How to choose a soundproof entrance door: 6 important parameters

"Our home is our fortress." This phrase will not be true if there are doubts about the quality and reliability of the front door. Which apartment to choose depends on its operational characteristics and the properties of the elements:

• The door frame is the frame, the support of the entire system.
• The leaf is a door leaf installed in the opening that opens and closes the entrance. Its basis is a frame with built-in stiffeners.
• The hinges that hold the door frame to the door frame.
• Seals that complement the design.
• Necessary accessories - handles, locks, etc.

When choosing a door, pay attention to each of these components.

Steel thickness

Before purchasing, it is important to find out from the seller what materials the frame was made from. Its strength depends on the number of welds connecting the individual frame elements. Hence the option - from a profile pipe, with a single connecting seam. The most dubious frame is made from several corners welded to each other.

Next, pay attention to the outer door leaf. The main criteria here are integrity and the absence of connecting seams. The materials mainly used are:

• Cold rolled steel. Leader in strength. Resistant to negative environmental factors and does not corrode. Such doors are expected to sell at a higher price.
• Hot rolled steel. Corrosion-resistant material. This metal is recognized by its characteristic dark shade.

The thickness of the iron sheets that make up the door leaf is somewhere in the range of 0.08-0.3 cm. It is logical that the thickness of the metal increases strength. But the law “the more the better” is not entirely appropriate here:

• The thicker the steel sheet, the more expensive the entire structure, the greater its weight.
• Heavy doors are difficult to open and close: they are difficult for a child or an elderly person to handle.
• A massive canvas can sag over time, threatening repairs and out of service.

The optimal steel thickness for an apartment entrance door is 0.15-0.2 cm.

It is worth paying attention to the following features:

1. Installation of steel sheet only from the outer part. This solution reduces the cost of the design, but affects reliability and safety. The optimal solution is two steel sheets, on the outside and on the inside.
2. Installation of an additional, third sheet of steel. This characteristic is intended to increase safety, but in essence it is in vain - it only increases the weight of the structure. A much better option: installing additional steel or armored plates only in the areas where the locks are installed. It is these places that will be exposed to attackers in the event of a break-in.

Soundproofing materials

To soundproof doors, various materials are used, which also act as insulation. Each option has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Most often preference is given to:

• polystyrene foam;
• mineral wool;
• foamed polyurethane;
• corrugated cardboard.

Related article: White interior doors - an elegant decoration for any interior

In addition to sound insulation, the listed materials also have thermal insulation properties and are able to maintain a comfortable microclimate in the room. Typically, the thickness of the interior trim does not exceed 50 mm.

Mineral wool

This option has the best price-quality ratio. The wavy structure of the coating absorbs external sounds and prevents heat from escaping. So you don't have to worry about thermal insulation. But laying mineral wool in wooden structures is a rather difficult process. You will need to use special partitions to fix the location of the cotton wool inside the canvas. If you abandon these elements, the cotton wool will begin to crumble over time and let in extraneous sounds.

Often mineral wool crumbles and moves to the lower part of the structure. It is not possible to check this without opening the canvas.

Foamed polyurethane

The optimal solution for preventing extraneous sounds from entering the apartment is a polyurethane-based door. This insulating coating has excellent performance at any temperature, and also additionally strengthens the structure. The material does not burn, which is an advantage when used in residential buildings.

The disadvantages of this choice include the high cost, so soundproofing doors with similar filling inside are often used in luxury cottages or new buildings.

Styrofoam

Soundproof metal doors with such filling are the most common. The light weight of the material allows it to be used in any type of door frame and with any fittings. The foam is quite rigid, so its performance parameters do not change over time.

When choosing, you must take into account the density of this filler. For entrance doors, the optimal solution is C25 foam.

Many people refuse to use this material because of its flammability and ability to release harmful substances. But this is not always justified, since many other fillers have similar disadvantages. Since the foam will be located inside a metal or wooden shell, you won’t have to worry about the release of harmful substances.

Corrugated cardboard

This is one of the cheapest materials used for soundproofing entrance doors. Often, it is corrugated cardboard that is found inside low-quality door panels from China. Of course, this material has some sound absorption, but it cannot be compared with other fillers.

Related article: Advantages of aluminum entrance doors and their design features [selection tips]

Number of stiffeners

Stiffening ribs located inside the structure are required for entrance doors for two purposes: giving the highest strength and obtaining the ability to resist mechanical stress. The optimal number is three edges. Their arrangement horizontally, vertically, and diagonally is acceptable. Installing more of these ribs is often in vain, as it increases the mass of the canvas.

Basic materials for these elements:

• Angle, rectangular metal pipe. Reliable, but very heavy elements.
• Rolled structures with complex profiles. They have increased strength, but at the same time they are light in weight - they do not burden the structure.

Types of soundproofing doors

• Metal or steel, to which an additional level of sound insulation is installed during assembly. This makes the apartment not only safe, but also closed from noise, since metal resonates sound remarkably. A metal door must be equipped with a sealing circuit. Steel doors are a little bulky to install, but that doesn't make them any less popular.

Article on the topic: Choosing a soundproofing interior door for home and office

• Wooden ones are among the TOP doors with sound insulation. Here the material from which the front door is made, the thickness of the structure, and the type of seal used come to the fore. Wood has a high level of sound insulation; in addition, it is an environmentally friendly and safe material. Also, wooden doors are very resistant to mechanical stress and temperature changes. It is necessary to choose doors from such types of wood as walnut, cherry, ash, oak. Wooden doors have a maximum soundproofing threshold of 32 decibels.

A separate category includes doors with increased sound insulation, which is very important for apartments in high-rise buildings. In such buildings it is quite difficult to protect yourself from loud neighbors and sounds from outside with ordinary doors, so it is worth installing a door with an increased sound insulation system. Such designs must meet the following factors:

• The door leaf should be deep.
• High quality filler material.
• High level of structural integrity. For example, double-sided decoration of the front door.
• The lock must not have through holes.
• All voids in the canvas must be filled.

Soundproof doors may vary in design. For example, the inner side of the structure (the one that will be in the apartment) may contain a mirror or other decorative elements.

Thermal insulation and sound insulation of a metal door

Protection from uninvited guests is an important, but not the only function of entrance doors. They must also protect against the penetration of sounds, noises, odors, and retain heat in the room. Good sound and heat insulation is responsible for all of the above.

If we look at it from the inside, we will see a frame on which the inner and outer steel plates are attached. Between them there are ribs of rigidity and emptiness. The latter, accordingly, are filled with insulating materials.

• Corrugated cardboard, pressed paper. Chinese manufacturers most often turn to such insulators because of their price. Despite its economy, this material retains heat. But at the same time, it is flammable and actively absorbs moisture, thereby losing its heat-insulating properties.
• Mineral wool. Valued for its excellent heat and sound insulation characteristics. According to its properties, it is non-toxic and non-flammable. But it has significant disadvantages: it sags over time, and when exposed to moisture, it loses its insulating functions.
• Styrofoam. Economical material with excellent characteristics: prevents the penetration of sounds, heat loss, and does not lose properties when exposed to moisture. But polystyrene foam is a flammable material that not only ignites quickly, but also releases toxic components when burned.
• Polyurethane foam. Durable insulating material with excellent properties. Insensitive to temperature changes and water. Its disadvantage is the possibility of fire.

There is a simple way to check the quality of internal insulation: knock on the canvas with some metal object. The more dull the sound, the more reliable and conscientious the insulating filling.

In addition to internal insulation, attention is paid to external insulation - to the sealing gaskets between the door leaf and the frame. Experts prefer rubber parts: silicone and polyurethane parts fail faster, wear out, and do not provide good protection from drafts and unpleasant odors. The rubber fits much tighter.

On the market you will find entrance doors with 2-3 sealing contours, which supposedly provide super protection against the penetration of noise, odors, and heat leakage. But this is nothing more than an advertising technique to increase the price of the structure: all of the above can easily be handled by one correctly installed rubber sealing circuit.

Effective sound insulation

A sufficiently high level of living comfort in your apartment will provide protection from external influences, in particular from noise and sounds penetrating into the room from the entrance or vestibule. This could be the sound of a working elevator or a garbage chute.

The easiest way to protect your peace is to have soundproofed entrance doors. This design will reduce heat loss and create a barrier for insects entering the apartment from basements and technical floors.

For greater efficiency, experts recommend using the following elements in the opening design:

1. threshold;
2. seals;
3. locking lock.

Experts note that the presence of a threshold reduces external noise by 10-15 dB.

If the design of soundproofing doors does not provide for the presence of a threshold, you can equip the door leaf with a device called a “drop-down threshold”. In the closed position, it closes the gap between the floor and the lower edge of the door leaf, creating an obstacle to sound waves.

As a sealant, profile-type rubber strips with a cross-section resembling the Latin “D” are used. They are attached around the perimeter of the box.

An effective protection against extraneous sounds will be a design in the form of a vestibule, with two doors installed in series.

External and internal finishing of a metal door

Iron sheets are durable and strong, but not very aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, their external and internal finishing is required. For external design, materials that are insensitive to negative factors are mainly used:

• Powder coating. This is the most popular finishing method for a number of factors: aesthetic appeal, low cost, durability.
• Lamination. Most often, PVC film is used, creating an imitation of various materials. This finish cannot be called strong and durable.
• Tree. A beautiful way to decorate. The material is painted, polished or decorated with carvings.
• Installation of PVC panels. In terms of durability and strength, this finish is similar to lamination. Its main (and, one might say, only) advantage is the huge selection of design materials.

As for the interior decoration, everything depends only on the imagination of the apartment owner. The most economical option is painting. But most often, the inside of the metal one is sheathed with wood or soft soundproofing materials: artificial leather, dermantine with foam padding.

Review of manufacturers

The TOP includes well-known companies that have an impeccable reputation in the market:

1. Torex is a successful corporation that sells soundproofing door surfaces. It offers consumers entrance and interior thermal doors for apartments and industrial premises. During production, seals and multi-layer protection are used. Most models are produced with the marking “A+1” - the highest class.
2. Steel is a leader among domestic producers. For each product, manufacturers provide a quality certificate and a ten-year guarantee. Any model has decent technical characteristics according to GOST.
3. Guardian is distinguished by its original door design and high-quality building materials. Any model has a high fire resistance class, which provides additional protection and guarantees to the purchaser.

We recommend: Doing your own balcony soundproofing

Pay attention to the loops

You should not deprive your attention of door hinges: if you choose the wrong one, even the strongest door or the most intricate locks will not save you from intruders. And so the main categories of these elements:

• Overheads (open to view). Simultaneously simple, reliable and economical design. Such hinges perfectly withstand the weight of even the heaviest iron sheets. The installation of such hinges is also simple: they do not require a hollow special profile or arrangement of seats. But overhead fittings have one important drawback: they can be easily cut off by intruders.
• Hidden. This is a multi-component component that cannot be accessed from the outside - when closed, such hinges are not visible at all. At the same time, reliability comes with significant drawbacks: the hinges sag, squeak unpleasantly over time - frequent adjustments are required. They often jam tightly - repairing such a problem is not easy.

With all that said, there are several ways to increase the reliability of open hinges:

• Choose an element made of hardened steel.
• Buy a hinge design with a rotating mechanism, which is very difficult to open.
• Additionally, anti-removal bolts are installed that fit into special grooves when the door is closed. Even if the loops are cut, these elements will not allow the canvas to be removed.

Lock classes for metal doors

Purely theoretically, any lock can be hacked. But the question is how long it will take. The lock has the highest security class, which makes the job of a burglar as difficult as possible.

All locking mechanisms are divided into large groups:

• Cylinder. Inside such a mechanism there is a large volume of pins and cylinders, which makes unlocking with master keys very difficult. Cylinder locks are against so-called intelligent burglars. If an attacker uses brute force, he will easily break and knock out such a mechanism. Manufacturers protect cylinder locks against force with armor plates, balls that prevent drilling, etc.
• Level ones. This lever design is based on 1-10 metal plates. For apartment doors, a model with 6 or more levers is sufficient. Such structures are easily unlocked by intelligent burglars. But they reliably protect against brute physical force - such a lock cannot be knocked out. For additional protection, the structure is supplemented with a manganese element, which makes drilling difficult.
• Electronic. Such locks open in response to the correct code, fingerprint or facial features of the owner. Their main disadvantage is their high price. But for all their reliability and convenience, electronic designs are also imperfect - for example, thieves have already learned to quickly select the correct codes.

To achieve maximum security, it is worth installing two types of locks at the same time: both against intelligent and against force breaking - lever and cylinder.

Insulation classes

As in any other structures, noise insulation classes are determined. They are prescribed in GOST No. 31173-2003. Each manufacturer is obliged to adhere to the parameters and rules that are prescribed in the regulatory act. GOST specifies the main classes:

1. First class - minimizes noise by 20-25 decibels. Products marked No. 1 are installed in production workshops or warehouses.
2. Second class – reduces noise level to 31 decibels. This option is called “housing” and is suitable for apartments.
3. Group “A” means that the canvas has a high level of noise insulation. "B" is identical to category "A", but is intended only for residential real estate. Group “C” is an analogue of class 2. Category “D” marks door leaves with a low ability to absorb sounds, and “E” does not have insulating elements inside at all.

You can improve the sound insulation in your apartment with your own hands, but to do this you will have to study the detailed instructions. When choosing, you should give preference to the abbreviation “A+1”. It is indicated on the packaging.

Is the door right or left: how to determine

Before purchasing, decide whether you need a right or left one. There are some simple instructions here.

Left door:

• With external opening. You approach the door from the flight of stairs: the handle will be on the right side, and the hinges will be on the left. To open this door, you grab the handle with your left hand - it will open towards you.
• With internal opening. You approach the door from your apartment: the handle will be on your right, and the door hinges will be on your left. To open it, you must pull the shutter with your left hand towards you.

Right door:

• With external opening. You approach the door from the flight of stairs: you will see the handle on the left side, and the hinges on the right. To open one, you must pull the handle towards you with your right hand.
• With internal opening. You approach the door from the corridor to your apartment: the door handle will be on your left, and the hinges will be on your right. To open this, pull the handle towards you with your right hand.

How to trim a doorway

In this situation, slopes are not called the cashing itself, but the surfaces of the walls in the doorway. The finishing of this part of the space is important - without such finishing the interior of the corridor will look unfinished.

Before you start work, pay attention to the recommendations:

1. The finishing of the opening begins after installing the frame and door leaf.
2. The walls of the opening are pre-primed and plastered to prevent fungus. To do this, purchase a special primer.
3. Before starting work, check the slopes using a level. Deviations from the norm are leveled by applying cement mortar.
4. Before installing the frame and finishing, consider how communication wires for the Internet and cable TV will pass through the slope.

How to make slopes on the front door

After installation, you will need to finish the opening. The success of the business depends on what material you choose:

• Plastering, cement screed. The simplest, cheapest and fastest finishing method. Cement mortar is distributed over the wall and the surface is leveled. To achieve perfect evenness, you must first install special beacons, securing them with alabaster. Plaster is an economical material with which even a non-professional can level a wall in an opening. Use decorative plaster, paint this space with façade, acrylic paints or wallpaper.
• Drywall. Finishing with plasterboard is a high-quality and aesthetic material that even beginners can work with. If the walls are smooth, then the drywall is glued to them immediately with a special adhesive composition. If it is curved, then a metal frame is first installed, which is then sheathed with plasterboard sheets.
• MDF panels. The method is chosen for its simplicity and speed of finishing. There are a large number of options for such cladding - laminated, veneered (the most durable) or painted panels. To install them you need polyurethane foam, a jigsaw, a chisel, liquid nails and dowels. An important step is correct measurements: the space between the external slopes is larger than between the internal ones. As with laminate, finishing can be done by hand.
• PVC panels. An economical finishing material that attracts with a huge variety of design solutions. But at the same time, PVC panels are fragile: a small blow and a scratch or dent appears. The most popular ones for finishing doorways are wood or fabric imitations. The panels are attached either to the wall or to a special wooden frame with glue. For joints, special decorative corners are used.
• Decorative rock. Very original decoration. Before laying, markings are carried out, stones are first laid out on the floor in order to determine the pattern in advance by location on the wall. You shouldn’t be afraid of small mistakes: the material is uneven by nature, so they will look as if it was intended that way. The opening is pre-prepared - the wall is cleaned and degreased. The masonry is laid from below, fixing the stone with special glue. Much attention is paid to the corners - trimmed, sanded.

Criteria for choosing an entrance door

1. You can start with the main material of the front door. As you know, the ideal protection against a thief has not yet been invented. Therefore, from this point of view, metal, wooden, and plastic models will be equally protected.
2. Modern locks are not able to prevent unauthorized entry into the house. Even new security systems become vulnerable after a while. Therefore, only a whole range of measures can provide reliable protection for a house or apartment.
3. It makes no sense for an apartment owner to buy an expensive door with improved sound insulation if loud conversations between neighbors can be clearly heard through the walls or ceiling. And the armor on the canvas will clearly be an unnecessary protective element for the apartment.
4. When purchasing a steel model, you should pay attention to the quality of the coating. This is especially true for owners of houses and cottages. Good protection and aesthetic appearance are provided by polymer (powder) paint, as well as various decorative panels.
5. The front door also has an internal surface. When a young and stupid dog or cat is bored in the house, the animal’s claws can damage the beautiful canvas. It might be worth asking your sales consultant about the anti-vandal properties of the door.
6. Not only Russian but also foreign manufacturers are actively defending their positions in the domestic market. Our companies have significantly improved the quality of production, and are practically not inferior to imported analogues in design. At the same time, the price of domestic products is significantly lower.

Our review includes the best entrance doors. When compiling the rating, the following criteria were taken into account:

1. innovativeness of designs;
2. sophistication of finishing;
3. price;
4. richness of the model range;
5. expert opinion;
6. consumer reviews.