Balcony doors that lead outside are usually made similar to the doors used in the front of your home, and if you wish to make sure that door is soundproof, it is much easier than you think. Much like soundproofing an interior door, there are a lot of options to help keep unwanted sound out and keep your home much quieter.
For outdoor doors such as those on a balcony, it’s good to know you can keep outdoor sounds away so that every time you go inside, you’ll be able to enjoy the peace and quiet you deserve.
10 Tips to block noise from your Balcony Door
- Use a Door Sweep
- Use Soundproofing Panels
- Change the Type of Door You Have
- Make Sure No Holes or Gaps Exist
- Install Soundproofing Composite Material
- Try the Soundproofing Foam Panels
- Use Weather-Stripping Tape
- Install Mass-Loaded Vinyl (MLV)
- Consider Replacing the Threshold
- Buy New Door Gaskets
Materials Needed
- Door sweep
- Soundproofing panels
- Solid exterior door
- Insulated foam sealant
- Soundproofing composite material
- Soundproofing foam panels
- Weather-stripping tape
- Mass-loaded vinyl
- Heavy-duty stapler and staples
- High-quality adhesive
- New threshold
- All-purpose caulking material
- Door gaskets
1. Use a Door Sweep
A lot of sound can travel through the space at the bottom of the door, but if you put a door sweep there each time the door is closed, it will block out most of that sound so that you can enjoy being in a much quieter room.
Door sweeps are inexpensive – usually in the $10 to $15 range – and are easily installed and removed. They fit all the way down to the floor and therefore prevent both sound and even air from becoming a nuisance. They are made for both exterior and interior doors and come in different sizes to fit all doors properly and safely.
They are a very effective and inexpensive way to get rid of some of the noise coming into your home. One useful tip is to use door sweeps made out of soft foam or fabric for interior doors and rubber door sweeps for exterior doors.
2. Use Soundproofing Panels
Soundproofing panels are placed over the inside of the door and help bounce the sound waves in the opposite direction and absorb the impact so that much of the sound stops there and doesn’t reverberate across the room.
Soundproofing panels come in different sizes and colors and are made out of extra-thick materials. They work a lot like thick blankets do, except they work much better because they are specifically made to reduce or eliminate the sound coming from outside sources.
If your office or den is facing the outside of your home and comes with a balcony door, you’re going to get a lot of outside noises coming into that particular room, but soundproofing panels go a long way in getting rid of those sounds so you can be comfortable again.
3. Change the Type of Door You Have
Balcony doors come in numerous styles and designs, and since most doors that face outdoors are usually solid doors, this is very likely the type of door you already own. Still, it’s best to check your door and make sure because if you do happen to have a hollow door instead, you’ll want to replace it immediately with one that is solid.
Hollow doors can let in huge amounts of noise from the outside of your home, making the time you spend in that room miserable. If this room is an office, this is a huge inconvenience and can be downright unpleasant. Regardless of what a solid door costs, it is always worth the price you pay for it because you will automatically notice a big difference in the noise level you’re exposed to.
4. Make Sure No Holes or Gaps Exist
It is easy for you to find holes and gaps around the door, especially if your home is older and has “settled.” When this happens, doors can become slightly tilted or have cracks and crevices that they didn’t have in the beginning.
Take a good look at your balcony door and if you notice any gaps or holes, make sure you fill them in right away so that sounds don’t get into those spaces and into your home.
Using an insulated foam sealant is a great idea because it is easy to apply and expands once it gets inside of the gaps and holes, which means the entire hole will be filled up once you’re done. This blocks out the noises trying to come into your home, and it doesn’t take long to apply the foam.
Make sure you inspect the door carefully because some holes and gaps are very tiny, and you don’t want to miss any of them.
5. Install Soundproofing Composite Material
Soundproofing composite material can be used underneath the door and even both the inside and outside of the door. If you use it underneath the door, make sure there is no gap between the composite material and the door itself; otherwise, the sound will still be able to come through the door and disturb you when you’re inside the room.
In fact, you can even buy customized doors that already have this soundproofing composite material in it. If you do this, though it may be an expensive option, you won’t have to worry about buying the composite material separately.
Most of this material can be screwed or glued onto the door, which allows for a much longer-lasting composite material in the end.
6. Try the Soundproofing Foam Panels
The soundproofing panels made out of foam are usually the least expensive type of soundproofing panels, but they still work much better than you think. These panels are easy to install but since each brand is different, you’ll have to make sure you read the instructions carefully and install them exactly as required.
Don’t attempt to screw or glue the panels onto the door because this can ruin the door. Many people use a Velcro-type material to put the panels on their door, but if the manufacturer recommends something else, always make sure you do what they say.
Foam panels are used frequently to deaden the sound coming through your doors, so they are a good choice for everyone.
7. Use Weather-Stripping Tape
Some gaps can be filled in much easier with weather-stripping tape than with any other product, including the foam sealants. The great thing about this tape is that it’s easy for anyone to learn to use it because all you do is measure how much you need and cut the strips to that particular size.
Weather-stripping tape usually has a peel-off adhesive side that makes it super easy to apply, even if you’re not a handyman. In addition, the tape comes in many types, including vinyl, rubber, foam, and even felt, giving you lots of options when you’re in search of this type of product.
Easy to apply and inexpensive as well, weather-stripping tape is mostly used to fill in the gaps between the door and the doorframe.
8. Install Mass-Loaded Vinyl (MLV)
Mass-loaded vinyl is usually stapled on the door or placed there with a strong type of adhesive. It usually comes in panels that you can cut to the appropriate size, and if you place it on your door first then cover it with a soundproofing panel or soundproofing curtains, it offers top-notch soundproofing capabilities regardless of what’s on the other side of your door.
You can find high-quality MLV in numerous stores, including home-improvement and hardware stores, and it usually comes in either black or gray, which is one of the reasons many people like to cover it with a curtain or panels that are colorful and decorative.
Although not super inexpensive, MLV is extremely effective in eliminating a lot of the annoying sounds that come into your home from the outside, especially when you couple it with another efficient soundproofing tool.
9. Consider Replacing the Threshold
Sometimes, no matter how well your door fits, there will be air seeping through your threshold. If it doesn’t work when you try to repair the threshold, it’s best to go ahead and replace it altogether. After all, lots of air can get through the threshold area of your door, and a brand-new one will do a much better job of keeping air out of your home.
Just remember to remove the old threshold entirely and install the new one just like the instructions tell you to. This way, you are certain to get a threshold that fits perfectly and stops all of the air from getting into your home, along with the sounds that accompany that air.
To make sure the threshold fits the way it’s supposed to, you can use some all-purpose caulking material around the entire structure so that it fits properly and does its job afterward.
10. Buy New Door Gaskets
Instead of weather-stripping tape, you can use sound-sealing door gaskets. They are a little more complex to install but generally do a much better job of keeping out unwanted sounds.
Most gaskets are made out of either rubber or metal and are installed by screwing them into the doorframe, which keeps them in place indefinitely. They don’t crease or loosen like weather-stripping tape does, so they have many advantages over the latter.
If you read the instructions that come with the gaskets and still feel unsure about the installation process, don’t be shy about asking an expert for help because installing them correctly is a must if they are to work right.