Home Recording space design in ARGENTINA

Talk about the living Dead Threads... LOL Im bumping this all the way back from 2008.... and i'm finally starting the project!! If you go back to the first page, you can see my design. Right now the bathroom and inner wall have been taken out, and the space for the Live room is now clear. Here comes the hard part... I now have to build the "room within a room" but it's really hard to find a contractor with experience on this here in Argentina. Nobodys knows about "wood framing" and the only thing offered is "steel framing" but in light gauges so it needs to be atached to the existing structure (not a good idea). So im going nuts on this... Should I think of going with the steel framing and anchoring it to new ceiling joists (this new joists will be the only point anchored to the "existing" walls.... the new wall framing will be anchored to the floor (ground floor, so plenty of mass below) and to this new joists for support). If i go with this option, and put RC channels just in the ceiling (to minimize transmission to the Joists) would it be a good idea ? I know it's not perfect... but im trying to make the best of it. For you to get a good idea, here's a sum up: 1) Installing new ceiling joists (2X6) anchored to 2 of the 4 existing walls (rendered Brick walls 20cm) 2) These new joist will support 2 layers of 12,5mm drywall installed on RC channels 3) Steel framing will be installed for the 4 interior walls 4) New walls will be anchored to the floor (just earth below me) and to the new joists on top While not perfect, could this array work ? I must add that the walls where im anchoring the new ceiling Joists are not adjacent to any neighbour bedroom.... On the other side of my outter leaf there is an air gap of about 3 Meters, and the begins the brick wall of the neighbours kitchen. Thanks a million for all the input! Ale_Argentina.

bump... Anyone with some feedback ? Please.... im going crazy on this.... Thanks a million! Best regards. Ale.-

Ale Hop :mrgreen: at a first glance: sure, that might work. Haven't read this topic from start but isn't it possible to rest your new ceiling on your new walls? That way the whole structure will be decoupled (except from the ground) and will grant you better isolation.

Ro wrote:

Ale Hop :mrgreen: at a first glance: sure, that might work. Haven't read this topic from start but isn't it possible to rest your new ceiling on your new walls? That way the whole structure will be decoupled (except from the ground) and will grant you better isolation.

exactly !

Thanks very much Ro and John.! While i understand that resting the ceiling over my new walls will be ideal for isolation, this might not be a possibility, as im positive that light gauge steel framing will not hold the load of 2 layers of 12,5 drywall from the ceiling. That being said, is it a terrible option to think about using the RC channel on the ceiling ? I know i will be flanking the hole structure.... but this is something not even worth considering ? Is it a terrible idea or is something that, while hurting my isolation, is worth considering giving my limitations regarding the construction to support the ceiling ? Thanks again for the additional input. Best regards. Ale.-

ale_recording wrote:

While i understand that resting the ceiling over my new walls will be ideal for isolation, this might not be a possibility, as im positive that light gauge steel framing will not hold the load of 2 layers of 12,5 drywall from the ceiling.

That is the best option by far for isolation. Confirm the load capacity of the steel framing. Not assuming anything is one of the main things that separates amateur from serious acoustics/studio designers. If you have read many posts here, you will have seen that professionals almost never guess or think about any aspect of the design. They have independent data to confirm just about everything. Andre

Andre, Thanks! Great piece of advice right there, and i totally agree with you! Unfortunately here in Argentina is REALY hard to find competent contractors with sufficient knowledge on studio builds. For example, regarding the support of the steel framing, I’ve talk to at least 6 contractors…. 50% said light gauge steel would hold, 50% said it wouldn’t…. Obviously the “safe” move will be to go with heavy gauge steel just to be sure…. But the price is very high…. I don’t want to compromise safety and take my chances with light gauge steel framing…. Hence my idea of putting up new ceiling joists, compromising isolation a bit but hoping it would be a valid option and not something that would definitely not work. Does this sound like a reasonable plan ? Thanks again! Best regards. Ale.-

ale_recording wrote:

Thanks very much Ro and John.! While i understand that resting the ceiling over my new walls will be ideal for isolation, this might not be a possibility, as im positive that light gauge steel framing will not hold the load of 2 layers of 12,5 drywall from the ceiling. I know i will be flanking the hole structure.... but this is something not even worth considering ? Is it a terrible idea or is something that, while hurting my isolation, is worth considering giving my limitations regarding the construction to support the ceiling ? Thanks again for the additional input. Best regards. Ale.-

Not only will light gauge not support the load, but you will be asking a lot of the screws to stay in the metal and not strip back out. Flanking is documented to be the sole reason why so many isolation assemblies fail to produce in the field what was measured in the laboratory.

One contractor is saying that adding wood studs and ceiling joist, inside the steel framing will add extra support and overall strenght to the construction. He claims this would hold the ceiling without any problems... Im having my doubts over this "hybrid" design of steel with wood reinforcements.... What do you guys think ? I know this is sometimes used to add extra strengh for door frames and so.... Thanks in advance. Best regards! Ale.-

Ale, True that framing for an acoustic environment changes the approach and methods and mindset typical to construction in general. But it does not change the nature of the materials you build with. Your contractor is not experienced enough to get you on the right path. I know he is not experienced because of the waste of both time material and money to wrap a light gauge piece of metal around wood in an attempt to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts. Structural steel or wood...not both :) I think you have to settle on your design first. Once you settle on how this wall and ceiling configuration will be, then you have something that can dictate how it will be constructed and from what materials would be the best for that job. Trying to mix and match light gauge metal and wood is a waste of time and potentially dangerous to you guys. If you have wood studs...then build the walls from that, right? And if you have wood material for joists, then build it out of the proper dimensioned wooden material and be done with it. Otherwise, you require structural steel studs and structural steel joists.

You should probably also post your final design before you actually start building, Ale, so that the experts here can take a look at it and maybe suggest improvements. Pictures of the area where you plan to build would also be good! Did you find a contractor yet, who knows how to do this without resorting to "wood-reinforced steel framing"? :) - Stuart -