Mill studio sound proofing thoughts?

Hey Guys! I've been poking around here for quite some time now, and I've read through the "required" reading. I also picked up Rod G's book last fall too, so I don't *think* I'll be wasting your time and generosity with my question(s). (I'll be doing M-A-M on the walls, and posting a layout later, but i have a question about my ceilings first. ***To put the question simply: I'd like to keep as much ceiling height as I can , and my best thought is to seal up in between the huge mill beams which stretch across the ceiling every eight feet (on center) with say, two green glued layers of sheetrock and a layer of OC 703, installed, and caulked airtight against the ceiling? Maybe seal up the 4x4" beams above that before the rock/703? My thinking is that the beams are pretty hefty, and wouldn't(?) be a weak link in terms of vibrations and such, but please tell me what you think.***** I don't have an exhaustive Sketchup diagram and building run-down, but i think I've included the important and crucial tidbits. Please let me know if I'm missing those things that keep a thread unanswered. I am aware of the hard work and generosity from this forum's moderators and members, so I want to make sure I'm not leaving something out. So, I'd love to hear your take guys! (**EDITED INFO) Dimensions: 30' 8" x 19' 7" x 9' 7"(excluding where wood beams dip lower) FLOOR: - Cement. This is the basement of an old mill. No one but worms below me! CEILING: - huge wooden beams (16" deep, 11 1/4" wide) spanning the ceiling's width, every eight feet on center (the sketchup isn't exact, it's just an example). - ceiling is a series of 4"x4" beams laid across the bigger beams, with T&G subfloor on top of that, and then carpet, *From floor to ceiling is 9' 7" IN BETWEEN the beams, and 16" inches shorter to the bottom face of each beam. Thanks again for any thoughts you might have on this gang... Kind Regards from NH usa, Jon Nolan

Hey there Jon, that's a wicked cool space. Congrats. Are you looking to keep it one big room, or are you looking to build out multiple rooms? You mention building out the walls with M-A-M, but how will you achieve airtightness and decoupling for the ceiling? I think my inclination -- assuming you will be staying here a while and want to build it out right -- would be to "beef up" the ceiling/floor planks with additional mass (drywall/greenglue) as Rod describes on pp 67-68. If your Sketchup drawing is accurate, you'd probably have to build a frame in place to hold the drywall there... perhaps you could use a variation of John's inside-out wall design, and use 2 layers of sheetrock with GG in between, then some 2x4 framing below that, installed so that they are attached to the beams? the sheetrock would be flush against the ceiling/floor beams. Then you could stuff insulation inside the framing. Then once you get the walls built, you could do another ceiling attached to the inner walls. This would get you true M-A-M.... All the standard disclaimers apply, ie, make sure the beams can hold the additional weight, etc etc etc. If you aren't going to do room-within-a-room construction, then I'd consider doing something with resilient channel or RSIC-1 clips. I'm sure others will have construction ideas here, too....

jwl wrote:

Are you looking to keep it one big room, or are you looking to build out multiple rooms?

to be determined. it's also dependent on my ability to soundproof it properly, obviously. if i can't, then i can really only use the space after 5pm, and i'll use it as one big room until i find a permanent spot. so, maybe,control room/live room if i can figure out the 'proofing...

You mention building out the walls with M-A-M, but how will you achieve airtightness and decoupling for the ceiling?

Y'got me there James. And, this is the crux of the biscuit i think (and it relates to the rest of your comments below). What i am wondering is - on the ceiling - if i can get away with just sealing in between the beams only, and then connecting that sheetrock and stuff to the top of some new interior walls. so, not true MAM all around, to be clear. the beams would still be dipping into the room maybe this is clearer, say: - removing the interior sheetrock from the south, west and north walls (the east wall being thick brick). - 703'ing the interior of that newly exposed framing. - building a new stud wall 3" inside the entire room, and 703'ing that. - two layers sheetrock with GG in between. - this wall would be built upwards, dipping under, and up in between beams as necessary, and in theory (as per the original main question, i think) join up with what i am proposing to do in between the beams. (which is to attach and seal up a layer of 703 and a couple of layers of sheetrock with green glue in 3" down from the ceiling boards, between the beams.) in short, i'm trying to see if i can do this with the least amount of ceiling height loss - the beams being the main issue obviously. i guess if i can put it flush to the ceiling and do just as well, then, great! i was just thinking that 3 extar inches would account for a lot of TL, but maybe not?

Then once you get the walls built, you could do another ceiling attached to the inner walls. This would get you true M-A-M....

hmmm....i don't see how i could possibly do a true M/A/M dealio here with the beams dipping a foot or so anyway, no? thanks for the thoughts james! have any more? anybody else? i was hoping to try and clarify a smidge. Thanks! Jon

I understand about wanting to preserve the ceiling height. That's the challenge. Hopefully someone else will have a better idea. If it were me I'd probably just put the new room ceilings underneath the beams, and beef up the existing ceilings. Perhaps there is a way to accomplish this with some sort of resilient channel or RSIC-1 clips? If you are in a basement, then the people you can't disturb are above you, no? You'll definitely want to get the ceiling right. Also, I think 703 inside the wall framing is overkill, obviously it will work but I don't think it will perform much better than less expensive alternatives (rockwool or even pink fluffy fiberglass).

i suck at Sketchup! so, never mind the studs jutting out of the room of course, and i only drew one of the in-between-beam sketches. this is only a sketch! But, here's a cross section showing what i am hoping will work. Can i get away with NOT creating a new ceiling below the bottom of the beams? thanks in advance for any help youse guys can offer me! cheers, jon

i don't know, you might need more massive beams in there :shock: i think that those beams should be OK from a mass standpoint but from a airborne-to-structure borne transfer? hard to say. one option would be to build a partial soffit along the edges of the beams (use RSIC or other rubber isolation mounts to hold the soffit frame) and finish the wall off to those and cap on the face of the beam. then if you find the beams are conducting too much sound, you'll have the option of adding a face over them without having to tear out the other ceiling bits to redo things...

gullfo wrote:

i don't know, you might need more massive beams in there :shock: i think that those beams should be OK from a mass standpoint but from a airborne-to-structure borne transfer? hard to say. one option would be to build a partial soffit along the edges of the beams (use RSIC or other rubber isolation mounts to hold the soffit frame) and finish the wall off to those and cap on the face of the beam. then if you find the beams are conducting too much sound, you'll have the option of adding a face over them without having to tear out the other ceiling bits to redo things...

ok, i *knew* i had an old thread about this question! I'm gonna delete the other thread, and take glenn's suggestion as a jumping off point - unless anyone has any additional thoughts. EDIT: And to be clear Glenn, the ceiling you're suggesting that this new RISC supported ceiling in between the beams would be flush with the lowest face of the beams, right? Then, on to my rough plan for y'allz to pick apart and steer me right!