# Will a door help me?



## Sepen (Feb 20, 2007)

I have my home theater in my family room. I live in a split level and the room is about 3300 cu ft. I have a staircase that leads to another 1200 sq ft of house. This staircase has no door, if any of you can envision what a split looks like? Lower basement,stairs, family room, stairs, kitchen and dining room, stairs, then finishing at the upper level where 3 bedrooms and a bath are. 

So in essence will this door help with the bass output and also keeping the effects sort of centralized to that area? I can install it my self. Thanks to any.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Having a door is always better than no door, It wont help a lot with keeping the bass from traveling up to the other floors but it will block much of the higher frequencies.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

IMO adding a solid wood core door would help with the mid-higher frequencies as far as containment. Your low frequencies will more than likely still travel as they have previously - through the structure to other areas. The only way (I believe) to address those is isolation such as clips / channel, etc.

Edit - beat me to it Tony!


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## ryansboston (Dec 10, 2010)

I added a door in my living room, and it helped a bit. It made a bit of difference but it wasn't as big of an effect as I thought it would be. If it's the LFE, have you considered purchasing a sub-dude to help?


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## Sepen (Feb 20, 2007)

I don't think it will help me as I have laminate over concrete. Thanks anyways.



ryansboston said:


> I added a door in my living room, and it helped a bit. It made a bit of difference but it wasn't as big of an effect as I thought it would be. If it's the LFE, have you considered purchasing a sub-dude to help?


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## Sepen (Feb 20, 2007)

I guess what I really should be asking if I did install a door and seal off the room will it may the subwoofer cause more pressurization in the room, since it is now sealed? Instead of it leaking out into the rest of the house? Thanks.


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## bambino (Feb 21, 2010)

You will still be able to hear the bass transmitted throughout the house but may make the bass more relevent in the room for which it sits. Bass travels for miles it seems for reasons beyond my knowledge.:dontknow:


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Think of bass as a large bolder that is dropped in calm water, the waves it makes are large and spread far apart. A small rock (the higher frequencies) are small and narrow and dissipate fast. Bass because of its long wavelength can pass through objects or around them and travel much farther before dissipating.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Sepen said:


> I guess what I really should be asking if I did install a door and seal off the room will it may the subwoofer cause more pressurization in the room, since it is now sealed? Instead of it leaking out into the rest of the house? Thanks.


Yes, it should allow for more pressurization in the room - you could also look at a door jamb (actual name escapes me atm) from the guys at The Soundproofing Company - it seals that crack underneath your door when the door is closed.


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## Sepen (Feb 20, 2007)

Thanks for the info everyone. Much appreciated.


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