So my weak spot in my theater is that the door leading into it is across from my master bedroom (it's a bonus over a garage) and last night I was watching the Sopranos and when the truck went tumbling end over end, I got a big smack from the wife who was trying to sleep for the noise. So now I need to address that door.

First problem is that it is a hollow door. So I can fix that, but there must be more I can do to shield sound from going through it.

Thoughts?

first maybe you want to switch out to a solid core exterior door. and then maybe try this sound proofer for the bottom

medium $$$
http://www.acousticalsolutions.com/products/doors/seal_kits.asp

or the DIY low $$ value
http://www.hometips.com/cs-protected/guides/sound_insulation/soundproof_doors.html


good luck.. hope this helps



Max

Even with a solidcore door you may need to consider taking steps like decoupling the walls/ceiling/floor and adding mass with another layer of drywall and Greenglue. It all depends on what your wife's threshold is for noise and the size of your wallet.

You can as you say use something like a Massonite Safe and Sound door. and you can use weather stripping around the door and you can use another such door on the bedroom itself, but I really wonder if it is not as much your floor and walls at fault. How much isolation and soundproofing did you to to the walls, floor and ceiling when you built this theater?

Oh, it wasn't "built" -- it's a bonus room above my garage that was already carpeted, painted, etc.

Oh, it wasn't "built" -- it's a bonus room above my garage that was already carpeted, painted, etc.

Well then THAT is your problem. so basically nothing was done to control sound in this room and over a garage probably even makes more noise than some other choices of untreated room.

Okay then, so perhaps I can now venture into "what can I do about the room?" Two of the walls point outside. One wall, which the kids bedrooms touch, is double-walled, and then the wall with the door on it touches our staircase and is across from the master bedroom across the staircase.

Three options -

Best: Redo the walls and ceiling so that they are decoupled from the rest of house, double dry wall - greenglue sandwich, sold-core door.

Ok: Add a second layer of drywall with greenglue, caulk outlets, solidcore outdoor door. Perhaps float a floor.

Check out the greenglue site for information on the degree the different construction techniques will help insulate sound from exiting your room. Bass is hard to keep contained. You need mass and decoupling. Either one of these approaches will take some work and $'s to implement.

El Cheapo solution - Buy the wife some earplugs and hope that the sofa makes for a good bed. :D

Second layer of drywall with greenglue, Safe and Sound doors preferrably for all your rooms on that floor. do all the walls and I would try to decouple the floor or at least your sub[s] If you don't have a decoupled stage at least get SubDude to put your sub on.
You could also install butt Kickers in your seating and turn down the sub.

You could also install butt Kickers in your seating and turn down the sub

This is one of the best and cheapest ideas. Aura Bass Shakers work well also. If you use one of these with a nice set of Dolby headphones you'll have all your issues solved.

Scott

This is one of the best and cheapest ideas. Aura Bass Shakers work well also. If you use one of these with a nice set of Dolby headphones you'll have all your issues solved.

Scott

Last week on another thread a guy had a problem with this strategy. On his receiver, plugging in the headphones turned off the LFE output. He was looking for ideas around this problem.

I got a big smack from the wife who was trying to sleep for the noise. So now I need to address that door.


I recommend you put a lock on the door and keep the key away from the wife. :D