Seal Maintenance
Acoustic door performance degrades over time. A 1mm perimeter gap can reduce effective STC by 10–15 points. Annual inspections are essential.
Engineering Advisory
Door seal maintenance is not optional. Even correctly installed acoustic doors lose performance as gaskets compress, drop seals wear, and closers drift out of adjustment. Schedule annual inspections as part of facility maintenance.
Seal Inspections
- Perimeter gaskets: Check for compression set, cracking, or gaps — replace if any light is visible around closed door
- Drop seals: Verify full contact with threshold when door closes — adjust or replace mechanism if daylight visible
- Threshold gaskets: Inspect for wear from foot traffic — D1 exterior threshold especially prone to degradation
- Magnetic seals (D1): Verify magnetic strip alignment and pull force > 2 kg/m
Hardware Checks
- Door closer: Verify latching force pulls door fully into seal contact
- Hinge pins: Lubricate annually — squeaking causes staff to prop doors open
- Closing speed: 3–5 seconds from 90° to latch — too fast damages seals, too slow encourages leaving open
- Prop prevention: Consider magnetic hold-open devices that release on studio “LIVE” signal
Critical
Propping acoustic doors open during sessions destroys all isolation. Even 30 seconds of an open door during a recording session can render that take unusable. Consider interlocked magnetic hold-open devices connected to the studio tally/live light system.