Soundproofing a garage door may seem like an impossible task to accomplish. It actually isn’t, but how to go about it has a lot to do with the type of garage door you have.
If you have a roll-up garage door, then soundproofing it might be a little bit challenging. However, regular doors are pretty easy to insulate with soundproofing materials.
Here are some tips you can follow in order to reduce both the incoming and outgoing noise passing through your garage door.
How to Soundproof a Garage Door
1. Cover the Gaps
The first step is to cover all the gaps around the door with weatherstripping tape and door sweeps, regardless of the type of door you have. Using weatherstripping tape will prevent noise from entering through the gaps and stop pests from coming inside. For the best result, I recommend using this weatherstripping tape that’s been designed specifically for garage doors.
2. Insulate the Door With Soundproofing Material
There are lots of different soundproofing materials available for you to add to your garage door in order to prevent noise from passing through.
Moving Blankets
An effective way to soundproof your garage door is to use some moving blankets. This is a cheap and easy way to get some soundproofing—absolutely great for those on a budget! Properly installed moving blankets, especially the thick ones, will absorb sound and reduce the number of sound waves that are able to bounce off your door’s surface.
Using a moving blanket for your garage door is not the best solution ever, but it’s a good place to start. I recommend that you place the blankets on the door instead of hanging them, and to increase their effectiveness, it’s best to use more than one layer. These particular ones are the best moving blankets on the market, due to their weight and thickness.
Noise-Blocking Curtains
Another effective solution is to use noise-blocking curtains. These curtains may look exactly like ordinary curtains, but the materials they’re made of are much thicker and heavier. In other words, soundproof curtains contain multiple dense layers of fabric to allow for a high degree of sound absorption.
These can be great for soundproofing your garage door, and what you’ll need to do is simply hang them by installing a curtain rod above the door. Make sure the curtain rod is long enough to cover the entire door, length-wise. Another thing you should know is that noise-blocking also provides thermal insulation, which makes the temperature in a room more comfortable.
When it comes to noise reduction, I highly recommend checking out these high-quality curtains. They have the necessary length and thickness; plus, most of the customer reviews are positive.
Mass Loaded Vinyl or Fiberglass Panels
I strongly believe that the best option for soundproofing your garage door would be using Mass Loaded Vinyl or a fiberglass panel. Mass Loaded Vinyl is one of the most popular materials when it comes to soundproofing tasks.
Installing this type of material is quite simple. First of all, you’ll need to cut it. After cutting it down to the size of your door, you can easily use screws, nails or a spray adhesive to attach it to the door. This is a very effective soundproofing solution if you’re going to be playing music in your garage with a band.
Another successful way to soundproof your door is to attach fiberglass panels directly to the door with a spray adhesive or hanging strips. I think hanging strips are the better option, because they make it easier to remove the panels later. Fiberglass works in a similar way to MLV by blocking all types of sound frequencies. So If you use your garage for playing music, it’ll help block the drum’s bass sounds as well.
Soundproofing Foam Panels
Acoustic foam panels are probably the cheapest thing you can use to achieve sound-deadening in your garage. You can install these directly on the door, in the same way as you’d install some fiberglass panels, by using a command strip or spray adhesive. These panels reduce the amplitude of sound waves by increasing air resistance, making them the perfect choice for soundproofing.
3. Invest in an Insulated Garage Door
If you don’t mind spending money to achieve the best result possible, then you might buy an insulated garage door that provides both thermal and sound insulation. Depending on the size and quality of the door, they can range from $300 to $6,000. I recommend checking out your local stores to see if any of these doors are available. You most likely won’t be able to install one yourself, which means you’ll need to hire a professional to get the job done.
These doors are not entirely made for soundproofing purposes, but based on their thickness, I can guarantee that you’ll experience better sound insulation.
4. Soundproof a Roll-Up Garage Door
This type of garage door can’t be soundproofed with a simple installation of thick materials, so what you’ll need to do is hang fiberglass panels, noise-blocking curtains or moving blankets directly in front of the door.
I visited my neighbor’s house, and this is the exact method he’s using, but the amount of noise reduction you’ll gain depends on the material you use.
5. Soundproof Your Garage’s Windows
Soundproofing your garage window (or windows) is very standard. As with the doors, you can use weatherstripping tape and even a draft stopper to prevent the noise from passing through.
If your windows were never installed correctly, they could be letting a lot of noise into the inside of your garage. In cases like this, you can add caulking to the perimeter of the window frame.
6. Soundproof Your Garage’s Walls
If your garage walls are too thin, they might need some extra mass, so you may want to take out the old insulation and replace it before adding drywall. Although adding drywall is a bit more expensive than the previously mentioned methods, it’s surely worth the investment. Not only is it expensive, but it’s also a bit harder to install, so if you’re not a handy person, you should probably hire a professional.
With this method, any noise will be taken care of. Installing drywall will make your old, thin wall a bit thicker, and in that way, prevent unwanted noise from passing through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How much does it cost to soundproof a garage door?
A. The price is based on various factors, such as whether your garage door is a single, double or triple door. That being said, the average cost of insulating a single garage door is $100 to $180, and for a double or triple, it’s typically more than $200.
Q. How long does it take to soundproof a garage door?
A. This is a very commonly asked question, but a tough one to answer. It all depends on whether you’re a DIY type of person. If you are, it should take you about 60 to 120 minutes (one to two hours) to finish insulating the door.
Q. Will insulating my garage door put more pressure on the door?
A. It all depends on the type of material you use to get the job done, but based on my knowledge, you won’t really notice the difference.
Conclusion
If you follow this guide step-by-step you should be in good shape when it comes to blocking unwanted noise from passing through your garage door. You may also be interested in my other soundproofing guides, such as How to Soundproof a Doorway 2019.
If you have any questions, feel free to let us know by leaving a comment down below. We wish you the best on your soundproofing journey!
image: Pixabay