Back Into the Basement....

So we're out house hunting, and we find the perfect house with an acre lot and no restrictions on outbuildings, etc.... Before we got the offer in, we lost the house. (Well, we didn't *lose* it, exactly: we still know where it is, it's just that someone else will be living there....) So, every other house we find in our price range is in sub-division-land: No Outbuildings Allowed. Rats. (not exactly the word i'm thinking, but you get the idea...) Anyway, my big concern about the basement is obviously height. Most houses that we are looking at have 7' from the concrete to the joists. Even if i can keep everything between the beams and away from cold air returns, etc, that still doesn't leave much height. So, how important is floating a floor in a basement? My current studio is floated, but that was done more for concern over water damage (in case the sump pump fails, or the water heater bursts) than for sound isolation. My current studio has a floor that was floated using neoprene and 2x4's. Can this be done with 2x2's and still be effective? I'll have to re-read on ceilings (my area of least experience....), but i'm thinking the most space effecient would be RSIC and drywall, but i'm *very* nervous using RSIC in a ceiling. I'm thinking at *best*, if i keep the sound proofing down to 3" at the floor, and 3" at the ceiling (i can dream, can't i...), that only leaves 6'6 in height. Am i screwed, or what...

Veatch, Just a thought. Have you considered finding a house that you could maybe add on to instead of an outbuilding? That might resolve the sub-division outbuilding issues you have found. A lot of homes could easily have the garage extended into the backyard and give you a pretty nice space. Good luck!

This comes up allot it seems. One thing that nobody mentions at first is their need for isolation from the upstairs, as well as the need for quiet upstairs -- do your care if noise leaks upstairs? Can people be quiet if you are recording? If you don't have that great a need for isolation from upstairs - you can save quite a bit of money. Simply fill the joists with fiberglass, cover with fabric and be done with it -- or put in an acoustic tile ceiling with 703 on top. As for the floor - I floated my basement studio floor over poly house sheathing - it provides some de-coupling; it is cheap; it is water proof; you can then add wood floor or make an inexpensive checkerboard pattern floor from two layers of plywood -- the top layer made from 4x8 sheets cut in half. Entire thickness maybe an inch or so? Best, Dave

doorjam: That's a great idea, and hopefully, that will be the route we go. However, the other downside to sub-division-land is that the backyards are relatively small. :-( I would like someplace for the crumb-crunchers (kids) to play. :-) Dave: I do want isolation from upstairs, or i should say, they'll want isolation from me. :-) I guess my biggest concern is if i'm stuck with 6'6 of usable height, is it possible to make that sound good? My current studio is also short, and it was a real battle to get it to sound even average. From what i understand, with low ceilings, i'll need a dead ceiling and a live floor, which is not what i have now. Tanx both for the input!

I do want isolation from upstairs, or i should say, they'll want isolation from me.

The problem with that is that you then you need to add absorption (at least 4") under the resilient channel drywall ceiling -making your ceiling even lower than 6'6"!!!! Plus not having to design for isolation in the ceiling means that the bass freqs can pass through (no need to trap them!). Might have to rethink that one -- my family lives with the music. Or find a deeper basement? :wink: I would avoid subdivisions that have home-owner associations that want to tell you what do do with your own property. :x Plus a bigger yard and distance from other houses ensures better isolation -- double the distance and half the db --inverse square law, right?

I guess my biggest concern is if i'm stuck with 6'6 of usable height, is it possible to make that sound good? My current studio is also short, and it was a real battle to get it to sound even average. From what i understand, with low ceilings, i'll need a dead ceiling and a live floor, which is not what i have now.

I think it is possible, and I'm just now finding out how possible as I finish my studio (at a snails pace I might add--hehe). Here's another thread where you can see some of my solutions-- arrived at with the help of Malcolm Chishom and John Sayers for the CR.: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 2019#12019 Best, Dave

Very good info. I greatly appreciate it. I think i've read somewhere about spray on sound-proofing that could save me a bunch of headroom (so to speak :-) ). I think bottom line is i'm back to the research stage... We've decided on a house, so i'll be drawing up the basement plans with a general design in a couple of days. I'll also look at an addition, as well. Tanx again. I'm sure ya'll will be hearing from me a bunch in the near future.

Back to the floating floor question... It could be done, and it'll give you a bunch of extra isolation- especially in the low freqs. This is probably your biggest concern anyway. You could probably float the floor on 2x4s laid flat. If 3/4" OSB floor deck can span 24" then just space the 2x4s that far apart. You'll need to use more neoprene than usual, but it'll save you a little headroom. Then you can build up walls off that floor, and the ceiling off of that. Set the dropped ceiling joists between your existing floor joists and you won't lose more than an inch there. Then just treat it like any other ceiling. It'll be low, but it'll be quiet. Kase www.minemusic.net