HOW TO SOUNDPROOF A DOOR DIY | Using Drywall to Make Soundproofing Doors & Test Noise Reduction

Learn how to soundproof a door DIY style with me. I add layers of drywall to make the doors heavier & do multiple sound tests along the way to test noise reduction
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Seattle-born Arab American indie artist Yusif delivers heartfelt folk rock with a retro vibe. With vocals that sound like Cat Stevens married Bob Dylan, and songwriting inspired by John Lennon and Stevie Wonder, Yusif was born to a Kuwaiti father and an American mother. A refugee of the Persian Gulf War as a child in 1990, the indie folk singer-songwriter splits his time between east and west. Serving up indie ear candy with a healthy dose of 70s folk-rock, Yusif draws inspiration from his bicultural heritage and extensive travels. Yusif is Retro Indie Folk Rock.
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[@bluetech2809]

You're right that mass generally is the most important variable but you could have also tried something like adding a layer of Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) in between the layers (so it could be like Drywall -> MLV -> Door -> MLV -> Drywall). That would also help you in terms of making sure the (heavy) weight is evenly distributed between both sides of the door. I guess you would probably benefit from new (stronger) hinges at some point. MLV has a better STC rating than drywall (especially given its relative thickness or rather thinness) and also has different sound dampening properties than drywall so combining the two might give better results regardless of the order in which you layer them. No idea if you're still interested in this stuff but (also because this video is your fifth most popular one anyway) buying a roll of MLV and putting some on your door would be pretty straight forward and would make for an interesting follow-up video. Anyway good job, looks like the sound was reduced quite a lot.

[@YusifRefae]

that's so interesting. i doubt i have access to MLV here in the middle east, and this is a make-shift space (going on 5 years now LOL) but I am doing a new build at the big house and may look into this product for use. thank you sir for the tip!

[@bluetech2809]

@@YusifRefae Oh I see I thought you were in the US! Awesome yeah I'd love to see it good luck!

[@oleksandr3275]

Hi Yusif ! Thank you for sharing your door soundproof expreience. We learn something new from guys like you, and it helps to improve our common soundproof experience

[@YusifRefae]

much love for the thoughtful comment :)

[@paulwesley2979]

Well done! I am working on my music room right now and have the same problem with the thin door.

[@YusifRefae]

Good luck to you! Initially, I was skeptical that treating the door would pay off in sound reduction, but it almost works too well. I have to run the room's internal AC whenever I close the door, because it's so air tight that it heats up in here and blocks the central AC system haha

[@chadgarber]

how do the doors stay closed without a traditional door knob?

[@przybylskibartek]

Well done! It does the job and that's most important. Great idea, that Works for a very little money. Fantastic!

[@YusifRefae]

thanks so much

[@dvasavertik7629]

The problem with this is that it relies solely on drywall panels and those are not really soundproof without additional fiberglass insulation. These always come as a system, 2-5 layers of acoustic drywalls with different thickness built on a grid and the gaps filled with fiberglass, all sealed airtight. Doing the same thing on a door is tricky but possible: You need two layers of acoustic drywalls (these are only slightly better than standard drywall panels), one 15mm and one 12.5mm. You also buy a roll of 75mm acoustic fiberglass and acoustic spray foam. You screw the 15mm to the door panel and add 75mm wood frame that allows you to install the second layer later. Wood is a better insulator than metal studs. Don't install directly to the edge of the frame, leave out 15mm so you'll be able to close up the frame on the edges with drywall. You cover the fiberglass and secure it with wire struts so it won't fall of eventually. You install the second drywall panel. You close the edges using spray foam and drywall and cover it with vinyl to seal it all up. Don't leave air gaps. You can even add a layer of MLV is you want but watch the costs. It's a DIY project after all. Add weatherstrips and silicone door gaskets to the frame, don't forget the door sweep either. That's about it. Not easy and you'll end up with a very thick door (~140 mm) but it's very cheap compared to a factory soundproof door and the weight is more manageable. About the locks, it's up to you. I'd use extended door handles because it's easier to manage than a door without a latch bolt.

[@Casmige]

Dissimilar, staggered, off-set glass. Is it concept used by window manufacturers to lower the STC. Another way to do it is using different thicknesses of drywall. For example there’s 1/4” thick drywall, there’s 1/2” thick (which is the standard drywall) &’there’s even 3/4” thick drywall.

[@YusifRefae]

i appreciate your comment. however, the thickness of materials doesn't matter. the only thing that matters is mass - airgap - mass. since i cant feasibly have an airgap, the only thing that matters is mass. so (3) pieces of 1/4" drywall would yield the same result as (1) piece of 3/4" drywall (assuming the masses are equal).

[@johnbecker334]

@@YusifRefae different thicknesses of drywall have different sympathetic resonances, so there's some benefit to using two layers of differing thicknesses. Additionally, green glue or a similar product between the layers would prevent vibration against the "loud-facing" layer from translating into the next layer. So there are definitely benefits to be had for situations where multiple layers is an option. Thanks for your video. I may build a sandwich-style door for my studio, though I'm building from scratch so I have fewer limitations than you had to deal with.

[@anaesterhazy631]

Would putting on vinyl flooring instead of drywall do anything? Like, how much noise reduction in decibels could we expect? Thanks!

[@YusifRefae]

i think gypsum is cheaper and heavier than most vinyl flooring. more cost-effective and denser. noise reduction is a function of the mass used, in addition to other factors like the airtightness around the openings and using Mass-Cavity-Mass construction systems. for me a very heavy door in a mostly concrete structure provides almost too much noise reduction (I can't shout directions at my wife haha)

[@anaesterhazy631]

@@YusifRefae I am aware of that, but vinyl floor would look nicer and easier to apply for me than heavy gypsum, and I do not need 100% insulation. You have a happy wife :)

[@nonoi9987]

you can ad this type of water pipes isolation

[@mikebennett2653]

They sell Acoustic drywall, one layer equals 6-7 layers. Its expensive but not as expensive as 4 layers of drywall. Add a bead of "green glue" between the door and acoustic drywall and you wouldn't need any of that. Seal the edge gaps and add an acoustic door sweep at the bottom.

[@YusifRefae]

they don't sell that where I am!!! Anyhow, I seriously doubt one piece equals 6-7 layers, unless it weighs significantly more than ordinary drywall, which is already very heavy and dense, the physics just don't work out on that :)

[@CTimmerman]

Mixing materials might work better. Green glue creates pockets of air and avoids screws that transfer vibrations.

[@YusifRefae]

that product's not available in this part of the world

[@PNWLiving1725]

You can't get on amazon?

[@stephenlemi8107]

Good work bro 👍👍👍

[@YusifRefae]

thanks! 🙂

[@MichaelJVanecekWrites]

Green glue between the layers may have helped.

[@julenrolan]

Green glue nonsense. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZepcmNsjclgY7M&pp=ugMICgJlcxABGAHKBRJncmVlbiBnbHVlIG5vc2Vuc2U%3D

[@JP5466]

Great idea, but that door now weights over 125lbs and those 2(?) hinges will eventually break and/or come loose. You'll need at least 4 hinges to hold that amount of weight.

[@YusifRefae]

and yet the door remains firmly on the hinges multiple years later... i actually wanted to add more gypsum but the hinges were starting to creak so i stopped at 3 layers :)))

[@JP5466]

@@YusifRefae If the door is closed most of the time, I guess that helps.

[@wiiiz3]

was it 1/2 inch drywall or 5/8 drywall?

[@YusifRefae]

1/2" - easier to work with alone & cheaper

[@daemon3spade]

will mdf work as well?

[@YusifRefae]

should be fine. anything heavy will do. i'd recommend not to though. MDF is expensive compared to gypsum/sheetrock/drywall whatever you wanna call it. It's also probably not as dense, meaning you're likely paying more for a thicker lighter door. I could be wrong tho. if you have access to some super heavy super cheap MDF go for it!

[@coburn_karma]

What about using a twin foam mattress topper. That's what I'm thinking of using. Good job on your experiment.

[@YusifRefae]

thanks! I would advise against using foam, that might dampen high frequency reflections within the room a little, but it's not going to block out sound because the mass is too low. for soundproofing it's all about mass mass mass. plus airgaps of course. add to that: a few hundred lbs of sheetrock is much cheaper than a mattress topper! :) best of luck to you

[@daemon3spade]

you did not upgrade the hinge?

[@YusifRefae]

nope. if I added another layer or two I would have to. I stopped adding layers when it started creaking and looking strained haha

[@indehoen]

Hello, how heavy is each dry wall?

[@YusifRefae]

hello, it is hard to say. I wasn't using full sheets, but they are nearly full, i only cut a little bit off to fit. Maybe 30kg (55-65 lbs) each. plus or minus a few kg/lbs.

[@YusifRefae]

put it this way, i can bench and squat well over 100kg and you saw me struggling alone with them haha they were pretty heavy after a while

[@jamesbizs]

@@YusifRefae and your hinges haven’t broken yet? Lol

[@YusifRefae]

@@jamesbizs nope and they won't break

[@rocksnot952]

Back in the day, we used carpet for that.

[@nunoandradebluesdrive]

and why not make a big rockwool panel out of the door?

[@YusifRefae]

there is a compressed fiberglass panel on the inside of the door (same effect as rockwool panels). however, acoustic panels don't create sound isolation, they only dampen the reverb/reflections within the room. to 'soundproof' (i.e. isolate noise from coming in or going out) you need mass + air + mass. in my case i could only add mass, not a full system, so that's what i did, and it turned out to be enough

[@mohanshiva_musical]

Bro add another door with air gap

[@YusifRefae]

not doable in this small room that barely fits all the gear/people already, but yeah that is the ideal solution

[@tarekkabbani]

😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️

[@YusifRefae]

gotta hang out before you leave man :)

[@Groove81TV]

Fill the door with sand .

[@anaesterhazy631]

But how could you open the door sheet to do that? And if you are in a rental?

[@Groove81TV]

Don't do it and use a decent headphone . @@anaesterhazy631

[@mr.c9516]

Thank u great idea. Please contact me