# Can you put a 20 lbs. plywood on a interior, hollow wooden door?



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Very ,very doubtful------Three hinges---and that cheap door will not be able to hold onto any screws for very long---the wood strip on the hinge side is to thin and made of soft material.----Mike---


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## baby327nd (Mar 14, 2011)

oh'mike said:


> Very ,very doubtful------Three hinges---and that cheap door will not be able to hold onto any screws for very long---the wood strip on the hinge side is to thin and made of soft material.----Mike---


its actually 2 hinges. But anyway, what if the plywood weight even less (like 13-15 lbs). will it work then? 

Also, the door is more then 5 years old.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Doors are cheap--what are you trying to do? Why not just hang a better door?

Heavy doors use three hinges---occasionally,four.


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## baby327nd (Mar 14, 2011)

oh'mike said:


> Doors are cheap--what are you trying to do? Why not just hang a better door?


I want to do this because I want to soundproof my door. so since its hollow, Therefore, I will like to screw and glue a drywall or plywood to my door to lower noise level (along with seal it with door sweap, etc). 

I do not know how to install a new door. Therefore, is it hard to install a new interior door?


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

Baby,
if your door is only 5 years old, you should have no trouble finding the same type of door slab with a solid core instead of the hollow core. The slabs come with hinge pockets routed out and the hole for the lockset drilled. You can also get the slab without any machining. They are relatively inexpensive and not that hard to hang. I'm sure you can find some videos on utube showing how to hang a door. Much better solution than the plywood route.
Mike Hawkins


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## rightit (Mar 5, 2011)

And if your goal is to soundproof, don't forget sealing with good weather stripping and a threshold that seals. No point in soundproofing the door if sound just comes in (or out) through the openings.

Here's a good link to an automatic door bottom seal:

http://www.soundproofingcompany.com/products/automatic_door_bottom/


You may also find articles of much interest in the Library. I'm creating a soundproof room and have read extensively on the subject. I've found the methods here to make the most sense:

http://www.soundproofingcompany.com/library/articles/

Mark


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## baby327nd (Mar 14, 2011)

Also, can someone, from experience, tell me if they have done this or not?


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

baby327nd said:


> Also, can someone, from experience, tell me if they have done this or not?


Swapping a door is EZ. You can do it... if you are willing to try we are willing to help.


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

baby327nd said:


> Also, can someone, from experience, tell me if they have done this or not?


I've thought about it.

Here's something to look at: examine the edge of the door the hinges are screwed into. I have some doors that aren't very old that aren't doing a good job of holding themselves up. This edge, on the doors in question, is particle board, and it doesn't do a good job holding screws.

Two hinges with a particle board edge, forget about adding any more weight to it. If it's a wooden edge, maybe. The key would be the screws. If they're short they'll probably pull out. Long ones will hold, but I'd add another hinge for good measure.

I woudln't bother with glue. Just put it up with a few screws. You might change your mind.

And definitely what rightit said. If you haven't sealed the surround yet do that first and then see if you still have a problem.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

baby327nd said:


> I am asking because I don't want the door to fall off because of the extra weight glued and screwed on it. The door is installed with 2 hinges and weights about 23-28 lbs and is a normal hollow interior wooden door. The plywood weights about 20-25 lbs.
> 
> So, if I glue and screw the plywood to the door, will the door able to withstand the extra weight and not fall off or be damaged because of it?


Why don't you tell us why you're planning this, as the suggestions might be more helpful.
Ron


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## baby327nd (Mar 14, 2011)

pyper said:


> I've thought about it.
> 
> Here's something to look at: examine the edge of the door the hinges are screwed into. I have some doors that aren't very old that aren't doing a good job of holding themselves up. This edge, on the doors in question, is particle board, and it doesn't do a good job holding screws.
> 
> ...


My door does have wooden door and I will be using greenglue to make it even more soundproof and plus screws.

Anyway, instead of dryboard or plywood, can I use these to lower noise level (because they weight much less and I will be buying 2-3 of the same item to compensate for the thickness!):

Shop Dow 1/2" x 8' x 4' R-3.3 Polyisocyanurate Rigid Foam Insulated Sheathing at Lowes.com

Shop 5-1/2" Foam Sill Seal at Lowes.com

Owens Corning Foamular F250 3/4 in. x 24 in. x 96 iin. Tongue & Groove Foam - 526657 at The Home Depot

http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Thanks for all your help!


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

Give us some pics when you're done.


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

What about the extra door thickness as it would relate to the k-nob? How's that gonna work?


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## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

pjordan4477 said:


> Take door down.
> Drill holes through top and sides just large enough to get a straw thru.
> Then fill door with the "Great Stuff" product.
> Making your hollow door solid..


Most hollow core doors have a honeycomb of corrugated cardboard strips inside dividing the interior into compartments of about one square foot each. Their exact shape and positioning may be unpredictable. It is necessary to drill perhaps two dozen holes scattered over one surface of the door to insert the straw into each compartement to fill with foam. If you drill holes only in the side and top and bottom edges, the foam won't get to much of the middle of the door.

Before filling a compartment with foam, poke a coat hanger wire into a hole in the door face to feel around for the honeycomb and get an idea of where to cut the hole for the next compartment inside.

Everything is not lost, you can fasten the plywood over the face of the door you made all the holes in for added soundproofing also.

How I did one ---> http://www.cockam.com/theater.htm#Doors


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

pjordan4477 said:


> This makes no sense at all, and I wonder how old you are based on your english skills.
> 
> This is an interior door?
> 
> ...


So, OP, please know that this post does not reflect the general attitude of the forum. 

Also if you try and fill your door with spray foam it could 'pop' your door apart.

OP, keep us updated. :thumbsup:


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Leah Frances said:


> if you try and fill your door with spray foam it could 'pop' your door apart.


Agreed, even the blue can would at least swell the door.
Why not just get a 2" foam sheet and glue it to one side?

DM


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

> Why not just get a 2" foam sheet and glue it to one side?


...or acoustic ceiling panels?

The ceiling panels won't look any worse than the plywood and they actually have a small sound deadening factor. I've never known plywood to be a sound proof-er.


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

Just talk to DH @ this thread. He suggested 'mass loaded vinyl/ butyl rubber sound dampener' covered with a closed cell foam. It's 'peel-and-stick' then you spray on An adhesive and cover it with closed cell foam.

Good Husband, I hadn't thought of this and I've installed lots of it in cars (often in doors :laughing:. The flat surface of a door would be EZ!

Commonly referred to as 'Dynamat' you can buy it cheaply from car-audio places.

Google it.


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## pjordan4477 (Mar 15, 2011)

Leah Frances said:


> So, OP, please know that this post does not reflect the general attitude of the forum.
> 
> Also if you try and fill your door with spray foam it could 'pop' your door apart.
> 
> OP, keep us updated. :thumbsup:


 
Sorry it came off with an attitude. I could have better stated that the idea was a bit immature or juvinile, for the purpose of sound proofing.

Using spray foam will not pop a hollow door open, if you don't spray a whole can in one corner. Multiple holes and spray points will keep it even. "Great Stuff" would not pop a door open unless the door was extremely old or poorly made. It doesn't expand like the commercial spray foam for insulating. It should be noted that spray the foam in the door should be done with the door up right, while spraying down through the hole, allowing the foam to drop on the inside, and not get over compacted in the spray point spot.

I just did this 2 weeks ago to my down stairs hollow core door (plain not 6 panel) that I hung to close off the laundry room from the rest of the basement. If you are worried about it popping, the sandwich the door between plywood during spraying to control the expansion.


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

baby327nd said:


> Anyway, instead of dryboard or plywood, can I use these to lower noise level (because they weight much less and I will be buying 2-3 of the same item to compensate for the thickness!):


Foam won't do anything.

It's the weight of the other items that will stop the noise. Mass absorbs sound.

I get the impression that for the green glue to do it's job you need to minimize the screws -- like one in each corner.

Do consider though, that if you have a habitat for humanity resale store in driving distance that you can buy a solid core door pretty cheaply. Mine has them for $10 right now.


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## rightit (Mar 5, 2011)

I agree with Pyper. It's mass that dampens sound on the door, and although it could be accomplished with drywall and GG, You'll likely come close to what you'd pay for a solid core door, and much more in effort and mess, and results aren't guaranteed.

And it's worth mentioning again that you will need to address the areas where sound can 'flank' the the door. damping the door is important, but matters very little if the sound you're trying to block can just pass underneath or around.

This includes pulling the molding and 'filling' any open space between the stud and door frame, and addressing the gap underneath the door. You should also be aware that even though you 'soundproof' the door, you may have sound issues via any adjacent sheetrock walls. This doesn't mean that addressing the door area won't help, but it may not reduce the sound transmission to an acceptable level.

Anyone who has any experience with efficient methods of soundproofing will tell you that generally, it's going to cost more money and effort than you'd like to spend.

That said, if you own the house, if dropping the noise level in the room is important to you, I'd suggest researching the subjects at sites such as the one I posted in my earlier post (the article library at http://www.soundproofingcompany.com/library/articles/ ).

Determine what your needs are and how much it would cost to meet them. It may seem a lot more involved than you anticipated (it usually is...), but it's well worth doing when done right. 

Mark


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## Tizzer (Jul 24, 2010)

I don't understand why the OP just doesn't install a solid door as suggested. Cutting in the third hinge isn't that hard. Easier than moving door stop because that added thickness now won't let the door close.
Boring new holes for the knob & the door catch will probably be off center.
If you glued/screwed or nailed the plywood on opposite side, it'll protrude into the room looking like crap.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

mass...mass.... 
hmmm.... instead of squirting GSFoam into the holes in that hollow door, just pour concrete in them! :laughing:

Sound problem solved! Now... how do we hang a 1,000 LB. door? heh heh heh

DM


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## baby327nd (Mar 14, 2011)

Tizzer said:


> I don't understand why the OP just doesn't install a solid door as suggested. Cutting in the third hinge isn't that hard.
> If you glued/screwed or nailed the plywood on opposite side, it'll protrude into the room looking like crap.


Because I don't want to go through the trouble of installing a new door, because WHAT IF something goes wrong and then I will be stuck with no door! Besides, the door I have right now is very special to me!

So, someone suggested to me on another forum is that I glue it (using greenglue) the item below in front of the door (I don't care about how it looks, since I am going to move from that place in about two months anyway) and that will take care of the noise problem. But, before I do that, can I just use cement on just one side of the door? Will that work and will the door handle the additional weight?

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


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## baby327nd (Mar 14, 2011)

rightit said:


> damping the door is important, but matters very little if the sound you're trying to block can just pass underneath or around.


I have already installed a door sweep and any space coming from any side of the door and it did lower the sound of people's conversation and Tv's noise. Well I live in the attic, so I usually do not hear much noise and the walls around the door are not that much in lenght and height, so I will just glue drywall on top of it, and see how that goes.


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

baby327nd said:


> http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


No. It's just foam. It won't do much of anything. You need things that are heavy to stop sound.

You could use roofing felt. Put up 4 layers and screw it in. It will be heavy and smell funny when it heats up, but it's cheap and easy and easy to take down.


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## pjordan4477 (Mar 15, 2011)

Any suggestion that does not leave the door looking like a door is something you will have to undo later on.


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## Tizzer (Jul 24, 2010)

baby327nd said:


> Because I don't want to go through the trouble of installing a new door, because WHAT IF something goes wrong and then I will be stuck with no door! Besides, the door I have right now is very special to me!
> 
> So, someone suggested to me on another forum is that I glue it (using greenglue) the item below in front of the door (I don't care about how it looks, since I am going to move from that place in about two months anyway) and that will take care of the noise problem. But, before I do that, can I just use cement on just one side of the door? Will that work and will the door handle the additional weight?
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


That's what I'd do. Hang it right side up or the R-value will fall out....


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

If mass helps, why not screw on some cement/fiber board like used for bath/kitchen/tile flooring? That's heavy, durable to an extent and pretty "massy".... it'd block more sound than foam, for sure. Cut to size easier too.

DM


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

DangerMouse said:


> If mass helps, why not screw on some cement/fiber board like used for bath/kitchen/tile flooring? That's heavy, durable to an extent and pretty "massy".... it'd block more sound than foam, for sure. Cut to size easier too.
> 
> DM


Yeah, but he wants to hang it off a hollow core door with only 2 hinges. The torque would probably de-screw the top hinge in not too much time. The door itself would probably stand up to it, because hollow core doors are pretty well made (even the cheap ones). They make great desks on a budget.

I think the weak point is the hinges.

Oh, and cutting the circular hole for the knob in the durock might be a trick (unless you have a big hole saw that cuts concrete)...


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

yeah, but for just a couple of months it should hold. And just notch out the doorknob area, no need to drill.

DM


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## rightit (Mar 5, 2011)

baby327nd said:


> Because I don't want to go through the trouble of installing a new door...


 


> ...(I don't care about how it looks, since I am going to move from that place in about two months anyway)


baby327, all of this effort for 2 months? And, if you are leaving in 2 mos., the likelihood of having to install a new door anyway is high, if you're renting. But maybe you are living with family and they don't care about their 'attic' door. Still, a lot of effort for just a few months. 

The ideas you've mentioned that are simple (i.e., foam) will be ineffective, and the ones that will actually help to block noise, impractical and more effort than a new door.

Obviously you want to do it right, or you wouldn't be asking, but for just a few months, I would just buy a door sweep, maybe some cheap weather stripping and _maybe _a dense 2" or 3" foam mattress that I could secure against the door when in the room. Not perfect, especially for low frequency sound, but likely more effective than the foam board, certainly less messy and not permanent (try peeling off the foam board later...). I would save the real effort for a longer term residence. 

Mark


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

DangerMouse said:


> yeah, but for just a couple of months it should hold. And just notch out the doorknob area, no need to drill.
> 
> DM



Notching sounds good.

Say, you know what? Maybe a set of active noise canceling headphones would make more sense for two months. Or even just ear plugs.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Unless it's to stop noise from going DOWNstairs FROM that room.... but yeah, that's a good idea if not.

(way cheaper and less work too! LOL)

DM


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Just hang two quilts from the head casing in front of the door on the hall side not to interfere with the door swing. You may need the space under the door as a cold-air return for the forced air furnace......

Gary


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

GBR in WA said:


> Just hang two quilts from the head casing in front of the door on the hall side not to interfere with the door swing. You may need the space under the door as a cold-air return for the forced air furnace......
> 
> Gary


That’s to easy, where’s the fun in that. :laughing:


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

I retract all my previous advice. I assumed OP wanted to soundproof a dungeon or home recording studio. 

RENTER?!? 

Don't mess with the door unless you want to buy a new one when you move out.

I've got a ton o' sympathy for sound overflow (my source of noise sleeps next to me). But caveat rentor


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## Tizzer (Jul 24, 2010)

I second the quilt idea - might even get back some of the security deposit, too.:whistling2:


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

Tizzer said:


> I second the quilt idea - might even get back some of the security deposit, too.:whistling2:


Quilts have an STC rating of about 0.


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## Vincer (Mar 22, 2011)

How about a piece of carpet? A nice shag carpet! You can put some grommets in it and hang it off the top. Then you can remove it when you move.

I'm sure some thick carpet or a moving blanket might help blank out the sound.

This may sound weird, but I often find that with TV and conversations, the reason it is annoying is not the noise, but that it's somewhat recognizable as voices. If you get a white noise generator (or a fan, air filter, humidifier) it might jsut be what you need to ignore the tv/conversations in another room.


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

Vincer said:


> How about a piece of carpet?


Carpet has an STC rating of about 0 too.


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## Vincer (Mar 22, 2011)

pyper said:


> Carpet has an STC rating of about 0 too.


What about a 1970's shag carpet ? 

V


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

ANY material will have 100% soundproofing effectiveness if applied thick enough.

DM


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

DangerMouse said:


> ANY material will have 100% soundproofing effectiveness if applied thick enough.
> 
> DM


If that's rule #1, then rule #2 must be "there's no such thing as sound proof."

:laughing:


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Toilet paper is soundproofing! Take a sheet, add 50,000,000,000 more sheets, then stand on one side and see if you can hear the person miles away talking to you! I'll bet you won't be able to! :laughing: See? ANYTHING is good soundproofing if you use enough.....

DM


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## Vincer (Mar 22, 2011)

DangerMouse said:


> Toilet paper is soundproofing! Take a sheet, add 50,000,000,000 more sheets, then stand on one side and see if you can hear the person miles away talking to you! I'll bet you won't be able to! :laughing: See? ANYTHING is good soundproofing if you use enough.....
> 
> DM


OR, tie two rolls of toilet paper together to form ear muffs.


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

DangerMouse said:


> Toilet paper is soundproofing! Take a sheet, add 50,000,000,000 more sheets, then stand on one side and see if you can hear the person miles away talking to you! I'll bet you won't be able to! :laughing: See? ANYTHING is good soundproofing if you use enough.....
> 
> DM




Yeah, but replace the person talking with a nuclear detonation and you'll hear it. See? Nothing is soundproof!! ;-)


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Well, just add a bunch more zeros to that # and then you'll be thousands of miles away. Soundproof once more! :laughing:
Annnd..... if you add a WHOLE bunch more zeros, then you'd be in outer space, and then you'd be in absolute silence! Problem solved! Now... as to the whole BREATHING part, welllll......

DM


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## baby327nd (Mar 14, 2011)

well, I just wanted to updated you on what I did:

I just bought a new door with solid wood 4 weeks ago and on that door I put 2 quilts On top of that, since I live in the attic, I put carpets between the space around my stairs. Put them all together, they reduced almost all of the noise coming from downstairs (except slamming of doors and walking up and down of stair noise).

So everything is fine and thanks for all of your advice! :0


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

:clap: Thanks for the update we like them. :clap:


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Yup, we love happy endings here!

DM


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