Is it possible to fill in a hollow door with a product to help deaden the sound?

Question

I have a interior door that I want to put some type of product (Like foam) into to make it so that it is sound proof or at least reduces the sound. The doors are the pre-hung wood hollow-core type that are interior pass doors between bedrooms, hallways, ect. We have a loud dog in our neighbors backyard and I am trying lessen the noise..any ideas on how to do this? Have you ever did this?

What foam or what type of product would you use and where could I buy it at?

Answer 1

Hollow-Core Doors, are hopeless at reducing the passage of sound, thus placing a substance inside the hollow area will not work for various reasons, the best solution;
*Replace those with *Solid Wood Doors.
Door replacing can be expensive, but you can reduce the cost by shopping through Salvage Suppliers within your area.

However, Sound-Absorption uses Carpet and Heavy Draperies, within a room to curb or absorb sounds. echoes & reverberation, this may be more to your liking, consider adding or updating your existing fabrics.

Any passageway that allows air to escape, will allow sound to travel in & out of a room, such as; Doors, Windows, Electrical Boxes, A/C Outlets, Wall Plates, and Heating Ducts.
*Electrical boxes & Wall plates can be sealed with a Non-Hardening Silicone Caulk.
*Interior Sound Absorbing Baffles, for heating ducts are available from Lowes & Home Depot.

Answer 2

I have never tried this, but I think it will be impossible to do a good job. These doors cannot be taken apart, so you will not be able to gain access to the inside.

You could drill holes in the side and try the cans of foam. Be sure to use the minimally expanding type. The regular type will expand enough to tear the door apart, guaranteed.

Once it has cured, about a day, you can plug the holes and paint over them. Actually, you can just cut the excess foam and paint over it, or even just leave it.

A better solution would be to replace the doors. The hollow core ones are nothing to brag about.

P.S. I see that some others have also said to use foam. There seems to be quite a time lag between when a reply is made and when it shows up. They were not there when I started my reply.

Answer 3

Don't use expanding foam. It continues to expand internally for some time after it's applied. At the very least,your door will bow. At worst, it may actually come apart from the pressure. I was around in the remodeling business for a few years, and I've seen the damage done from what seemed like a good idea at the time to do it your-selfers. If need be, drill 2 large holes in the top of the door and fill with pearlite ( use a funnel-you can make one out of a soft drink bottle), which is sold at gardening centers, Lowes, etc.Just seal with duct tape or something similar when finished.After a few weeks, pull the tape to check on settling and fill as needed. Large bags are available. A cheap experiment first though, might be to try covering the door inside with a cloth made of sound absorbing material. The drapes in large theaters aren't there just for decoration.Try an old heavy drape to see if it works first, before spending anything on it.

Answer 4

No. The door skins sit against a honeycomb of cardboard used to provide solidity. Hollow-core doors are used because they are lighter and swing easier inside a home, and are less expensive to manufacture with panels of pressed hardboard instead of milled wood. Sound prevention is accomplished by providing a barrier through which sounds waves are slowed or halted.

You cannot fill a hollow-core door. Even if you tried, the gap at the bottom of the door will still allow for sound travel. This gap at the bottom is necessary for air flow with your HVAC system.

Answer 5

Not practical. Hollow cores doors aren't hollow, they are divided into sections inside by a cardboard grid on edge, like the dividers used in cardboard boxes to separate products. The grid edges are glued to the face panel on both sides. Thus, you have many internal compartments about 6" square- not one.

I have a room where the walls and hollow core door are covered with acoustical wall carpet to deaden exterior sound. That does work.

I think I would talk to the neighbor. You are trying to compensate for his problem.

Answer 6

I personally wouldn't advise this as the usual make up of a hollow door is like "egg boxes" glued to either leaf of the door so, you will have to drill a lot of holes to make sure the door is completely full of foam. You could try sticking polystyrene tiles on the door?

Answer 7

goto home depot there is a can of foam installation to install it you will have to drill holes in the door but dont drill on the face of the doors drill on top bottom and the side of the door then after it drys cut the remaining foam that comes out of the holes with a razor blade dont spray to much cause the foam is an expanding foam

Answer 8

Filling the door would not really work because the sound still comes through around the cracks around the door.

Answer 9

Actually air (if possible vacuum) is the best sound absorber hence hollow walls work better but if you must, you can put some foam (like the one you get in packaging) between two panels.

Answer 10

The expandable foam in my area is in a red can and called "Great Stuff". Any Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, Ace, True Value, Farm and Fleet and etc should carry the stuff.