Barn doors are becoming a signature requirement of many homes. That’s why, perhaps, homeowners today want barn sliding doors on their houses.
These doors form a great piece of artwork in terms of design. And their visual appeal gives a home the perfect trendy look.
Soundproofing barn door isn’t hard. So long as you trace the genesis of the noise, you should be able to soundproof this door with ease and convenience.
Just like the regular door, barn doors can leak in a lot of noise. The gaps, cracks between the door and its frame would let in considerable sound.
If the structure of the door is weak i.e. a hollow door structure, I can bet that noise is going to be a frequent nuisance.
But most of it, the noise and squeals that are produced when opening and closing these practically moving doors can be a real thorn in the toe. And that’s exactly the daylight difference that separates these doors from the ordinary ones.
Here are Practical Ways of Soundproofing Barn Door
The approaches to sliding door soundproofing are several and diverse. Let’s jump right into them right next.
1. Weather-stripping to Seal Gaps and Cracks
It’s never a thing of whether there are gaps or crevices around the door. It is a matter of how many are there and this is the method for barn door gap fix.
Gaps and cracks are common in the door are pretty common. You have to search carefully to find these channels.
Just like the other doors, barn doors may also contain these unwanted air passages.
They could be the finest pathways of sound in your home or room. And this is something you have got to understand that even the smallest gaps can spill in loud noises that would give you cramps in the stomach.
To contain them, you will need to seal them off. That’s why a suitable weather-stripping door kit (Check price On Amazon) would be the ideal solution.
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The tape can be effortlessly installed. No much hassle and it’s again affordable.
You just need to take the measurements of the door. Then, cut the strips according to the measurements you took from the door.
If your concern about the weather-strip is color, just make sure that you choose the right match for your door.
2. Cover the Bottom Gap
If there is a gap at the bottom of your barn door, then covering that space is the way to go. Whether it’s a few millimeters wide or more, be guaranteed that you will face a noise situation.
So, you have to put something at the bottom to block the noise. One of the ways you could do that is by placing a rolled towel or some sort of fabric in the space.
Two, you can go the permanent way and install a door sweep. Door sweeps are designed for sound dampening.
Which means this would be the most ideal solution. Its installation is not difficult and it takes less time and money.
Some door sweeps come with self-adhesive properties. Therefore, you will not have to find an adhesive to stick them to the door.
3. Use Soundproof Curtains
Another method is the use of soundproof curtains (Check price On Amazon). These curtains are designed specifically to handle noise problems.
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They are thick and denser and heavier, unlike the ordinary curtains you are used to. You simply need to hang the curtains on the rod on top of the door.
While this fabric may be an easy way to handle unwanted noise, the fact still remains that they aren’t as effective as expected. You can install double layers to obtain decent results.
The positive aspect of the soundproof curtains is that they can also act as heat insulators. And, they come in different colors that would perfectly match your interior décor.
Make sure that the curtains are large enough to cover the whole door.
4. Fit Thick Soundproof Blankets
The soundproof blankets option is an old-style method that hasn’t lost its taste in the soundproofing industry. The glory of these blankets is that they do much better than the curtains mentioned above.
They are thicker and heavier in structure. And so, are they efficient in functionality – absorbing sounds and dramatically cutting down the levels of noise in the house.
Blankets such as these moving blankets (Check price On Amazon) can be hung on the door. You can use an adhesive to stick them.
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However, the best way to install them is by nailing or hanging using the grommeted edges.
5. Install the Barn Door Properly
Poor installation can create enough problems on the sliding barn door. Soundproof efforts directed towards a door like that may still not bear the much-needed outcomes.
What most people have gone ahead to ignore most of the time is checking if the door was properly fitted. Because some problems begin from there.
Thoughtless fitting of the door can lead to cracks or gaps. It also leads to inaccurate positioning and if you have a bit of engineering knowledge, you know that a small tweak in the structure can mean huge problems.
Thus, it’s vital that the bar door is correctly mounted all the times. Use an expert to do this.
6. Attach Soundproof Panels on the Door
This is one of the most common methods that specialists in the soundproofing industry use. Soundproof/foam panels (Check price On Amazon) are generally known to be fairly good when it comes to noise blocking.
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These panels are made with acoustic properties; they are thick and therefore would be great for reducing airborne noise and echo.
Fiberglass panels are thought to be the optimal solution for serious soundproofing projects. I would also recommend these for your barn door.
The fiberglass panels have high density and weight – two very key characteristics of soundproofing materials. At the same time, these materials are not going to pose any health problems.
To install the panels on the door, use a suitable spray adhesive or alternatively use nails or screws to attach them on the door.
These panels are generally expensive but only when you want to undertake a huge project. So, you need many of them. But just for a door, it’s very cheap.
7. Attach a Layer of Wood
Soundproofing barn door using this method is a bit of a risk. First off, the wood you are using should be heavy and thick – that’s the principle behind noise-blocking.
During installation, the plywood or MDF panel you intend to use should be cut to the precise measurements of the door. Else, you are planning for an ugly scene.
Experts even reiterate that it could still look bad on your door with a perfectly cut plywood.
Anyway, to fix the wood on the door, you may need nails or screws to hold the panel in place. Other people have used adhesives for this task.
This method requires quite the zeal, attention to details and time. So if you aren’t the type of a person endowed with those qualities (in other words a hands-on person), then, it won’t your perfect undertaking.
8. Get a Solid Core Barn Door
If things continue going hay-way, the best idea is to replace the existing door. As I said earlier, hollow doors are the impeccable structures for noise transmission.
The replacement must be a solid core barn door. The reason is pretty obvious that this door would do better sound deadening compared to their hollow counterparts.
Even better is when the new door is denser.
9. Hire a Carpenter
A true professional carpenter is what you need to fix any issues on your barn door. You may be the kind of a person who loves doing DIY projects but the human is to err.
You may do the measurements in a botched manner. And the results are obvious – large gaps and cracks.
That is why an experienced carpenter is what you need. They would definitely do a perfect job, that’s their everyday work.
Such mistakes like poor measurements cannot be expected with such professionals in charge.
10. Install an Oversized Barn Door
For a major reduction in terms of noise transmission into your home, you will need to get a large or oversized door. And here is where people make misplaced decisions; they usually go for cheaper sliding barn doors or are tempted to convert their regular door into a barn door.
The result is a major gap between the door and its frame. And it’s through this straightforward channel that both light and sound would fall into the house.
But with an oversized door, these gaps are not exposed.
Try to modify the current small door by adding a small piece of wood on the inside of the sliding door.
My Final Words
Soundproofing barn door is not a problem at all. Even though the door itself comes with a different design in its structure and function and may at first scare you.
Various methods, same as what we normally see with the regular doors, can be applied with these doors. For example, weather-strips for gaps and cracks, use of curtains and moving blankets among others.
All in all, the most important thing is making sure that you remain attentive to details when soundproofing this door. That’s what helps a lot.
Last update on 2023-06-05 at 17:30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
