Key posts: from shed to studio?

Substantial posts by dietcookie, who started the thread, and by the forum’s most active contributors. 110 of 204 posts are listed.

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dietcookie, 28 April 2004I'm about to build a little music room 10x12 (yeah tiny I know but thats how much my backyard allows) I plan on having drums/piano in there as well as guitars and what…
dietcookie, 29 April 2004Hi I read most of that and I gained some knowledge but still have questions. I guess what i'm asking is how should I build the shed since i'm starting from scratch. I…
knightfly, 29 April 2004OK, first of all could you update your profile to include a location? Not looking for your address or credit card numbers, just a general area so I know what to call…
dietcookie, 29 April 2004I understand what you are saying. I'll be sure to read through that whole page. I'm in San Diego since you were wondering. Well I wanted to get started on building the…
knightfly, 29 April 2004Actual acoustic caulk generally is NOT available at home depot or lowes - you need to use the yellow pages and contact every local COMMERCIAL drywall/insulation…
knightfly, 30 April 2004No, if you do this you may as well just throw the neoprene away and save the trouble - each nail will carry sound through to the skids below. The point of the neoprene…
dietcookie, 1 May 2004Ok I understand now, many of the drawings i've seen pictured the neoprene not under the flooring but in the foundation, makes sense now. So basicly i'll be placing these…
knightfly, 1 May 2004I stole part of my first drawing and added some, see if this helps... Steve BTW, do NOT build the inner floor (from pucks upward) until your walls/roofing, etc, are done…
knightfly, 2 May 2004You're welcome - just remember that this will NOT give TOTAL isolation - that would require completely independent inner and outer wall frames, double airlock doors, and…
knightfly, 3 May 2004Now you're making me nervous - what spacing are you planning on between skids, and between 2x4's? Hopefully, your skids will run the 12' way at 40" centers, then the…
dietcookie, 4 May 2004I'm building the foundation according to plan the 4x4s going 12' length, and the 2x4s (which I am totally stupid and just realized now) going the 10' width (and I bought…
knightfly, 5 May 2004I would use one more skid, so your centers are 40" instead of 60 - this will put your 2x4 joists on a stronger base, which will help with the added weight of the floated…
dietcookie, 5 May 2004Alrighty, so before this weekend i'll pick up an extra 4x4. And the extra floor joists, how would I do that? Instead of having one 2x4 at the end of each perimeter,…
knightfly, 5 May 2004I think you got your dimensions turned around a bit there - I'll need a while to finish it, but I'm working on a more detailed plan for your floor, etc - probably be…
knightfly, 7 May 2004Glue and screws are cool, but for the under framing liquid nailz and real nails are faster, and will be plenty solid - here's the next installment of basic drawings...…

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knightfly, 8 May 2004Actually, I just reviewed some things and Tyvek isn't spec'd for under floors, only for walls - for under your floor, i would use a 6 mil poly sheet (black, not clear) -…
dietcookie, 10 May 2004Whew alot of work for nothing this weekend. I got the concrete piers dug in, leveled and bolted on to the 4x4s. Now according to the drawing, do you only want me to…
knightfly, 10 May 2004Since all the 2x4's will be supported by 4x4's, you can just use two 16d nails (galvanized, NOT bright) through each 2x4 into the 4x4 - they have more holding power if…
knightfly, 10 May 2004Here's the wall drawing - if you want, ignore the comments about the RC, and just fasten the sheet rock directly to studs. Alternate the layers so you have staggered…
knightfly, 10 May 2004As you go along with your building, remember that to get any decent amount of isolation your ENTIRE construction should have an outer mass separated by air/insulation,…
dietcookie, 10 May 2004I'm still kind of confused. Can't I just build the frame of the wall as in the pdf then do my insulation as well as RC(i'd really like to)? Also instead of 24" spacing,…
knightfly, 11 May 2004You can do whatever you like - but if you want much in the way of sound isolation, you need to realize that the PDF you posted is a lawn storage building, NOT a studio -…
dietcookie, 11 May 2004I understand what you’re saying and where you’re coming from. I still plan on doing the multiple layers outside with house wrap and RC inside etc etc. I also just…
knightfly, 11 May 2004OK, the good news is, modally (under the following assumptions) your room shape is pretty decent for a room that small, and won't require quite as much acoustic…
dietcookie, 11 May 2004Thanks for the reply. So there is no real benefit to having 16" spacing? I was thinking with all the extra weight on the walls and ceilings, 16" spacing rather than 24"…
knightfly, 11 May 2004You're right, the 16" spacing would be stronger - for that reason, you could use 16" centers and 24" spacing for the RC - "is my plan for having double studs…
dietcookie, 12 May 2004So it seems that I can build my wall with the framing for the door as normal but when I attach the door to it, I should not follow typical construction methods. I won't…
knightfly, 12 May 2004Bottom plates (under all the studs) are done single, top plates usually double - Standard pre-cut studs are normally 92-1/4" long - when you add this to the thickness of…
dietcookie, 13 May 2004Once I build the walls, should I begin the bottom part of the ceiling with the 2x4s going the 10' length, because I want the roof to slant that direction. Nothing…
knightfly, 14 May 2004You're right about the walls being thicker when staggered studs are used - you must have absorbed this comment several posts ago - "plus, the 2x4 walls will eat up 3"…
dietcookie, 14 May 2004Ok cool. So heres my plan for the weekend, to build the longer walls first (12' walls) and if I have time, the 10' walls, I don't think it'll take very long to construct…
knightfly, 14 May 2004Yeah, that's pretty much it - although there are a few details to watch out for. I hope when you say you'll build all the walls in a weekend, that you're just talking…
knightfly, 16 May 2004If you mean both ENDS of the wall, yes - the drawing was just a small detail showing ONE of the ends of the wall with the overlap. in actuality, you would build all wall…

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knightfly, 18 May 2004You would just use 16d nails, run a bead of construction adhesive before tipping up the wall frame, and then toenail the bottom wall plate into the perimeter joists…
knightfly, 20 May 2004Yeah, you'll need to build a 2x6 version of your floor frame, but without doubling the perimeter joists - the outer edges of the frame should line up flush with the…
knightfly, 21 May 2004Right, 2x6's for ceiling joists AND for roof rafters - shed roofs are definitely easier to build in most ways - I'm not finished with the roof details yet, but here's…
dietcookie, 25 May 2004Ok I just built the first part of ceiling, just the joists. Before I go onto laying OSB ontop of it, should I plan where my A/C duct is going to go if I decide to go…
knightfly, 28 May 2004Right - the frame that's already there will support your inner sheet rock layers on RC as well as your double layer of OSB on the outside, for a true mass-air-mass…
dietcookie, 28 May 2004Ok cool, thanks! I actually went and got my acoustic caulk from a place called AMS. The were real knowledgeable about everything and ended up getting some info on a…
knightfly, 29 May 2004Gotta hit the sack soon (4am wake-up for work) but for right now you should STOP building til I can explain roofs a bit more - for one thing, depending on what type…
knightfly, 29 May 2004That would depend on the AC unit you get - some have "real" switches that can be left in position, and one of those would work - most of the newer ones, though, have…
dietcookie, 29 May 2004I don't think a standard window A/C would have a a return duct. If I was going to put it in the attic, I should put the unit in the corner. With the back of it exposed…
knightfly, 30 May 2004Reason your room is wobbly is there's nothing keeping the frame from "racking" - normally (I probably forgot to mention this, my omission) you put your first layer of…
dietcookie, 31 May 2004No wiring plan yet, but I figure two outlets per wall to keep it simple. My two choices for lights is either an in-wall light on the ceiling which I can have a switch…
knightfly, 1 June 2004Neither plywood or OSB are "dirt cheap" any more - 1/2" plywood CDX grade here in the northwest has gone from around $11 a sheet a year ago, to $22 a sheet currently -…

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dietcookie, 9 June 2004Hi it's been a while. Construction has slowed down quite a bit, didn't have much time this past week. We went ahead and put fireblocks in each wall and have almost all…
dietcookie, 28 June 2004Wow, it's been a while. I've only made some progress, i've been pretty busy lately but I have my sheathing on the outside walls with a peaked roof (4' tall in the…
knightfly, 29 June 2004For in-wall service, you can use standard house insulation - if you want to spend more, Owens Corning's SAFB's (Sound Attenuating Fire-resistant Batts, I think) are…
z60611, 29 June 2004The foam insulation that Home Depot sells is probably all closed cell, and as knightfly says, is useless for soundproofing, although it has some mold uses. There are…
dietcookie, 17 July 2004Ok, it's been really hot here so i've been avoiding work on the room. Any how, the roof is done and shingled, door frame has been built, all outerwalls sheathed. At…
dietcookie, 19 July 2004one last thing sorry. The outside sheathing some pieces are not flush with the studs, just a tiny gap most likely due to human error in cutting or making the walls…
knightfly, 21 July 2004I'll try to catch up on your q's - 1 - RC for ceilings should NEVER touch the wallboard - you need to fasten the RC so it stops short of meeting the wall by at least…
knightfly, 22 July 2004OK, bit of a break in the fray - 2 - RC should NEVER be flush with an intersecting wall or ceiling - the idea is to not have ANY solid connection between adjoining wall…
dietcookie, 22 July 2004Hey thanks for the reply, i'm sorry to hear about your wife and i'm glad shes doing ok. I appreciate you deviating your time to answer my questions. Ok I have been under…
dietcookie, 22 July 2004Hey, anyways here are pictures. External image, not preserved — original: http://members.cox.net/conflict/P1010355.JPG External image, not preserved — original:…
knightfly, 22 July 2004Insulation - the 4" SAFB would probably be your best choice in this case. You could also use 1" 703 and 3-1/2" fluffy fiberglass stacked if it's cheaper; it would give…
dietcookie, 23 July 2004So your saying I could use 1" 703 stacked with 3 1/2" NORMAL insulation (for example from home depot/lowes), if so what grade should I be buying (R-13/R30?)? In regards…
knightfly, 25 July 2004The AC unit, since it's designed for a stand-alone operation, should be installed in the attic just as if you were going to "live" there - in other words, the control…
dietcookie, 25 July 2004Ok well, I shouldn't be worrying about the AC at this point. I've started building the floated floor. I only had enough pucks to start on the perimeter 2x4s. I didn't…
knightfly, 25 July 2004Pucks - 2x4's WILL span to every other joist - if you use too many pucks, you won't get enough compression to make them work and may as well not even use them. Please…

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dietcookie, 27 July 2004What a day, I called a place and they said they had rockwool. $.70 a sq ft, what a deal! I went down there (thinking about $450 total for the room) and the guy says no…
dietcookie, 27 July 2004Hey guys, I just got a quote on Roxul SAFE for $ .78 a sq ft. It's 4" with 4.5 PCF. Is this too dense? I think it's a pretty good price. He also has Roxul Rockwool 2.5…
dietcookie, 27 July 2004So should I go for the 3"? What should I stuff the rest of with? Is there any possible way to maybe get RC that is a little bigger than 1/2" like 5/8 and to use the 4"…
knightfly, 28 July 2004DC, Aaron is currently doing (or recently done) his studio, so he knows firsthand about what you can and can't squeeze into stud cavities - as to making deeper cavities…
dietcookie, 28 July 2004I just ordered the 3" Rockwool with 2.5 PCF at $.30 a sq ft!! I ordered enough for the room and extra to cut down in 1" pieces to fill the space. $50 delivery charge…
knightfly, 29 July 2004Assemble the box with the interconnecting conduit or flat raceway so you have accurate dimensions, then hold the assembly against the wall with the covers removed, mark…
dietcookie, 29 July 2004Ok, even though those plastic anchors are only rated up to 5/8s inch drywall or something like that. I don't think it'll be a problem since these boxes are so light. 1.…
knightfly, 31 July 20041. Is RC-1 the type of RC I want to buy? Yes, but be careful - USG stopped making this a while back, so you need to ask the manufacturer (whoever they are) about spacing…
dietcookie, 31 July 2004External image, not preserved — original: http://members.cox.net/conflict/insulation1.jpg External image, not preserved — original:…
knightfly, 31 July 2004Hard to be sure looking at 2-dimensional pix, but it looks like about perfect amount of fill for your floor - So tell us, did you have any idea whatever that you'd be…
dietcookie, 31 July 2004So tell us, did you have any idea whatever that you'd be tackling this scope of a project three months ago? Not at all; as you read, I thought this was just going to be…
knightfly, 31 July 2004It's now officially a "sticky" - If you think it's been expensive so far, compare your costs to having 3 different local contractors build it, tear it down, start over,…
dietcookie, 3 August 2004Here are some pics I took... External image, not preserved — original: http://members.cox.net/conflict/half-way-to-float.jpg External image, not preserved — original:…
Aaronw, 4 August 2004Screw the RC to the studs. Screw the the drywall to the RC. Don't put screws where the studs/joists are. Yes. Most of the stuff I've picked up was 25 guage steel. When I…

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dietcookie, 5 August 2004Hey guys, I just bought my drywall. We had to stop because we couldn't find screws long enough. So, this RC I have has predrilled holes in it with the fat flange part…
Aaronw, 5 August 2004As far as the predrilled holes, Don't worry about them. You'll find that half of the time they don't line up w/ a stud anyway. Screws...you don't need self drilling w/…
giles117, 5 August 2004Here is a shot of my ceiling as the RC was being mounted. I wound doing a ceiling like here: Recovered from web.archive.org — originally hosted at…
knightfly, 6 August 2004Before you start, please re-read the "complete section" and Aarons' floating floor stickie's to make sure you've not forgotten anything - also, I hope you have at least…
dietcookie, 6 August 2004Don't need the tee holders, I got two tall friends to help. I also bought 2" self-drilling steel stud drywall screws, we should be good for tomorrow. I'll let you guys…
dietcookie, 6 August 2004I stay up this late every night unless I work early...school doesn't start still end of this month anyways :P One thing I think is going to be a pain about this…
knightfly, 6 August 2004Andrew's dead on here - I worked for a while several years ago for a remodel contractor in the Seattle area - we rocked a second floor area of an old commercial building…
dietcookie, 7 August 2004Here are some pics, got one layer done today.. with used ladders with our heads it worked pretty good!.. I'll snap pics of the finished product tomorrow as well as in…
dietcookie, 11 August 2004I finally finished the ceiling, two layers mounted onto RC..no pieces of drywall falling off yet :lol: anyway my plan was to buy drywall for the walls and do that…
dietcookie, 1 September 2004Hey guys, sorry I haven't been around much, you guys probably enjoyed the little break of me not annoying ya :D anyways, I went between jobs, school started and what…
knightfly, 1 September 2004Hey, glad you're still alive :) I covered this in the drawing near the bottom of page 3 - http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... c&start=30 Notice the 2x6 that's…
dietcookie, 22 September 2004Damnit, Sorry I haven't been around again, been working alot but I just got a new job at BofA so i'll have more time (i love banking hrs!)..Since I haven't been working…
dietcookie, 4 October 2004Damn, sorry again I didn't pull through again. I don't have my digital on me but can you see what I mean in the pictures I posted? The 2x6s take up too much space in the…

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knightfly, 4 October 2004OK, just looked at the pix a bit differently - saw that you turned the blocking for the corners flat against the outside wallboard, then put 2x6's against those flat…
dietcookie, 4 October 2004Ok, I now know what I did. The diagram you just posted, in the top left corner the 2x4 and 2x6 create a backwards upside down L shape. The 2x6 is flush with the interior…
dietcookie, 28 February 2005Well what can I say, it's been a while and we are soo close!! Sorry for not updating, just been real busy with a bunch of things. School started and what not just life…
knightfly, 28 February 2005It's ALIVE... :D Kinda thunk we'd lost ya man, good to hear from you again!! Your door seal may REALLY limit your isolation, may have to bite the bullet and replace…
dietcookie, 1 March 2005Where would you recommend me go to get a door seal? I went to Costco today and picked up some wood flooring, not real kind but close enough. The kind that doesn't…
knightfly, 1 March 2005Door seal - depends on whether you're broke or can afford $250 just for the seal, let me know - Hugo Inside had a recent thread on door seals, I did a sketch for him you…
dietcookie, 2 March 2005If you could, please show me the sketches for the door seal as well as any product you might recommend. For the absorbers, I sort of understand the wall units page but I…
knightfly, 2 March 2005Door thread I mentioned is on the first page, under Hugo Inside - that's why I didn't take the time to link it. http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3293…
dietcookie, 4 March 2005As space permits, i'm going to try and fill as much as the room as possible with the slot resonators. As for just acoustic panels, i'll probably just build thin slot…
dietcookie, 8 March 2005Ok, so using the side wall and corner absorbers will help with sound exiting the room right? Don't need any of my neighbors hassling me :lol: cause my friend has alot of…
knightfly, 11 March 2005Ok, so using the side wall and corner absorbers will help with sound exiting the room right? No, sorry - acoustic treatment does effectively NADA for sound escaping the…
dietcookie, 11 March 2005So am I hearing this right, to mount the on the ceiling, mount with screws through the drywall into wooden joist? I used the calculator to to tune the corner traps too…
knightfly, 11 March 2005So am I hearing this right, to mount the on the ceiling, mount with screws through the drywall into wooden joist? Yes, just be sure you don't make any holes into the…
knightfly, 11 March 2005Yes; this isn't as drastic as it sounds; remember, these are NOT constant depth traps, so taking the AVERAGE depth and choosing values in the Helmholtz calculator that…

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knightfly, 12 March 2005I would replace the slanted absorbers and flat one across the top of your drawing with just flat 2" rockwool panels (cloth covered but NOT backed) and spaced so that the…
dietcookie, 12 March 2005I do plan on recording/mixing and whatnot, but i'm sure I can also add/replace later. One other question, we are tuning everything to around 300hz, what about the highs?…
dietcookie, 14 March 2005So in a nutshell, 12" corner traps work or don't work? Is the absorber behind the drum set slatted or just a big panel? How big are these panels? 2x2? 5x5? I'd still…
knightfly, 17 March 2005If you mean 12" along each wall, that will give about 18" width of absorbent; it will do SOMETHING, but not enough, or at low enough frequencies - a 24" along the wall…
dietcookie, 26 March 2005Ok, I got the door seal the other day, I plan on putting it in this weekend. I need to install the AC and Stucco and thats it!! For the AC, from backtracking through…
dietcookie, 4 April 2005Ok anything I should keep in mind, should the cold air duct end be somewhat close to the cold air outlet at the AC? and the hot air duct air as high as I can get it and…
knightfly, 4 April 2005Ok anything I should keep in mind, should the cold air duct end be somewhat close to the cold air outlet at the AC? and the hot air duct air as high as I can get it and…
dietcookie, 23 May 2005Well, Stucco is done and everything is in. I built 16 of the rockwool panels. 1x6 framing with the insulation batts in it. Takes up alot of room, makes the room tiny but…
knightfly, 17 June 2005Acoustic caulk is definitely NOT a sham; first, every type I've seen comes in the large contractor size tubes, which are 3 TIMES as much as the "home-owner" kind (29 oz.…