You can have walls as thick as a castle but if your door is letting in noise, you’ll struggle to sleep well. Four simple words – block sound under door! It’s easy and cheap…
Gaps and cracks anywhere allow noise transfer. The bottom of a door usually leaves a bigger gap than the top or sides. This makes soundproofing it essential for sleep.
Skip to:
- Door sweeps
- Automatic door sweeps
- Get a thicker carpet
- Place a rug near your door
- Put a towel under your door
- Ways to soundproof the top and sides of your door
Door sweeps
These door noise reducers are cheap and easy to install. They fit tightly at the bottom of the door, reducing noise transmission into your room.
You can find many different types of door sweeps, made from materials such as vinyl or rubber (some are a combination of rubber and aluminum). Here’s a few tips:
- The common U-shape door sweeps are fine for bedroom doors, but avoid them on external doors. That’s because they can collect moisture from outside and rot your door.
- Buy a door sweep that won’t scratch or dent your flooring. If you have a wood or ceramic door that may become damaged when you close the door, opt for a soft door sweep made from a material like felt or brush.
- Vinyl and rubber door sweeps are generally best at blocking sound.
- Make sure you do your measurements before you buy. You should measure the gap underneath your door, and also the width of your door.
Additional benefits – door sweeps are also useful for keeping out light, insects, and drafts, while providing heat insulation.
Check Door Sweep price on Amazon
Automatic door sweeps
Door sweeps are designed to give you a tight fit. That’s how they block sound, light, and drafts. If your door sweep is dragging too much across your floor, consider automatic door sweeps.
Automatic door sweeps – also known as automatic door bottoms – are door sweeps that snap down automatically when you close your door.
That solves the problem of dragging, as there is no obstruction. If you are worried about damage to your door, this is the way to go.
Note – automatic door sweeps are usually more expensive than normal door sweeps. But they are still affordable.
Check Automatic Door Bottom price on Amazon
Get a thicker carpet
Getting a thicker carpet can be a good option.
If you want to make improvements to a bedroom or living room, you might find that when you opt for a thicker carpet, the gap problem is solved.
There will still be some kind of gap, but a thick, robust carpet can effectively do the same job as a door sweep; closing the gap between the floor and the door.
However, you will never get a perfect seal from your carpet. And also, for the carpet to act as an effective sound blocker, it will need to be touching the bottom of the door. This could make your door hard to close.
Overall, not a perfect soundproofing solution for the bottom of your door, but something to consider.
Place a rug near your door
A quicker alternative to a new carpet that does the same job – placing a rug next to your door can help to block the gap.
The thickness of the rug will need to be correct. It should be just small enough to fit snugly under the door.
You may choose to have the rug facing inwards into your room, or outwards into the hallway or neighboring room.
If you think that a door sweep looks ugly, using a rug is a nice way to add a stylish furnishing to your room, while also blocking some noise.
But be clear – a rug is not likely to form a seal as effectively as a door sweep.
Put a towel under your door
This is a spur-of-the-moment noise reduction move – that moment will typically be when someone, or something, has woken you up!
If you need a quick fix before you can find a more permanent solution, reach for your towel. It can do a fairly decent job of absorbing and blocking sound, as well as light.
Simply fold it to a size that fits tightly in the gap under your door (you might not need to fold thicker towels). Then roll up the rest of the towel and rest it against the door. The tighter the fit, the better job it will do.
Ways to soundproof the top and sides of your door
They might not be as obvious, but there are also gaps along the top and sides of your door.
If you are still getting noise disturbance through your door after sealing the bottom, you should think about methods to soundproof the other 3 sides. Here are some ideas:
Door gaskets
Door gaskets are also known as weatherstripping. They sit along the frame of your door, blocking the spaces when the door is shut.
You can affix them easily at the top (header piece) and on the sides (side jambs) of your door frame. Some door gaskets they come with self adhesive strips, while others need to be fastened into flanges with screws. Both these methods are certainly DIY-friendly.
You can find door gaskets in materials such as reinforced foam, vinyl, and tubular rubber. They fit snugly to give you an air tight seal around the upper parts of your door.
Solid door
If your door is still allowing noise through after you have blocked the bottom and sealed the top and sides, it might be due to the door itself, not the gaps.
Some of the thinner hollow doors are conducive to noise transmission. Replacing your hollow door with a solid door adds more mass and does a better job of blocking sound waves.
Solid core doors are generally more expensive, but can be a great option for soundproofing a bedroom, recording studio, office or playroom.
Where to soundproof next?
If you’ve Googled ‘block noise under door’ or a similar query, we hope you read this article and it made a difference. You may find you also blocked out light and drafts, too.
Still suffering from noise disturbances at night? Turn your attention to your windows and walls. Read our article on How to Make a Room Soundproof.
