Whether they’re seen outside of hotel rooms, concert halls or conference rooms, all of these phrases convey the same idea: Keep the door closed.
Closed doors serve two purposes: they keep relevant sound in—and block other noise out. In a wide variety of commercial facilities, the right doors can make all the difference in sound control.
How does sound work?
The most basic understanding of sound is vibrations moving in waves through the air. When sound waves come into contact with a door, some of the energy from the vibration transfers to it. Those vibrations cause motion on the other side of the door, which creates more sound vibrations.
With non-acoustical doors, sound vibrations easily transfer from the outside to the inside of the closed space, and vice versa. In such situations, the noise is barely reduced or contained.
However, acoustical and STC-rated doors work to contain and minimize sound, enhancing both sound control and privacy.
STC-Ratings
Acoustical doors help reduce noise and control sound. The first measurement that helps measure a door’s ability to reduce noise is called transmission loss (TL) effectiveness. TL measurements are given in decibels and taken across a wide range of frequencies, making it hard to compare the effectiveness of different doors. Sound transmission class (STC) ratings combat that issue by providing a single value to acoustical performance of a door. The higher the STC value, the higher the rating and performance of the door.
Along with the door’s damping, mass and stiffness, the gasketing and perimeter seal also help contribute to sound control. Greater effectiveness of these materials leads to better sound control.
The uses and benefits of acoustical doors
Acoustical doors are used for applications requiring varying amounts of sound control:
Recording studios and theaters = need total sound control
Museums, libraries, and interview rooms = need high, but not total, sound control
Airports, hospitals, and hotels = need sound reduced as much as possible
Acoustical doors provide numerous benefits. One door might allow patrons to enjoy a concert to its fullest potential, while another can minimize the sound of next-door neighbors at a hotel.
Wherever they’re placed, acoustical doors increase privacy, enrich the experience of the venue, and help control sound. To learn more about acoustical doors and their uses, visit vtidoors.com.
