Pocket doors or cavity doors are a rare find in homes. These doors are one of the very few types of doors that take up absolutely no space. They slide out of specially-built pockets in the wall when you close the door, and when you open the door, they disappear fully into their compartments.
Pocket doors are truly remarkable, but even they have certain flaws. One of the issues with pocket doors is that it can be challenging to achieve a soundproof pocket door.
Pocket doors usually fit quite snug into their compartments. This means that you can’t attach anything onto the door to enhance its acoustic qualities, and thick layers of soundproof foam can get caught inside the pocket compartment.
Luckily, there are still quite a few things you can do to keep sounds from coming through these doors.
6 Great Ways to Create a Soundproof Pocket Door
To create a soundproof pocket door, you’ll need to invest in acoustic treatments. There are several things you can add to your door to create a soundproof barrier.
Here’s a quick look at concepts that work great:
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Layer Your Door With Acoustic Paneling
There are quite a few different types of acoustic paneling products available. Acoustic foam is very effective but won’t work in pocket doors because the thick foam sheet likely won’t fit inside your door’s pocket.
When you’re shopping for paneling, you should look for paneling that is 40mm or thinner. Acoustic mats or acoustic foam sheeting can be good solutions.
The paneling, sheet, or acoustic tiles need to be glued to your door without creating any gaps between strips or tiles. You can also use acoustic tape to seal gaps between the tiles or sheets.
A good quality panel will increase the acoustic performance of your door a great deal. With paneling in place, your door’s STC rating can increase by a value of up to 8 points. With acoustic paneling in place, you probably won’t be able to understand people on the other side of the door anymore, but you’ll still be able to hear them speak.
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Replace Your Door With a Solid Core Door
Acoustic paneling can make doors look less appealing. Compared to hard doors that you can wipe clean, panels like foam or mat can be hard to keep clean. If acoustic panels or mats don’t seem like a suitable option for your door, then you may want to consider replacing your door.
A solid core door is ideal for blocking out sound. Hollow core doors have an STC value of 15, while solid core doors have a value of up to 30. A lot less sound can travel through these doors.
You need to be careful when replacing a sliding door with a solid core door. Solid core doors are heavy. The components of your sliding pocket door need to be strong enough to handle this extra weight.
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Install a Door Gasket
To seal the side gaps between the soundproof pocket door and door frame, you need to install a gasket. A door gasket is a foam strip or rubber strip that sticks to the door frame. When the door slides shut, it should make contact with the gasket. The gasket is usually made of foam or rubbery materials that give way to form a tight seal.
To install a door gasket, you need to close the door and check to see where the door is closest to the frame. The gasket should adhere to this region.
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Get Door Magnets
A common issue with sliding pocket doors is that they don’t shut properly. The gap that forms allows lots of sounds to get through the door. Installing door magnets will help you get a perfect close every time. The magnet will keep the door tightly pressed against the frame so no gap will form.
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Soundproof The Top and Bottom Gap With a Weather Strip
Weatherstrip is sold in rolls that you can cut to size. There are many acoustic weather strip products available on the market. You can install the weatherstrip against the top and bottom frame of your door to form a seal. This seal will close off these gaps so your door will connect firmly with the door frame.
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Get a Door Sweep or Gap Seal
If you can’t place a weather strip along the floor then you should get a door sweep or a gap seal strip for the door’s base. This strip or seal should be attached to the bottom of the door.
Check to see if your door can still properly slide before you glue or bolt the door sweep or seal to the base of your door. Floor sweeps are usually made of rubbery materials. These rubbery materials are flexible so the door can still move over certain objects without getting stuck.
This is especially important if your door runs inside tracks. If the door sweep is too long it can get caught between the casters and the track, which can be annoying. This sweep or strip will make contact with your floor so there will be no gap between the floor and the door.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to achieving a soundproof pocket door, the process can be a bit challenging, but doing these conversions will make a huge difference in the comfort of your home. This is especially true if your pocket door is located in a bathroom, bedroom, or other intimate living area.
Soundproofing materials will keep unpleasant sounds from escaping the most intimate parts of your home. Soundproofing front doors will also keep your home nice and quiet. You’ll get plenty of rest and peace even though you might be living in a very noisy and busy neighborhood.
We hope that this guide helped you find a good soundproofing solution for your pocket door. Be sure to have a look at some of our other guides where we share advice on the best ways to soundproof other door types and windows.