STC-Rated Doors in Education Projects

STC-Rated Doors in Education Projects

In specifying doors for schools and universities, safety is usually the top concern. However, acoustics play a key role in creating a positive learning environment. Schools are often situated on busy roads, near a lot of traffic and activity that creates noise. Within a school and its grounds, sound is generated by voices, foot traffic, sports, musical instruments and other activities.


Many elements in the design process contribute to the acoustic experience of a school building. Your choices of room layout, HVAC systems, electrical fixtures, flooring materials, windows and doors affect how sound moves through the school. Here, we will look at the options for STC-rated doors for education projects.

How Acoustics Impact Learning

Exposure to loud noise interferes with the ability to concentrate, hear and understand a teacher, and learn. A 2013 paper published in Frontiers in Psychology reviewed existing literature on how noise affects children’s learning. The researchers concluded:

“Children are much more impaired than adults by noise in tasks involving speech perception and listening comprehension. Non-auditory tasks such as short-term memory, reading and writing are also impaired by noise.”

Because sound makes such a difference in a learning environment, there are strict acoustic criteria as set forth by ANSI S12.60-2002. These standards, “Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design 

Classroom door in a school

Requirements and Guidelines for Schools,” include the following:

  • For core learning spaces with internal volumes of 20,000 cubic feet or less, one-hour steady-state background noise levels should not exceed 35 dBA.
  • For core learning spaces with internal volumes of 20,000 cubic feet or more, one-hour steady-state background noise levels should not exceed 40 dBA.
  • If the noisiest one-hour period during which learning activities take place is dominated by transportation noise, the maximum noise limits are increased by 5 dB.

The US Green Building Council also considers acoustic design in its LEED for Schools program, awarding credits for taking steps that mitigate sound transfer and reverberation.

How STC-Rated Doors Reduce Sound Transmission for Classrooms

Sound reduction starts with good site selection and space planning. Once those decisions are in place, sound transfer can be addressed with the materials used for floor-ceiling and roof-ceiling assemblies, along with STC-rated windows and doors.

The amount of airborne sound blocked by a partition is measured as a Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating. An interior door’s STC rating depends on the materials and the installation methods. The STC rating of a door roughly indicates the decibel reduction that it provides. At a rating of 35, loud speech is audible but not intelligible, while 40 or more meets the level considered “privacy.”

Acoustic education doors actually carry two STC ratings. One rating measures the “sealed in place” performance, for which manufacturers test the doors while they’re sealed in place with putty. The other rating measures the “operable” performance, or how the door functions in a realistic, operational setting. 

The materials, construction and installation of architectural doors all play a part in acoustics. STC-rated doors reduce sound in two ways, by absorbing sound or by reflecting it. Schools often want surfaces that are easy to clean, which means that doors with flat, painted surfaces or heavy-duty laminates work well. These door surfaces are effective at reflecting sound.

Best Types of Interior Doors for a School

Attack resistant interior school door.

Sound reduction starts with good site selection and space planning. Once those decisions are in place, sound transfer can be addressed with the materials used for floor-ceiling and roof-ceiling assemblies, along with STC-rated windows and doors.

The amount of airborne sound blocked by a partition is measured as a Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating. An interior door’s STC rating depends on the materials and the installation methods. The STC rating of a door roughly indicates the decibel reduction that it provides. At a rating of 35, loud speech is audible but not intelligible, while 40 or more meets the level considered “privacy.”

Acoustic education doors actually carry two STC ratings. One rating measures the “sealed in place” performance, for which manufacturers test the doors while they’re sealed in place with putty. The other rating measures the “operable” performance, or how the door functions in a realistic, operational setting. 

The materials, construction and installation of architectural doors all play a part in acoustics. STC-rated doors reduce sound in two ways, by absorbing sound or by reflecting it. Schools often want surfaces that are easy to clean, which means that doors with flat, painted surfaces or heavy-duty laminates work well. These door surfaces are effective at reflecting sound.

Masonite Architectural Doors for Education

Masonite Architectural offers complete education door solutions. Our customizable wood doors can meet your project’s needs for acoustics, security, sustainability, health and aesthetics. We test all of our doors in operable openings, for the most useful acoustic performance results. The best acoustically-rated doors bring together form and function. You can find just the right style, finish, and color to match the rest of the school or university, to create a seamless visual effect.

Contact your Masonite Architectural rep today or find your ideal interior school doors using our acoustic sound tool.