Tiny Spot In The basement

I’ve tried this a few times already, so this time I’m going to bypass the design forum and post here in “construction”. First I want to thank John and all the forum moderators and participants for the amazing degree of detailed information and experience-knowledge extant in this forum. This next part rambles on for a bit so if you want to get to the nub, you can skip to the next post. Ok, so I began this journey planning to build a small control room a couple years ago, with a 12’x 8’ room in my basement. This one room idea was not giving me the space I thought I needed and no isolation booth. So opened up the thought of a 2-room job with an isolation room large enough for my drums. This led to my first design post. I could have read a bit more back then :roll: . I’ve since bought and read Rod Gervais’ book “Build it Like the Pros” and explored some more online. Here’s that first try: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8551 However, the position of our 80-year-old heating pipes (too low and in the way) was a fatal impediment. Then I had the thought that my detached garage would be a better location for a room of this size and so I planned for this: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9161&p=63970#p63970 When the concrete contractors came back with the price of replacing the cracked slab floor and adding frost barriers, though, the prospect sucked up so much of my tight budget that I had to let that one go too. I went back to the drawing board and the original idea that started it all. One room, no frills, but just get it to sound as good as possible, until the budget gets a bit fatter. The final kick in the pants to get it done (now!) came with a request from a recording artist. The artist asked me to co-write and produce a song for release on her label. I had worked with this artist before moving to New England – in my own space, and that experience was amazing, and the end product was fantastic and gratifying beyond measure. I went for it. I don’t have my own studio now, so for this new project I flew out of state to the production company’s limited studio, where I had a most terrible experience working under uncommon terms. Without getting into details, I had to lock the studio door in the wee hours of the morning and work things out myself. If you’ve never had a deadline in a place where you felt like a fish out of water… I don’t recommend it. Fortunately, I was still able to find inspiration and got a song ready in 2 days. The artist and A&R folks liked the tune enough to put it on the album, and for that I’m happy, but the experience left a taste in my mouth that I would soon like to forget. I have to have my own studio again if only to arrange and write! Hopefully, I’ll get it to sound good enough for a decent mix as well). Next post soon.

Build Info This is going to be a slow process but as my folks back home always say, “one one coco full basket” and I will eventually get there. I hope it will be helpful to others that might have similar projects, as helpful as other threads have been for me. Budget: So last week, I went into town and spoke to the town’s building inspector, paid for my permit and it – is – on. The budget for this build is around $2,000, which will pay for materials only. I’ll be taking on the labor myself except for final electrical connections. For that I have a friend with a license who will lend a hand. Oh, I’ve come to find out that the building inspector who will actually inspect my build during construction spent much of his time in the 80’s and 90’s building studios. He’s willing to offer advice if I have any questions during the process. I think that’s just so cool. How Loud? I mix at very low levels 95% of the time, so long hours of mixing neither tends to hurt, nor cause issues for neighbors who are at least 100 feet on either side of the house, across a state highway in front and prohibited from the wetlands behind. However, when I’m writing or arranging I turn up the monitors substantially for short bursts, to find the right patches and to tweak the synthesizers etc. Isolation is important for my ears, and for tracking vocals, but I wont have a band rehearsing at home anytime soon. The room This basement room is tiny (see pictures and sketchup file for scale & dimensions), and I mean tiny, but it is the only part of my house, which my wife will allow me to completely take over. It has no heating pipes below the floor joists, and has a decent concrete floor and enough height for me to stand and bounce a bit (just a bit); hence, it’s perfect. Here’s the sketchup file and a couple pictures. The floor above is laths then hardwood, each laid perpendicularly to the other, on 2x8 cedar joists 16”oc which run widthwise in the room. There are paper/foil backed fiberglass batts installed between the joists (which I don’t plan to disturb, except where air vents and electrical wiring require it.)The brick structure in the diagrams is the backside of the base of our fireplace/chimney, all connections and openings are not on the build side of that structure. There are no signs of water in the basement, but I still want to mitigate for the possibility of moisture in the room by adding a preventive barrier under the floor finish. I will not float my floor. Rather, I will use a neoprene backed, wood, or bamboo, interlocking floor system, directly on top of the moisture barrier. ****(Does that make sense?)**** So, that’s all for now. I will be posting as I progress.

I would start with some tests to determine how much isolation you have right now. Your floor plan throws away 14 square feet. Symmetry is important, but wasting 15% of your area, I think I would go for more space. Maybe someone will suggest a way to have both. You can save some $ and ceiling height by keeping the floor concrete. Out of curiosity, why is the ceiling insulated?

Additional Details Inside out walls Inner leaf construction will be of inside-out walls as in sideshow’s build http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/download/file.php?id=12363 I’ll be using 2 layers of 5/8” sheet rock on the outside of the 2x4 inner wall studs. I’ll probably use some sort of caulking instead of green glue (any suggestions? please respond) between the two drywall layers just to seal them together. The inside cavities will be caulked air tight and filled with a 1.5” air gap then 2” of 8lb. Rock Wool. Inner leaf inside out Ceiling When I saw the example here: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6968 I was thrilled, because I wanted the ceiling to be inside out, to maintain as much ceiling height as possible but I couldn’t find a way to construct the ceiling from the outside in. The panel example is something I can do in pieces and lift into place myself (with the help of a drywall lift of course) So the tiny spot ceiling will be constructed in panels, which will be glued screwed and caulked to 2x6 ceiling joists. Each panel will have a 2’x4 frame of .5” lumber made to fit snugly between the 2’ spaces between the joists. There will be 2” of 8lb Rock Wool and an air gap within the air tight frame and another 2” of Rock Wool on top of the drywall layers. I’ll post detailed drawings next. Oh while I was typing...

Your floor plan throws away 14 square feet. Symmetry is important, but wasting 15% of your area, I think I would go for more space. Maybe someone will suggest a way to have both.

Yes I went through a few versions of this before arriving here, I am open to suggestions though. If you would explain what you mean by testing for isolation that would be helpful.

You can save some $ and ceiling height by keeping the floor concrete.

Again you are quite correct. However, I have the choices of flooring left over from a project i previously did and the total installed height is either 3/8" for the laminate and 5/8" for the bamboo, I think the laminate is most practical but the bamboo looks so much nicer ( we'll see) :) edit -

Out of curiosity, why is the ceiling insulated?

Missed this one, but if you're asking about the existing insulation, I'm really not sure. One of the former owners seem to have been using that space as a dark room (infra-red light etc). All the insulation I'll use will be for acoustical absorption/damping.

Here are detailed pics of the ceiling as proposed. Idea drawn from SAE Site and sideshow's build. I'm thinking that the forums namesake had a lot to do with its conception. :|