When installing a door there is a gap left between the floor and the door. This gap allows a lot of noise to come in and out of your house. The main reason as to why the gap is left is to make sure that the door closes and opens freely.
This means that as long as the gap is left, the noise will always come in and out of your house. However, you can use soundproofing techniques which will make sure that no noise will be passing through that space.
In this case, you can install door sweeps which will cover the area and enables smooth closing and opening of your door. This article will elaborate on door sweeps, how they operate, their process of installation and their benefits. Find out more here.
Types of door sweeps
In soundproofing, there are two types of door sweeps, i.e. rubber door seals and heavy draft stoppers. You can also use household items like heavy rugs, towels, and blankets to seal your door.
Here is how they work
1. Draft stoppers
There are long pillows that have a heavy filling in them. They ensure that drafts do not enter your room. They are made of a large flat surface at the bottom which you will slide under the door.
For you to properly soundproof your room you require either mass or density or even both of the two. In this case, a draft is favorable because it comes with both features when it is installed under your door.
They have added weight on every side hence reduces slamming noise when opening and shutting the door. You can us your household item to serve the same purpose as a draft. You can use foam products, stretch materials or staffing a towel under the door. This can be a great idea especially if you are working on a very low budget.
Installing draft stoppers
They are very easy to install. You just have to slip them under the door. Most of them have padding on both sides and are made of fabrics. Therefore, when you slip them over the door, they pad on both sides of your door.
This enables the door to hold the stopper tightly on the floor. They are also made of fabric covers which makes it easy for them to slide over the floor. The sides which are padded enables the stopper to firmly hold the door when it is moving over the floor.
Other drafts have clips wrapped around them. These clips are installed over the door hence; the stopper is installed above them.
2. Rubber door seals
Their main purpose is to block sound from going through and leaving the house. This is because of how they are designed to make sure that sound does not enter or go out of the room. They have two parts metal or plastic bit and a rubber strip.
The metallic part hangs over the door while the part with rubber touches the floor. The rubber part helps to block the air gap. Hence, prevents coming in or leaving of any sound through the gap at the door.
The metallic part is made of embedment which is for fixing them over the door. There are various types and brands of rubber door seals. They either come with a gasket or dense brushes. The ones with gasket makes the airtight.
A gasket is a fabric fixed over the door of refrigerators or cooling units. Due to the tightening of the air they help to dampen all noises entering or leaving a room. It is advisable that when you are selecting a rubber door seal, you purchase a solid one.
This is because they are more effective compared to nylon brush sweeps. They give better and expected soundproofing results in a very noisy area. The nylon ones tend to make noise by dragging the floor when it’s closing and opening.
Installation of rubber door seals
As I have discussed, they have two parts i.e. the metallic or plastic part and the rubber part. The metallic parts have holes over them.
These holes helps to screw the seal over the door. You will buy the screws together with the seals. Therefore, when installing you should first measure the seals over the door to make sure that they will fit properly.
In case the seals are too long, you should cut them to the ideal size. Then check the screws that comes with the seal then screw them over the rubber part. See this link to find out how you can install a door sweep by yourself https://www.doityourself.com/stry/installing-door-sweeps-4-tips
Benefits of door sweeps
Apart from eliminating a lot of noise that comes in and out of your room, there are several benefits of installing sweeps to soundproof your house. They include improves quality of air
When you seal your door, you prevent dust and pollen from entering the house. This leads to better quality of air. It also assists to keep insects away hence you will be able to play your musical instruments without swatting flies away.
Reduces humidity, soundproof doors help to increase control of humidity. This protects your home from mildew and mould. It also helps to keep your electrical devices in good condition.
Reduces utility bills, when you seal air leaks, you will be able to save some amount of money which is incurred on heating and cooling bills. This is because during winter, door sweeps helps to maintain the heat in your house and during summer they keep the heat out.
Improves comfort, when you close door gaps, you are able to reduce drafts and create consistent room temperature. This makes your home more comfortable.
Conclusion
The air gaps found on the doors allows a lot of noise to go in and out of your room. However, the door sweep helps to block all the noise that might pass through this gap. It is advisable that you buy door sweeps and install them under your door. It is important that you purchase high quality door sweep which will serve your needs. In case you are working under a very low budget you can use your household items to block all that noise. The article above will guide you when you want to buy the door sweeps.
Leave a Comment