Installing a Soundproof Door

Posted by AcousticalSurfaces on

Whether at home or work, you may need or desire to soundproof a room. Doctors, legal professionals, and business executives, for example, all require speech privacy and confidentiality as well as freedom from external noise which may interrupt their work and conversations. Hotel owners often want to soundproof room doors to provide their guests complete acoustic privacy. Alternatively, if you’re building a home or professional recording studio, you also want an acoustically sealed room. Regardless of your purpose, a soundproof door is critical to the complete success of any soundproofing project. If you’ve invested in soundproofing the walls, ceiling, and perhaps, even, the floor of your room, you will likely be disappointed if noise is still being transmitted through a non-soundproofed door. A Studio 3D™ Soundproof Interior Door is one of the soundest investments you can make toward achieving the highest quality of soundproofing for your room – with an STC value as high as 56. Our Studio 3D™ soundproof doors are ideal for recording studios, offices, band rooms, hotels, conference rooms, or any other situation for which you require a soundproof interior door. Below, you’ll find step-by-step instructions on installing our Studio 3D™ Soundproof Interior Door. You can also view our tutorial on line.

Installing a Soundproof Door

Your soundproof door assembly is very heavy, so ensure that you have several people (4 to 5) to help safely handle and position it throughout the installation process.

Materials and Equipment

Preparing the Door Assembly

  • Lay the door kit on the floor inside the room.
  • Carefully remove the bottom shipping plate.

Shimming the Hinge Side of the Door Frame

  • Measure and mark the 4 hinge positions on the hinge-side of the door opening.
  • Fasten a shim at the highest hinge mark of the door opening.
  • Use a vertical level to establish a plumb line
  • Fasten the other three shims at the remaining hinge marks.
Note: It’s critical to install the door jamb along a perfectly plumb frame opening, so double-check that the shims are plumb and level with each other.

Placing the Door Assembly in the Shimmed Frame

Note: At this point, the door assembly is fragile and heavy, so move slowly and carefully.
  • Position the door at a right angle to the wall and with the bottom close to the edge of the opening, carefully raise the door assembly and place it into position within the door frame opening.
  • Slide the door assembly into the door opening until the interior door trim frame is flush with the wall.
  • While holding the door jamb assembly against the wall, open the door to a right angle.
  • Carefully shim the door into place – while keeping the jamb flush against the wall.
  • Remove the inside two of the four installed, short hinge screws from the top door frame hinge.
  • Drill deeper pilot holes through the two empty holes.
  • Screw the two long hinge screws (supplied with the kit) into the door frame – maintaining the jamb flush with the wall.
  • Repeat the above process for each of the remaining three hinges.
  • Note the door opening reveal (gap between the door and jamb) and shim the remaining jamb and lintel so that the reveal is evenly spaced around the entire door assembly.
  • Shim behind the three strike plates and replace the short screws with long screws in each of the strike plates.

Sealing & Trimming the Exterior Door Frame

  • Apply blue painter’s tape on the door jamb and lintel to protect them.
  • Insert the backer rod (supplied in the kit) into the gap for the acoustic caulk. (For wider gaps, twist two backer rods together to double its thickness)
  • Apply the acoustic caulking to completely fill and seal the gap. (Note: Ensure the gap is completely filled – leave NO air spaces or gaps.)
  • Place the pre-mitered trim frame over the caulked gap to show an even reveal
  • Attach the trim frame with the screws (supplied in the kit)

Sealing & Trimming the Interior Door Frame

  • Remove the screws holding the pre-attached trim frame on the other side of the door.
  • Remove the trim frame and carefully place it off to the side.
  • Fill the jamb and lintel gaps (between the door jamb and the wall) with backing rod.
  • Caulk and seal the space using the acoustic sealant (supplied with the kit) – completely fill the gaps.
  • Replace the trim frame over the caulked gap to show an even reveal.
  • Screw the trim frame back into place with the supplied screws.

Setting Up the Door Handle

  • Place the door handle levers, spindle, and plates on both sides of the door.
  • Screw them into place, being careful not to scratch the powder paint coating/finish.
  • Tighten the door handle with the hexagonal wrench.
  • Check the latches for any binding.
Note: All 3 latches should work smoothly and in unison when you turn the door handle.

Adjusting the Threshold, Side, and Top Seals

  • Adjust the bolt on the automatic bottom seal so that it contacts the frame plate to lower the seal completely to the threshold when the door is closed. (You may need to adjust several times until you’ve got it just right.)
  • Adjust the side and top seals to ensure a snug fit with the surface of the door.

Completing the Exterior Frame Trim

  • Remove the glue strip protective coverings from the pre-mitered door seal trim pieces.
  • First, firmly press the top piece into place.
  • Firmly place the side pieces into place.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve just installed one of the best soundproof doors available. Now, you are an expert in installing a soundproof door.

Additional Resources

Creating Better-Sounding Rooms

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Solutions to Common Noise Problems

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CAD, CSI, & Revit Library

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