Essentially, acoustic doors / acoustical door treatments come in 3 performance / price tiers.

Tier 1 – Upgrading Existing Doors:

Acoustically upgrading existing doors is the most simple and economical approach, typically involving, where practicable, mass-loading and airtightness works.

Such applications, based on a cross-section of field test data, can upgrade the airborne sound insulating performance of existing doors by c. 10 to 14 dB(A).

Standard flush timber doors tend to provide in the order of 20 to 22 dB(A) airborne sound insulation, therefore, post-works, one can expect such doors to provide approximately 30 to 36 dB(A) airborne sound insulation.

The images below show a robust system, designed and installed by Mute Soundproofing®, for a luxury chalet in the French Alps. The existing internal timber doors were acoustically clad and sealed, critically, to match the surrounding aesthetic. Having been tested, pre-works, to provide just 15 dB(A) airborne sound insulation, the doors now provide 32 dB(A) airborne sound insulation. This 17 dB(A) upgrade significantly reduces inter-space sound passage, throughout the building.  

Tier 2 – Timber Acoustic Doors:

Flush timber acoustic doors (and frames) can be specified up to Rw 48 dB(A) for a single leaf and Rw 46 dB(A) for a double leaf (with meeting stile). Glazed timber acoustic doors (and frames) have the potential to perform up to Rw 43 dB(A), assuming a vision panel of < 0.25 m2.

Timber acoustic doors are available in a wide variety of paint and timber veneer finishes, as such they represent the most aesthetically versatile option.

Image below taken from a Mute Soundproofing® installation for a private company in Mayfair, London. 

 

Tier 3 – Steel Acoustic Doors:

Steel acoustic doors (and frames) can be specified up to Rw 63 dB(A). However, whilst steel acoustic doors clearly acoustically out-perform timber acoustic doors, their significant mass can be prohibitive within certain architectural environments – as such, a structural engineer should be consulted to assess their suitability. Moreover, their industrial appearance can preclude them from certain interior designs.

Image below taken from a Mute Soundproofing® installation for Kobalt Music Group in Southwark, London. 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 26th, 2019 at 11:16 am and is filed under Soundproofing News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.