If there are a lot of unwanted sounds coming in or out of a room, home or any other location with a door, chances are that huge opening is a major part of the problem. Even high-quality doors are not the best as far as controlling sound goes, and that leads to many people looking for solutions.
There are a lot of soundproofing material options out there, and some of the best options will cost a decent amount of money.
However, what many don’t realize is that soundproofing doors are fairly easy while using items already found around the house. All it usually takes is a little bit of time and effort, and everything can be a lot quieter.
Before picking a soundproofing solution, the first step is to examine the door and opening area. Certain setups are going to need a few things done first so that everything lines up perfectly.
There might be significant gaps between the door and the frame. Maybe the door itself is extremely hollow, and something needs to be done about that. Understanding the door area makes a difference.
Since a lot of household items will be used to soundproof the door area, there is a chance to do some trial and error to see what works without fully going through everything. As long as there is no money wasted, there’s no harm in trying a few solutions first and seeing if it is worth going all the way.
The Easiest Methods
First, we look at some of the easiest methods to soundproof a door. Not only is it easy to find material around the house, but it involves hardly any work whatsoever.
Just remember that easy methods usually don’t end up being very permanent. Think of them as temporary sound control systems that might need setting up again and again when someone has to step out of the room.
1. Carpet or Rug Under the Door
Adding any type of thick and dense material under a door will help close the gap significantly. Adding a carpet or a rug to the mix is completely natural, and they help with acoustics quite a bit. If a person has hard floors otherwise, just a small rug can make a noticeable difference.
Since this will be a fairly small area, go with as thick of an option as possible. It is important that the door obviously can open and close just as normal, so there will be a limit on the thickness. Adding a mat underneath that helps with soundproofing will be beneficial as well.
More often than not, a person will have all the materials needed to pull this off already at home. Even relocating a rug to a new area could be a great way to eliminate sound.
2. Thick Blankets for Quick Soundproofing
For a temporary solution to a door that is a little too noisy, using old, thick blankets (not in use otherwise) draped over a door will help significantly. There are blankets made specifically for soundproofing, but in sticking with cheap solutions, thick blankets already at home will do in a pinch.
Simply drape them over the door and use them to fill in specific gaps as well. Since it is a temporary solution, use as many blankets as possible. This will only provide more and more of a temporary solution that is noticeable. Sure, it’s not the most effective method, but this is easy for those temporary solutions.
Don’t be afraid to scrunch up one last blanket to use at the base of the door as well. Wedge it underneath the door and block that sound passageway.
3. Moving Extra Mattresses or Furniture in Front of the Door
This is another temporary method that is extremely easy to pull off, and usually proves to be a little more effective than the blankets/sheets. Placing furniture or a mattress in front of a door will help to kill any sound that might be trying to make its way in or out.
A lot of people will do this to make a temporary office, to help with sleeping while other distracting noises are heard, and more. It takes a little bit of work to set up just right, but it works pretty well to jump right into things.
More Permanent Solutions With Lasting Results
Now that some more temporary solutions are out of the way, next is a look at some permanent options that include household items as well. This may be the best way to enhance a home without spending any additional money.
4. Install Drapes or Curtains Over the Door
Most think of drapes and curtains as options only for windows, but installing them above a door could come in handy as well. The curtains can be polled most of the time, but when it comes time for some quiet Ness, that’s when they come in handy.
The installation process is pretty straightforward, and they don’t add any complications whatsoever. Soundproofing curtains work best, but anything thick that matches the rest of the home will work to a certain degree.
Just make sure that they provide full coverage because otherwise there will still be some significant gaps that contribute to a noisy room.
5. Add Another Layer of Paint to the Door
Can paint make a significant difference with soundproofing a door? The right paint, with several layers applied so that there is a definite difference, can help to soundproof a door. Most people are surprised that paint can make that big of an impact, but it makes a hollow door a lot sturdier.
There are specific paint options that help add density to a door. The more density added, the better the soundproofing will be. When using standard paint, it just comes down to adding as many layers as possible without it looking ridiculous.
It is a bit time consuming to do, but the difference becomes more and more noticeable. It helps with fine-tuning the room a bit, and it can spruce up a room as well if it needs new paint anyway.
Painting the indoor of a door helps, but don’t forget about the outdoor part as well. This will help protect the door against the elements just a little more if it faces the outdoors.
If it’s a door opening to a hallway or another room, consider painting the whole thing at once while working on it. This is specifically true if a person decides to go all the way and take the door off the hinges to get every last spot.
6. Use Leftover Acoustic Caulk to Fill in the Gaps
If a person had their home built from scratch, or any type of construction occurred there recently, chances are there is some leftover Green Glue or some other type of acoustic caulk from an old project. This is mostly used to apply drywall, and it helps control sound pretty significantly.
Green Glue Sealant (Not to be mistaken with Green Glue Compound) is designed specifically to target cracks or holes that might be popping up in the door.
The application process is pretty easy, and it makes an instant impact. After a quick drying process, the impact is almost instant.
Although it’s technically breaking the rules a bit for this article, Green Glue is also fairly inexpensive to purchase if there is none leftover at the house. There are also other non-brand-name solutions for people to consider, and it does the job just fine.
A sealant also works in this case. Just make sure to double-check before applying something like this to a rented home, since some places don’t allow these alterations to a place without approval. Most landlords will be just fine with the simple improvement though.
Do-It-Yourself Solutions that Take Some Time and Effort
The methods below are the most effective, but it also takes a little bit of time and effort from someone who feels confident enough that they can pull it off.
Not everyone will need soundproofing to this level, but it certainly helps to turn a room around and make it a bit more enjoyable from my sound perspective.
Adding or Installing New Weathering Strips and/or Door Sweeps
The biggest culprit that people simply can’t figure out with noise happens to be that little bit of space underneath the door not touching the floor. It is very frustrating to figure out ways to address this area because it causes a good amount of sound leaks.
Not everyone will have weathering strips or a door sweep laying around at home that is unused and ready to go. When this is not the case, improvise as much as possible. Maybe there is something like this installed on another door that doesn’t need it.
Maybe after inspection, making a purchase will be the only way to get these supplies. Even if materials do need to be purchased, it is something a person can do without the assistance of a professional.
if there are already existing weathering strips or a door sweep, the first step is taking those off. They are not doing as good of a job as they used to, so they need to be completely replaced.
Clean the area and even sand it down if needed. Pretty much a clean slate to apply new weathering strips or a door sweep is what everyone should be striving for when prepping.
Once all the time is used to prep properly, it’s time for the installation process once again. Make sure to follow the simple instructions, size everything properly and close as many gaps as possible. Every little bit helps, and a door all of a sudden becomes a lot quieter.
Don’t be afraid to also use a previous method, such as adding a carpet or a rug, to close the gap even more. Every little bit helps in the end.
Install DIY Insulation
This is the most challenging method to soundproof a door, but also the best way to have a long-term solution without spending a lot of money. If a person can find a way to get enough confidence to go through with it, the results will be extremely beneficial.
The most expensive thing during this entire process is time. It will take time for people to properly insulate their doors, especially if they have minimal experience. Most of it is pretty straightforward, so there is no reason to be too scared off.
The most effective insulation that is available at home without spending any additional money is Styrofoam. It’s easy to find excess Styrofoam around the home, and there’s no reason to buy special Styrofoam for something like this.
If a person wants to get creative, they can stuff the Styrofoam inside of a hollow door. This hides the do-it-yourself appearance and adds mass to the door that will be very effective.
The other solution is to glue it to the door after cutting it down to the proper dimensions. Most people only do this to the interior, keeping the exterior looking normal. To help cover up the Styrofoam, adding paint, a cover or something else is beneficial.
Where do people find Styrofoam to use? Packaging from online orders is a good place to start. Start collecting Styrofoam scraps as they come in.
Also, ask friends and family members if they made any huge purchases recently. Maybe some people can luck out and get a few huge pieces of Styrofoam, making the fitting process a lot easier.
Styrofoam is the best item that is easily found around the house to use, but egg cartons work to a certain degree as well. There used to be a time where people thought this helped out a lot, but they soon found out that it does not make that much of an impact compared to any other cardboard material.
Egg cartons do provide a very uniform look that makes it look just a bit more professional, but it’s still a very do-it-yourself project.
Don’t shy away from collecting egg cartons so that there are enough to cover the entire door. These again can be painted to match the interior and make them look a little more intentional.
The final solution is to just use cardboard. It lays flat against a door, and it very prevalent around any home. In the end, egg cartons are just shaped cardboard anyway, so they have about the same level of impact on soundproofing.
Just How Effective are Household Items for Soundproofing?
All of these methods work to a certain degree, but there is no true substitute if a person is wanting a professional soundproofing solution that looks and performs well. It’s simply impossible to control room sounds like that with only a few items found around the house, so invest a little more money if that is the goal.
This article mostly is meant to prove that if a person doesn’t necessarily care about appearance, there is a good opportunity to change the sound inside a room.
It’s also easy to control how much sound is leaking out of the room, which is beneficial for the rest of the home. Try a few of these methods out, and see what type of results a person ends up with.
At the end of the day, a good majority of people feel satisfied with what they have been able to accomplish when controlling the sound of their home.