Have I built myself into a hole? (newbie first post)

Hi, My concrete was not sealed when it was poured. I was planning on doing wood floors, so I didn't give the concrete any special treatment during construction. I had to spend a very full day hand sanding and scraping the floor though to get paint splatter, mud, crud off of it. I never expected it to come out perfect, but it's presentable. The polyurea is a complete sealer. It does not breathe. If you are below grade, it's not a good idea. The adhesion is something else though. Tensile Strength: ASTM D 638: 4,500-5,000 psi Falling Sand Abrasion Resistance: ASTM D 968 My wife wanted a no maintinence finish so waxing was out.

Hey chunger! I know I'm late to this party, but I've got to say that I'm totally wowed by your flooring job! 8) I have planned to do acid staining and sealing in my project, and your job is downright inspiring. --Keith :mrgreen:

back from the dead. . . so, what happened? Ran out of money. . . bummer. Then, saved money again. . . then, was saving to buy another house (next door) due to the real estate market being favorable to buyers. As the house would have been a "tear down", I would have been able to dictate the floor layout from the ground up, and I now (having hung out here for a while) see that given even less square footage to work with, i would have been able to optimize my space much better had I started from scratch. But, the deal fell through. The owner didn't quite want to go as low as I wanted (but only by $5000). In my mind, it was too much risk right now to pull the trigger plus, we would have had NO wiggle room financially for the next 5 years probably, so we let our low offer stand and someone else snapped up the house (for too much BTW :roll: ). Then out of the blue, a friend recently decided to infuse a Protools H[ighly] D[isfunctional] system into my studio, and that was the extra push I needed. I looked at my options and decided now is the time to make the final push and get the studio out of storage. So, onward towards some testing to evaluate the current sonic properties of the room as it sits and proceed to putting in my "inner" windows and final built-in's/acoustic treatments. . . then, I must move my kitchen to a different room and simultaneously build the control room. The budget is being worked out. . . the cash is in hand to sustain progress, and I'm excited to hear the music. darnit. . . photobucket is down for maintenance. Guess I'll post updated pics later. This build is full of compromises in acoustic treatments and in soundproofing, but it's a living space as well as a music space. So far, the main room is very forgiving, and I am not getting as many problems with midbass/bass "muddiness" in the mix. . . it is by far better than most spaces I've worked in before as it stands. I've not previously been able to use large condensers on drums. I'm pitching in with some friends to buy an analysis package to make some measurements. By strategically placing items on the angled (trapazoidal) full-wall-bookcases, I've been able to help my acoustic situation. For instance, I stored linens and blankets all up the corner shelf units (~20" deep at large corner) to act as sortof superchunks and have the option of building "slat doors" in front of those or any other section of the bookcases as I trim them out. The wife looks at me kindof funny when I go picking through the linens trying to find the ones that are 3.5 lbs./cubic foot to stuff in the corner shelves. The books and linens are the wife's hobby, and I like finding creative ways to symbiotically give expression to both of our pursuits in the same space. I do have room though in this next phase to build some dedicated treatments, and I've been looking with keen interest at our host's variable bass absorbers utilized at Left Bank Studio referenced here: http://www.johnlsayers.com/Studio/Pages/update_3.htm If tests reveal serious frequency problems, I feel I still have enough space to go after those aggressively in the final phase of room treatments. As for sound isolation, most of my bleed to the outside world is happening through my windows (which are still single layer). I have yet to put the inner windows in. By plugging 2 of the windows with tatami mats and pillows, we have enough sound isolation as it stands that the neighbors (10 feet away) have not been aware of our drumming and skill saw use deep into the night as it stands. So, I got lucky and even with my ill-advised isolation compromises and the resulting sound flanking paths, I will be ok in terms of sound isolation. Not spectacular, but ok. With late night ambient noise, I cannot measure any increase above the ambient w/ drums playing inside the house. I am pretty sure I am presently 100% within city ordinances for 24/7 noise pollution.

The window to the left is cased in to accept a 2nd interior window for sound isolation and angled to address flutter echo issues. The far bookshelf to the right of the large window holds a window that is presently blocked by a tatami mat and pillows. That one will receive an interior window as well. The bookcase itself will extend up to near the ceiling and the remaining gap (horizontal along the top of the bookcase) will be filled with 3.5 lb. per cubic foot insulation and clothed over. Directly to the right of the current bookcase, I plan to put a triangular slat wall that will continue the bookcase angle until it meets the wall. The wall with mattress leaning against it and it's opposing wall are parallel and a problem. I am thinking about putting the adjustable absorbtive/reflective swing out wall units on the wall that has the mattress leaning on it. . . and haven't quite figure out what to do on the opposite wall (underneath overhang). . . maybe hang some removeable absorbers on it that can be removed for a more live sound (space is starting to get cramped along the width of the room as the adjustable units will take up significant depth). In the corner where the plastic bins are currently stacked will go a bass trap of some sort. It can have substantial depth. . . mabe slot type back-filled with insulation scraps.