11 Ways to Soundproof Sliding Glass Doors

Sliding glass doors are wonderful when looking outside at a great view, but can allow a lot of sound into your home. You can often hear loud neighbors through glass doors because of their construction. This is a problem that you can easily solve in a few different ways.

Let’s talk about how you can soundproof your sliding glass doors.

Control the Air Movement

Any type of door will inevitably have gaps around its edges and corners. Sliding glass doors are not airtight, and will therefore let in more sound.

To soundproof a sliding glass door, you need to control the amount of air that seeps through the door. You should attempt to seal any gaps so that less sound can travel into your house.

How to Soundproof a Hinged Glass & Sliding Glass Door

1. Seal Internal Gaps With Insulation Spray

Whenever possible, fill all internal gaps with insulation spray to soundproof a door. Depending on the way your sliding door was constructed, this may not be possible.

Most doors have drywall and trim, separated by a gap of air. You need to seal this gap to avoid air leaks.

First, remove your door casing. Use a utility knife to do this. You should cut the paint that is in between the casing and the wall. Avoid ripping off paint and drywall paper.

If there is any old insulation, take it out. Then use spray foam to fill the gap. If there is a big space to fill, spray from the bottom to the top. This way, the foam won’t fall to the bottom as you are spraying.

2. Seal All External Gaps With Acoustical Caulk

Any external gaps could cause air leaks, which allow sound waves to easily move through the door. To avoid this, you can seal the gaps with acoustical caulk.

Acoustical caulk prevents the transmission of noise, as well as dust, air, and smoke. You can easily remove any old caulking and seal gaps with this product.

All you have to do is remove old caulking and re-caulk the exterior of the door frame. Apply a consistent bead of caulking to the frame and trim boards.

3. Install a Door Sweep (Hinged Door)

For any door, you can stop most of the air leaks by using a door sweep. This creates a better seal on the bottom of the door.

If you’re looking to seal leaks in a glass shower door, a frameless shower door bottom seal could do the trick. This is easy to install to the bottom of the door frame, but you have to accurately measure the door before purchasing.

Once you fix air leaks, the door becomes more soundproof. Installing a door sweep can be an effective way to stop sound from escaping through a glass door.

These are best suited for hinged doors. You won’t be able to attach this product to a sliding glass door.

4. Install Weather Stripping

Sliding glass doors will likely already have weather stripping, but they may need to be replaced. This could be the cause of any air leaks.

Weather stripping is very inexpensive and the installation process is fairly simple. Find the current weather stripping on the sliding glass door and remove it. You’ll need to stick new weather stripping on the head and sill of the door frame.

Once you have this installed, more noise will be absorbed instead of traveling through the doorframe.

5. Install Blackout Curtains

Sealing gaps around a sliding glass door can only absorb a moderate amount of sound. To better soundproof a door, consider installing blackout curtains.

Blackout curtains not only block sunlight but also absorb sound. Their triple-weave polyester fabric is a thick material that reduces noise levels. Most brands offer a variety of different colors, so you won’t have to sacrifice your interior design style.

These curtains usually have grommets, so they are easy to install. If you already have a curtain rod, simply slide the grommets onto the rod. The installation might require more effort if you have to install a curtain rod above your sliding glass door.

6. Install Honeycomb Blinds

Honeycomb blinds are similar to blackout curtains because they help reduce noise, light, and heat. They look like normal blinds except for their honeycomb shape. They are also 100% polyester, effectively blocking noise and UV rays.

This product is available in many different sizes, but you have to carefully measure your glass door. These blinds need to perfectly fit the glass to work. A poor fit could result in sound escaping through the cracks.

7. Install a Sound Absorption Sheet

Sound absorption sheets can be just as effective at reducing noise levels as soundproof curtains. Although they are less pleasing to the eye, they can do a great job of dampening sound.

Although these sheets and soundproof curtains both have metal grommets, the installation process for sound absorption sheets is more complicated.

First, measure the distance between the grommets. Then mark these points on the wall above the glass door. Drill a hole and insert the wall anchors. Then install the fasteners which are provided with your purchase. Hang the sheets on the fasteners and screw them in.

8. Install Soundproofing Panel

Door panel sound barriers are applied directly to a door to ensure that your room is properly soundproofed. You can specify custom cutouts for hinges and door handles so that it fits a door perfectly.

With a double quilted fabric, these panels significantly reduce noise. You can order a door size that suits your needs, and they add a few inches around the sides to fully seal the door. Because it overlaps the cracks around the door, you won’t have to worry about caulking or sealing internal gaps.

9. DIY Plug (For Sleeping)

For a more permanent solution, you could build a DIY insulated frame to cover your glass door. This is an inexpensive option, but you will have to do all of the work yourself.

This project requires planks of wood, foam board, foam tape, fabric, and pink insulation. These materials won’t cost more than $50.

Cut the wood to fit the size of your door. Make a wood frame that easily fits inside this area. Install foam board inside the frame. You can add pink insulation for more sound absorption. Use foam tape to seal the edges of the frame.

Cover the entire frame in fabric. Then place the frame over the door.

Although this is removable, it will be more difficult to adjust daily. This is a more permanent solution for doors that aren’t frequently used.

10. Install Double Glazed Doors

If you don’t want anything blocking your door, you have the option of replacing them with double-glazed glass. Unlike normal glass doors, these will provide extra protection against noise.

Double glazed glass is well-insulated which prevents sound from traveling through it. It has two layers of glass with a layer of air in between. This space between layers of glass will be effective in soundproofing a glass door.

Replacing a glass door can be expensive. This process could cost up to $3,000. This is the most expensive solution on this list, so you may want to try other options first.

11. Add Door In Front of Glass Door (Solid Core Sliding Door)

You can install a solid core sliding door in front of a glass door to deaden sounds. Barn-door style sliding doors are made of solid wood, which will absorb more sound than a normal glass door.

Although sound waves can travel through many different materials, having an extra solid barrier can successfully absorb noise. Installing a solid core sliding door can work wonders in soundproofing your home.

This solution also looks great. Barn doors will add to the style of your home. These doors often are much more aesthetic than other soundproofing options.

Final Thoughts

Sliding glass doors don’t do a great job in preventing sound from traveling into your home. When looking to soundproof a room, focus on covering glass doors or sealing air leaks around them.

From blackout curtains to a sliding barn door, there are many different ways to improve sound absorption in a sliding glass door.