Soundproof Interior Doors

Post by manhattandoor on September 14th, 2023

If you want your next commercial project to stand out as the ideal office space, then you want to consider adding soundproof interior office doors to the building. Learn more about soundproof interior doors to meet your business customers’ needs for workspaces where they can increase their productivity.

What Is a Soundproof Door?

Soundproof doors, also known as acoustic doors, are designed to reduce sound. Regular doors often represent the weak spot in the wall regarding sound transmission. They may provide barriers between rooms but are not built to reduce the amount, force and magnitude of different sounds. When you use a typical hollow interior door, the sound still travels through the large gaps above, below and around the door frames, which is why you can hear someone talking on the other side of it.

Soundproofing the door is especially important for reducing noise levels in any room as that is where the bulk of sounds leak through. However, not all soundproof doors are created equally. Before you start researching options, you should first know what sound transmission class (STC) you are looking for in your building. Manufacturers widely use STC to declare the soundproof abilities of their products and ranges between 20 and 60 — the higher the value, the better the door will prevent sound from transmitting through it.

Depending on the STC ratings, one can classify doors into specific categories depending on what can be heard:

• 20-25: Soft to normal speech can be clearly heard and understood
• 25-30: Normal speech can be heard and loud speech understood
• 30-40: Loud speech can be heard but not always understood
• 40-45: Loud speech can be faintly heard
• 45-50: The threshold where privacy starts
• 50-60: Loud sounds are very faint

Different types of interior doors have different STC ratings, depending on the materials used. STC ratings above 25 already improve sound control against noises from everyday office surroundings. However, if business clients need a soundproof conference room or two to have confidential meetings, an STC rating above 40 may be needed.

These are the different types of soundproof interior doors you want to consider for office spaces:

• Hollow-core door: Common in newer buildings, this cost-effective and lightweight wooden door type has a paperboard or plastic core and wood shell. Most of these doors are easy to install but only have an STC rating between 20 and 25, making them the least soundproofing of all interior doors.
• Solid-core door: This wooden door type may be heavier and harder to install, but it is more stable and, with an STC rating between 30 and 35, will provide better sound resistance at a reasonable cost.
• Solid wood door: Considered the best and most premium choice of all door types, this door is made of solid wood created mostly from a frame-and-panel construction, which makes it denser and heavier. They are solid and block sounds well with an STC rating between 30 and 35, but are more expensive than hollow-core and solid-core doors.
• Glass door: Some spaces prefer glass doors for aesthetic purposes. Although regular glass doors provide STC values under 35, soundproof glass doors can have STC levels above 48 when manufacturers use thick and double-paned glass inserted into a wood or steel door.
• Steel door: Some office buildings may opt for steel soundproof doors that are fireproof, provide an extra layer of security and are resistant to rot and decay. A standard steel door normally has an STC rating between 25 and 35 and can be installed quickly.

Who Uses Soundproof Doors?

Soundproof doors are an investment for both commercial and residential properties to improve the acoustics within a space or lower the noise disturbance levels from within or outside the building. People working from home offices or living in busy neighborhoods often use soundproof interior doors to help them focus and produce their best work.

Other places that use soundproof interior doors include:

• Offices and loud workplaces
• Boardrooms and conference rooms
• Hospitals and doctors’ consulting rooms
• Scientific and medical laboratories
• Building sites and factories
• Schools and universities
• Theaters and indoor cinemas
• Concert venues
• Broadcasting and recording studios
• TV broadcast facilities
• Film and movie production sets
• Hotel guest rooms and doorways
• Pubs, bars and restaurants

Whether you need to keep noise out or in, soundproof doors are important in places where sound and noise pollution might be a concern for others in the same environment.

Why Use Soundproof Doors?

The main benefit of using soundproof interior doors is reducing noise levels. If an office is located close to a busy street or in a high-traffic area where people talk loudly, it can lead to stress and irritability if people struggle to concentrate with noise interruptions.

Other than noise reduction, there are other benefits to using soundproof doors in commercial spaces:

• Security: Steel soundproof interior doors are heavily insulated and often used for an extra layer of security. Solid wood doors usually have a high density and are heavier than regular hollow-core doors, which makes them a good safety choice for any room.
• Energy efficiency: Insulative layers and seals ensure there are no gaps around the door frame. Additionally from sound, these insulations help keep heat energy from escaping through the door. This means soundproof doors help control the temperature of your space, keeping the moisture and humidity level constant and improving air quality, thereby lowering electricity bills.
• Privacy: With soundproof doors, any private or confidential conversations can take place without worry of being overheard. Even in open office environments, a soundproof glass door can help maintain openness while discussing personal and confidential details in private.
• Health: Excessive noise disturbances can lower concentration levels and cause long-term stress or even hearing problems. Incorporating soundproof office doors can lower employees’ anxiety levels and improve their mood, thereby improving their quality of life at work.

When to Use Soundproof Doors in Offices

Soundproof doors come in different grades for assorted applications. For workplaces to adapt to their operational needs, soundproof barriers need to separate private spaces from public areas. Where a quiet space is needed, soundproof doors provide a great solution.

If you wonder which soundproof interior doors would be the right fit for your commercial project, ask yourself which of these scenarios would take place in the building:

1. Will people mostly talk in a controlled manner, like in meetings or training sessions?
2. Are people likely to engage in loud conversations or use sound equipment for workshops?
3. What is the possibility that music will be played as part of a presentation or background music?
4. Will employees discuss confidential or sensitive information in the venue?
5. Is the project situation in a busy neighborhood or close to the central business district?

Order Soundproof Interior Office Doors From Manhattan Door Corporation

Using the right soundproof door for office buildings can increase productivity while improving the space’s appearance. At Manhattan Door Corporation, we know how to make a difference with wooden door quality and can handle various commercial projects promptly and efficiently. We create interior wooden office doors for various distributors working with designers, contractors and architects. If you are unsure which type of soundproof office door is best for your project, we can help determine the right fit or create custom doors to suit specialized requirements.

If you are ready to discuss your project needs, such as door quantities, lead times and designs, contact our commercial wood door team online.