeth]

Think i'll look into a sheet of cork.

 

[timoteus]

Quote:

Originally posted by eyeteeth The door of my listening room seems nearly totally transparent. Is there an effective material I can pick up at a hardware store to attach to the door? I am aware of products from echobusters.com, but thought there may be alternatives. Thanks

At the hardware store you can ask for a 4' X 8' X 1/2" thick sheet of sound board. This is what you would use to help soundproof walls in a home. You can also ask for building board which is the same thing, just painted white on one side. They are inexpensive and are the same thing as the smaller and thinner acoustical ceiling tiles. You can then trim and install the sheet over your door.

 

[eyeteeth]

Quote:

Originally posted by timoteus At the hardware store you can ask for a 4' X 8' X 1/2" thick sheet of sound board.

COOL! That seems like exactly what I need.