Acoustic doors
An acoustic door is not a heavy door. It is a sealed assembly, and the seal at the floor usually decides whether it works.
Also in openings
Doors are the most common weak point in an isolated room. A leaf with mass is only part of it: the frame has to be sealed into the wall, the perimeter seals have to compress when the door is closed, and the gap at the threshold has to close. Any one of those left undone reduces the whole assembly to the performance of the gap.
The other half of the problem is human. A door that is heavy to open, slow to close or catches on its seals gets propped open, and then the wall it sits in stops mattering. Weight, closer selection and ironmongery are chosen so the door is used as intended by the people who work there.
What makes up a set
| Leaf | Built for mass and internal damping, sized to the opening; single or double. |
|---|---|
| Frame | Sealed into the surrounding construction, not simply fixed to it. |
| Perimeter seals | Compression seals at head and jambs, adjustable after installation. |
| Threshold | Automatic drop seal, or an acoustic threshold where a raised detail is acceptable. |
| Ironmongery | Hinges, closer and latching that pull the leaf firmly onto its seals. |
| Vision panel | Optional sealed glazed unit within the leaf. |
Where doors come in pairs
Where isolation has to be high — studios, banquet halls, plant rooms, test chambers — two door sets with a small lobby between them outperform any single leaf, and give people somewhere to pass through without both doors being open at once. The lobby is lined with absorption so it does not become a drum.
Detailing that decides performance
- The wall build-up around the opening, carried to the slab.
- Sealing between frame and structure, on both faces.
- Threshold condition, including the floor finishes each side.
- Clearances — a door that binds will be adjusted on site until it no longer seals.
- Fire and escape requirements, resolved with the acoustic specification rather than after it.
A door set is specified as an assembly with its frame, seals and threshold — or it is just a heavy door.
Maintenance
Seals are consumable. They compress, harden and eventually stop sealing, usually after several years of daily use. We hand over the seal specification with the project so replacements match, and we can inspect and re-adjust sets as part of a maintenance visit.
What we need to quote
- Opening size, wall thickness and construction.
- What is on each side of the door and the separation required.
- Floor finish and whether a threshold is acceptable.
- Fire rating, escape direction and access control, if any.
- Frequency of use — a studio door and a plant room door are different problems.
Tell us the room
Send dimensions and intended use. You get back an indicative acoustic treatment, a systems outline and a budget range.