Door Seals

Through our own extensive testing on our line of sound control doors, we have learned so much regarding which door seals to use and which seals to avoid. We simplified it for our customers with just a few options of the best products we tested. Scroll below to get a quick rundown before diving further into each product page.

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Which products do I need to seal a door?

Each door requires at least one product to seal the sides and top and another product to seal the bottom. The number of products required will vary depending on the type of door, the expected performance of the door, and personal preference for installation. For the sides and top, you will need the PDS Rubber, PDS Light, PDS Heavy, or a combination of the PDS Rubber with the PDS Light or PDS Heavy. For the bottom, you will need a PDS Threshold, Automatic Door Bottom, or a combination of the two.

How do I know which products are right ?

For sides and top: For common interior doors (including solid wood and steel doors), we would recommend either the PDS Rubber or PDS Light for the sides and top. These products will ultimately rate the same with the only difference being the installation. The PDS Light is a more universal product that will work with any door, whether it is plumb, bowed, or hung exceptionally tight to the frame. The PDS Rubber is easier to install and costs less, but it is best for doors with a 1/8" space around the sides and top between the door slab and door jamb. Otherwise it's too tight of a fit for the PDS Rubber to open and close easily. The PDS Rubber is also best for doors that are installed plumb or nearly plumb. If you are sealing a door with an STC of 42 or higher, then two rows of PDS Rubber or a combination of PDS Rubber and PDS Light is recommended. A common interior or exterior door, both wood and steal, under 150 pounds is no where near an STC 42. Using both on a lower rated door would be redundant ultimately, but redundancy does provide an extra level protection as well to safe guard a not perfect installation.

For the bottom: For common interior doors (including solid wood and steel doors), either the PDS Threshold or our semi-mortise/fully mortised door bottom will suffice. We recommend installing the semi-mortise or fully mortised instead of a surface mounted installation. This allows the exterior door seal to span the entire door. If there is less than a 1/2" between the bottom of the door and finish floor below, use the PDS Threshold for sake of simplicity. If there is 1/2" or more of space, then you must use an automatic door bottom. If you are sealing a door with an STC of 42 or higher, then both the PDS Threshold and automatic door bottom is recommended. A common interior or exterior door, both wood and steal, under 150 pounds is no where near an STC 42. Using both on a lower rated door would be redundant ultimately, but redundancy does provide an extra level protection as well to safe guard a not perfect installation.

Do you offer custom sizes for your seals?

The PDS Rubber is pre-cut and can be trimmed on site with scissors or a razor knife. The PDS Threshold and PDS Light are very basic products that should be purchased in full lengths and cut on site for the best fit. A common chop or circular saw will cut through both products with ease. Our automatic door bottoms can be trimmed up to 4" in the field and also should be beveled to match the door swing. We do not offer custom cut lengths as they are best cut in the field.

What's the deal with the PDS Heavy?

Perimeter seals like the PDS Heavy are commonly sold by companies online and various manufacturers. From our own testing, we've determined that you can achieve a better seal with products like the PDS Rubber and PDS Light without the thick, heavy, and expensive PDS Heavy. This isn't because the PDS Heavy is an inferior product, it's because the type of rubber used in these heavier duty seals is too dense and requires too much pressure to reach a proper point of compression. These heavy seals weren't originally invented for isolating sound, but rather for keeping bugs and other pests out of pantries. With a better understanding in how to seal doors properly, these heavy perimeter style seals have been replaced with better technology that costs significantly less. Some of our customers still want the PDS Heavy and so we make it available to them. However, the best bang for the back for performance, usability, and universal use will be the PDS Light in place of the PDS Heavy.