The Sound A Door Makes and What It Says About Your Home

It may seem like an unnecessary aspect to consider but the sound a door makes when being used and its noise insulation characteristics say a great deal about the quality of the doors in your home. It’s something you may not even have noticed but at least subconsciously you will have.

Anyone who has the privilege of driving a modern luxury car will appreciate the satisfying ‘clunk’ the door makes when shut especially compared to older cars. Indeed, some of the higher end brands have actually invested parts of their development budgets in perfecting this aspect of the motoring experience.

The solid ‘clunk’ of the door says more than you would appreciate. It affirms the cars build quality impressing upon the owner and passengers of the security and safety of the automobile.  The sound of a car door is a fairly well recognised selling point in the industry but it succinctly highlights that the same is true of any door and this is underappreciated when it comes to doors at home.

As a domestic door is closed the sound it makes is made up of several factors, all connected to the quality of the materials used. Firstly, the noise of the door furniture such as hinges and handles, secondly the fit of the door to the frame and floor and finally the construction of the door itself. Of course how these sounds are magnified is dependent upon the characteristics of the adjoining rooms which change the echo and reverberations depending on the contents and shape but the quality of the door will be apparent none the less.

The first two factors are dependent on more than just the original investment of the product but its upkeep and maintenance too. A shabby home is likely to have squeaky hinges and doors that do not properly fit the frame. Both these indicate that other aspects of the home may be as unkempt as the door, it sounds silly but all these small clues let visitors make subconscious assumptions about the home they’re in.

Hinges and handles can be oiled and doors can be adjusted to fit a frame but good quality ironmongery and good quality doors will require less maintenance over time. When it comes to the third factor: that of the construction, this determines the satisfying ‘thud’ when closing. A cheap interior door uses a thin veneer over poor quality woods which mean as it hits the frame the sound is lost and absorbed by the flex of the material. A well-constructed solid oak door doesn’t flex as the joints are stronger and so the sound is reverberated to give a nice, reassuring ‘thud’.

Of course we can’t stop the kids banging doors but the next time you enjoy a good ‘clunk’ or ‘thud’ you’ll know why and it’s probably a very nice place to be.