Do your stylish French doors allow too much outside noise into your home?
Soundproofing your French doors is an easy DIY project that can make a huge difference in noise reduction.
In this guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to soundproof French doors in a weekend.
Let’s dive in to the steps and materials to turn your doors
Why Soundproof French Doors?
French doors can allow more sound to travel through than regular doors. The large glass panes and thinner construction means noise passes through easier compared to a typical solid wood door.
When your home is located on a busy street or you have noisy neighbors, unwanted sounds from outside can disrupt your indoor environment.
Sounds like traffic, construction, loud music, barking dogs, and noisy children playing can easily be heard through non-soundproofed French doors.
This excess noise can make it difficult to relax, work, or sleep. Soundproofing helps block these external noises from infiltrating into your home.
Creating a sound barrier with your French doors is an easy weekend project that leads to a quieter, more peaceful interior space.
No longer will you hear every car that drives by or be disturbed when the neighbors are louder than usual.
Soundproofed French doors give you the visual beauty and natural light you want while keeping unwanted noise where it belongs – outside. Your home will become an oasis of tranquility.
Materials Needed
Completing this simple soundproofing project requires just a few materials that can be purchased at your local hardware store or online:
Acoustic Sealant – This specialty caulking is used to seal air gaps around doors, windows, outlets, and other openings that allow sound transmission.
Look for a sealant advertised as noise reducing or soundproofing rather than standard caulking.
The acoustic sealant fills cracks and blocks openings that would otherwise allow sound waves and noise to travel through.
This is a key material for reducing noise flanking around the edges of your French doors.
Weatherstripping – Compressible weatherstripping installed around the entire door frame seals air gaps between the stationary frame and moving doors.
The weatherstripping acts as a barrier that sound waves cannot easily pass through. Choose a style that will compress and expand to form an airtight seal when the doors are closed.
The flexible rubber or foam sealing will also conform to any irregularities in the frame or doors.
Properly installed weatherstripping is one of the simplest and most effective ways to block noise infiltration.
Door Bottom – This attachment installs along the bottom edge of the doors to seal the gap between the doors and threshold when closed.
Door bottoms are made from brush, felt, rubber, or vinyl that conform to the threshold surface. Preventing sound from traveling under the door is an important step.
Measure the width of each door and cut the sweeps to size before attaching them with screws or adhesive. Test the fit to ensure the door bottom sweep uniformly contacts the threshold below.
Soundproofing Panels – Panels made from dense materials like nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) work well for dampening sound vibrations.
The panels attach to the interior surface of the doors using spray adhesive to cover them completely.
Since French doors tend to be thinner than exterior doors, the soundproofing panels help make them more resistant to noise.
The weight and density of the rubber limits vibration and blocks more sound waves. Pick an NBR material that can be simply cut to size with scissors or utility knife before adhering it to the doors.
Step By Step On How To Soundproof French Doors
Soundproofing French doors requires sealing up any air gaps, installing sound dampening materials, adjusting the door closures, and testing for noise reduction.
Follow these detailed steps to reduce unwanted outside noise coming through your doors:
1. Seal Air Gaps
Start by sealing any air gaps around the doors that allow outdoor sound to come through. Examine the entire door frame and use a caulking gun to apply acoustic sealant around the exterior perimeter.
Completely fill the gap between the frame and the wall with sealant to prevent flanking. Do the same for the threshold seal at the bottom of the frame along the floor.
Squeeze sealant into any visible cracks or openings in the threshold. Check the French door window glass panels and seal small gaps between the glass and door frames with additional acoustic caulk.
The goal is to eliminate any openings sound can infiltrate through.
Next, weatherstrip the doors all the way around the frame. Measure each side of the frame and cut pieces of weatherstripping to fit.
Remove the paper backing and press the weatherstripping into place creating an airtight perimeter seal. Use a compressible style that will flatten when the door is closed.
At the top of the frame, ensure the weatherstrip seals evenly across the header between the doors. Anywhere the stripping meets at corners should overlap slightly and be sealed with caulk.
The weatherstripping will be compressed when the doors are shut to block sound leakage.
At the bottom of each door, install a door bottom sweep made of firm rubber or vinyl. Measure the width and cut sweeps to fit, allowing a small gap at each end so they do not bind against the door frame.
Use screws or strong adhesive to attach the sweeps to the bottom interior edge of the doors. Test closing each door to confirm the sweeps fully contact and seal against the thresholds.
If not, adjust the sweeps by cutting material away until proper contact is made across the full width.
2. Add Sound Dampening Materials
To further deaden noise coming through the doors, add self-adhesive soundproofing panels to the interior door surfaces.
Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) panels work especially well to dampen vibrations and limit sound transmission. Measure the height and width of each door to determine the panel size needed.
Use sharp scissors or a utility knife to cut the NBR panels to size. Peel off the adhesive backing and carefully align and stick the rubber panels completely covering the inside of the doors.
Run a roller over the surface to adhere the NBR tightly to the doors. The density and weight of the rubber will improve sound blocking. Do not use other less effective materials.
3. Adjust Door Closers
Examine the mechanical door closers that pull the French doors shut. These hydraulic devices should be adjusted so the doors close slowly and gently to reduce noise.
Turning the closer speed adjustment screw counter-clockwise will slow the closing motion. Rapid or slamming closure allows more sound through.
Also inspect the door latches to make sure they catch securely but quietly each time.
To further cushion the door closing, install small adhesive felt pads on the top interior edge of the door frame. Position the felt where the doors make contact when closing.
The soft pads will dampen the sound of the doors closing and prevent vibrations against the rigid frame. Take care not to interfere with proper door operation.
4. Test and Make Adjustments
After completing the soundproofing steps, test the results and make any needed adjustments. Close both French doors along with any nearby windows.
Generate loud sounds outside like music or talking. Use a decibel meter smartphone app to measure the noise volume coming through the doors.
Compare this to measurements taken before soundproofing. Listen closely for any exterior noise – the reduction should be very noticeable.
If loud outside sounds are still entering through the doors, examine for any remaining air gaps and seal them with additional caulk or weatherstripping.
Adjust or replace the door bottom sweeps if they are not fully sealing. You may need to rehang one or both doors if they are sagging or out of alignment.
Soundproofing is an ongoing process of incrementally sealing, damping, and adjusting to achieve noise reduction.
With some trial and error, your French doors will transform into a sound barrier that keeps exterior noises outside where they belong.
Your beautiful French doors can now offer peace and quiet along with style. Taking the time to thoroughly seal, dampen, adjust, and test provides big sound blocking benefits.
Turn your loud exterior into a calm, quiet interior environment. French doors will no longer be the weakest acoustical point in your home.
Conclusion
Soundproofing your French doors is a straightforward project that pays big acoustic dividends.
With a few inexpensive materials and some simple sealing techniques, you can stop unwanted exterior noise from entering your home.
Take the time to thoroughly seal air gaps, install sound damping panels, adjust the door closers, and test for noise reduction.
Your French doors will be transformed into an attractive sound barrier rather than an acoustic liability.
You can now enjoy the elegance and natural light of French doors without the annoyance of external noises disrupting your indoor environment.
