Key posts: Cyeazel's project studio...... planning and preparing

Substantial posts by cyeazel, who started the thread, and by the forum’s most active contributors. 120 of 268 posts are listed.

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cyeazel, 1 August 2005What's up everyone? Finally worked up the courage to enter a bigger post. I've entered some smaller posts here and there, but nothing major. Anyway, my name is Chris and…
knightfly, 3 August 2005First thing you'll need to do is get hold of the engineering specs for those floors; find out what the floors are rated for in pounds per square foot. This isn't a…
cyeazel, 3 August 2005Steve, thanks for helping me out. Okay, the drop tile ceiling on the first floor is set into a 2' x 4' grid and the actual panels are those light weight, dusty, white…
cyeazel, 9 August 2005Here are the sound level meter results. All measurements were taken with the response set to fast and time spans of 199 seconds (highest it goes) Sounds that were…
knightfly, 11 August 2005Looking at those trusses, you will DEFINITELY need a structural engineer to look at those; not sure what's going on with the lower chords NOT extending into the wall for…
cyeazel, 12 August 2005Thanks guys for the advice. Sharward, I was mainly just trying to copy the way you presented your info so I should be thanking you. Steve, um.. not to be a nag or…
sharward, 12 August 2005You're too kind, Sir! :) Just in case Steve can't respond quickly, I'd say that sounds like a really sound plan (no pun intended!). All that's missing are the almighty…
cyeazel, 12 August 2005Good point about the hvac. Yeah, totally forgot to include the ducts in the design sketch. Keeping the airflow at 500 cfm or more is ideal right? Here's some pics of my…
cyeazel, 13 August 2005Sharward wrote: I like the sound of scientific assurance. So I'll probably need to measure db levels from instruments with the sound level meter for this to be possible…
sharward, 13 August 2005Yes, that's ideal. Then you'll know, by the numbers, what you have. Play "full on," measure the levels in the room, and measure the levels outside the room in various…
cyeazel, 13 August 2005Cool. That doesn't sound too difficult. Now I'm nervous though. I feel like these numbers are going to be really high. Also, seeing as I don't have any new ceiling leaf…
cyeazel, 18 August 2005I just got an estimate from a structural engineer to come out and calculate what the maximum weight my existing floor can hold. He quoted me for $730 Is this amount…
cyeazel, 24 August 2005Thanks guys. It's nice to have that extra assurance from you. 100/hour is what this firm charges for the "chief" engineer. They had rates down to 35/hour but that was…

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cyeazel, 25 August 2005At the risk of sounding foolish, I have a question about the design sketch that I drew. Since MAM is best (two leafs with one airspace), would isolation from the…
sharward, 25 August 2005I think the answer to your question is in this thread . I'm glad you're following my thread... And by all means, even though you may be "behind me" (in the sense that I…
cyeazel, 29 August 2005I almost forgot that my door should be coming in within the next few days. I ordered a sound rated door from IAC about a month ago so it should be arriving in the next…
cyeazel, 14 September 2005Thanks a lot. I'm leaving for the Bahamas on thursday morning. The door should be here by the time I get back, hopefully before (tommorow). We'll see. God has been…
cyeazel, 23 September 2005I'm sure I'll be needing permits, but I just want to wait until I finalize a plan first. I finally got the door. This thing weighs like 1000 pounds. I'm having the rough…
cyeazel, 27 September 2005Here are a few photos of the rough opening. This will be finished this weekend with the addition of 2x6's lining the 2x10's. The actual frame and door will be installed…
sharward, 27 September 2005I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that door installation won't meet code. I see two problems right off the bat -- the bottom of the door will be too high, and…
sharward, 27 September 2005You're welcome, and I do understand what you're feeling. I've been tuning in on and off today, empathetically wondering what your reaction was going to be. :roll: I'm…
cyeazel, 28 September 2005Thanks again for the encouragement. I'm gonna need it. Sometimes I step back and think to myself, "what am I doing? Am I seriously trying to put a studio together?" I've…
sharward, 28 September 2005Imagine hundreds of heads nodding in agreement. I'm sure many who read that can relate! Yes, you are! :twisted: Get used to it!! You're in for a wild ride!! :lol: And…
sharward, 29 September 2005Perhaps you can just cancel the install and ask them to allow you keep the reschedule "open-ended" -- as in "I'll call you when I'm ready for the installation, and then…
cyeazel, 29 September 2005So that explains where your skills came from huh. Yeah, I did a search on Visio and noticed the free trial too. I registered and stuff but I need to wait for some email…
cyeazel, 30 September 2005Aside from my door issue, I wanted to ask this before I forget. Is it practical or worth the trouble to take my existing partition walls and detach them from the…
cyeazel, 8 October 2005Man, I'm not very good at keeping this thread updated. I cancelled my previous apointment with the engineer a few weeks ago because I realized a friend of mine is an…

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cyeazel, 17 October 2005I was thinking it would be important to level off the surface of my concrete for any future door seals. I don't know, maybe overkill. I'm kind of brainstorming…
cyeazel, 18 October 2005Thanks for that link Steve. I will take a way closer look at that when I've got more time. From first glance, it looks like they'll have exactly what I need. So judging…
knightfly, 21 October 2005Yeah, the main advantage to drop seals is that you can have a perfectly flat floor for rolling racks, etc, thru doors without lifting. Also zero tripping hazard.…
cyeazel, 21 October 2005Yeah, that Sider Level stuff looks way better. I totally missed the whole Floor covering link and went straight to concrete repair. I'm gonna call them over there and…
cyeazel, 28 October 2005I want to put a layer of drywall on the inner sides of the block walls along the stairs, mainly for aesthetic purposes. Is it important to plug the airgaps between each…
cyeazel, 29 October 2005Yeah, I can post a picture later today. I think my description was a little off when I called the spaces gaps. What I meant was the perimeter of each block where I feel…
cyeazel, 30 October 2005Here's a couple of pics I hope will better explain what I was trying to ask about the block wall along the stairs. I'm not even sure if I need to worry about this issue…
cyeazel, 31 October 2005It is part of the studio in that the stairs are the main way up and into the studio. I just thought that putting a layer of drywall over the blocks would look nicer.…

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cyeazel, 2 November 2005Okay so while I still patiently wait for the engineers results, I have another question that crossed my mind. Would wrapping the pipes for the sprinklers in the celing…
knightfly, 2 November 2005Sorry for the delay; if you want the block wall to look nicer, drywall is fine but I'd not worry about the pointing between blocks; (that's what those joints are…
cyeazel, 3 November 2005Yes. A ton of this stuff I do have. There are 6 rolls per case and I have a full pallets worth of cases. I feel like this stuff has to have good damping properties.…
knightfly, 4 November 2005There is still some material on this site that's old/superceded by newer revelations; that's probably one such thread, hopefully I will eventually get time to change it.…
cyeazel, 4 November 2005Okay, thanks, I think I've got it. 1) Glue (around perimeter) and regular (not laminated) screws is okay. 2) Glue and laminated screws - never 3) Full face glue - never…
knightfly, 5 November 2005Pix isn't the same as "touchy-feely" - is this stuff sticky, so it will adhere to where you put it? IF so, it should work for caulking. If it's REALLY sticky, you will…
cyeazel, 5 November 2005Okay so I did the throw test a couple of times. The first time I basicaly help my hand up above my head and dropped it. It hit the ground and didn't even move let alone…
knightfly, 6 November 2005Even if the stuff stays sticky, with a 3-point adhesion any joint movement can result in the LEAST sticky joint separating - this will be the gypsum. Safest way is to…
cyeazel, 7 November 2005Thanks for the tissue paper idea. I wouldn't have thought of that. And as for the damping on drywall panels, since it was your gut feeling leads you to think it could…
cyeazel, 7 November 2005Okay so I wrapped it in toilet paper and dropped it from a height of 7'10"(bathroom) and still virtually no bounce. It just hits the ground and sort of rolls over…
cyeazel, 7 November 2005Yeah Steve. Maybe if you wrote in a larger font or something. Okay enough sarcasm. Thanks for your answers. I'm sure I"ll have plenty more questions. Hmmm, there doen't…
cyeazel, 8 November 2005That's exactly what I was thinking. I mean seriously though, I've been back and forth between these guys over and over. The lady from the cook county building dep't said…
cyeazel, 9 November 2005Is there any advice about what to do in this situation? I mean I don't want to do anything unsafe or illegal, obviously, but the city,township,county etc. has no record…
knightfly, 10 November 2005IF you have insurance on the building, I would call your agent and explain that you want to do thing right and documented so there isn't a hiccup if you should ever have…

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cyeazel, 10 November 2005Thanks again Steve. I'll look into the insurance info/situation tommorrow. Hopefully this whole thing won't get to the point where I'm in the mayors face but you never…
sharward, 10 November 2005Hey cyeazel, Nice try with the "if the building doesn't exist, then can I build without a permit" angle! :lol: This is just one of those things that you'll just have to…
cyeazel, 10 November 2005Hey Keith. Thank you too for the advice. Doing the right thing isn't corny, it's admirable. It is harder at times though for sure. I didn't anticipate this part of my…
sharward, 10 November 2005I just reread your posts to remind myself of what you're seeking. You're looking for plans, drawings, etc., of a building circa 1969. I agree that you're going to have…
cyeazel, 10 November 2005Sorry for the confusion. I'll try and explain it again. Keith, you pretty much are right on with the situation. What I meant to say before about the engineer is that he…
sharward, 10 November 2005Perhaps I can clarify that for you... And I hope I'm correct about this. Codes are "fluid" -- they change over time, typically to be more restrictive. Whether or not…
cyeazel, 11 November 2005Yep, it looks like I'm leaning toward that option. I would like something signed and sealed to be able to submit so I think I'm gonna go ahead and have the engineer out…
cyeazel, 22 November 2005Bryan Giles, if you happen to come across this, I have a question for you. I remember reading a while back that you had used some of that GP4 tri-ply roofing mat for…
cyeazel, 22 November 2005Thanks for the reply. So how did you fasten the rubber mat layer. Did you just glue it or did you use fasteners. If you glued it, did you put glue on both sides or just…
knightfly, 22 November 2005When used that way, you don't have to worry about durometer, etc - it's merely another layer of mass, with (as Bryan said) different properties. Not that it's available…
cyeazel, 22 November 2005Thanks guys for the answers. I didn't think it would be used for floating, but I just wanted to be sure. So when rubber is used for lining window frames or between…
cyeazel, 24 November 2005I was thinking that these could be possible candidates for floating a floor (If I decide to go that route obviously). Still learning and figuring out and planning but if…
knightfly, 25 November 2005My take on that is forget it; it's so damn hard already to calculate cross-section, thickness, compression percentage, puck size and spacing when using straight-sided…
cyeazel, 25 November 2005I'm realizing I'm getting nowhere fast. I'm making my best efforts to plan, be patient, research etc, but I feel as if I'm just going in circles. Maybe I'm being too…
sharward, 26 November 2005OK, so let the help begin... I just reread this entire thread from the beginning. By the way, it looks to me that the "metal truss" things are not trusses at all, but…
knightfly, 27 November 2005I too just re-read this entire thread; until you get some input from "BRA's" and engineer, I'm not sure what all we can do; A few things came to mind though - one, I…
cyeazel, 27 November 2005Thank you for the BRA meaning. I don't think I would have ever figured that out. :wink: Okay, so hear's the deal. I called an engineer and left a message on Wed (office…

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sharward, 28 November 2005Yes, indeed, there are code constraints on this... This is one of the areas that I had to educate myself quite thoroughly! Each side of a door must have its own level…
cyeazel, 18 December 2005Okay, so as best as I can, I'll type the results that I received from the engineer. The name of the firm is K.ENG in case you were wondering. Any way, and I quote:…
sharward, 18 December 2005Outstanding -- that clears up a lot of speculation doesn't it? :) Unfortunately, that means you're going to be limited in your options. From that, I'd say a proper…
knightfly, 18 December 2005If you have enough floor space to leave wider air gaps in walls, and enough headroom to use a bit taller floor spacers, you can still do a good job of isolating. For…
cyeazel, 20 December 2005This may sound like a dumb question but, do I need to worry about getting a permit if I want to fill up by block walls with foam? If I can get a jump start on this then…
sharward, 21 December 2005I know you're still understandably frustrated about their not having the design documents for your building after all those years. In truth, they probably have minimal…
cyeazel, 21 December 2005It's not that they didn't have any drawings, it's just that everytime I try and talk to them, they say, "We'll get back to you" and I never hear back from them. I know…
cyeazel, 24 April 2006Hey Keith. Yeah, haven't posted in a while. I've been busy slaving over my 3d drawing for consultation with Knightfly. Since having someone come out in person to scope…

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sharward, 11 July 2006I'm glad to see you haven't fallen off the face of the planet, cyeazel! 8) I plan to build my inner walls flat and then tip them into place -- so the sole plates that…
cyeazel, 3 October 2006I think that's the route I'm gonna have to take. So as long as I stay within my floors load capacity and caculate the the total weight for proper rubber compression,…
knightfly, 12 October 2006Sylomer would be more effective for sure, but other than Paul in "merrie aulde", I've not heard of anyone using it this side of the pond (believe it's Swiss??!?) At work…
cyeazel, 12 October 2006I don't think Auralex is gonna let me have a couple for nothing but it's cool. I'll spend 5 dollars on 2 u-boats to see what's up with them. I know there are no official…
sharward, 12 October 2006There are a lot of bogus nutritional supplements and health aides on the market that rely on just that kind of thinking... Or, rather, "feeling." If someone spends money…
cyeazel, 13 October 2006Any suggestions on a good way to close up this gap along the perimeter of the blockwall and ceiling? Don't know much about masonry/brick work so any advice would be…
knightfly, 28 October 2006I say go for it - by the time you finish with my "rube goldberg" tests and calculate compressions, weights, etc, you'll know all you need to know to build as functional…

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knightfly, 30 October 2006RIM system - about 1" air gap, much better if used with concrete, and the more the better (up to a point) - benefits are gained by the two masses, one preferably being…
cyeazel, 30 October 2006The last few posts have given me some great info and help. Thanks for the insights. One other plus for the uboats is that I'm able to get them at cost price so I'd not…
cyeazel, 30 October 2006Turns out that the acoustician that I've recently been talking too and met with really liked the fiberglass pads too. I'm gonna look into the 4 inch thick ones first. I…
sharward, 30 October 2006The first time I saw charts like this, it was all over my head. However, eventually it came to me. On this document , look at the X axis (labels on left). That's the…
knightfly, 31 October 2006If the cost is within your budget, I too would use the 4" system including double 3/4 ply, surface floor, and 2 layers of 5/8 drywall - initially, I think my other idea…
cyeazel, 31 October 2006Steve, if I'm able to get that amount of low end TL with the 2 layers of plywood, would I achieve an even better (lower) MAM resonance with a 2" lightweight concrete…
sharward, 31 October 2006cyeazel, If you reread Steve's and my posts, you'll see what we don't recommend their "roll-out" product, because the air gap is too small. We're recommending the 4"…
cyeazel, 31 October 2006Keith, sorry. I guess I'm not reading the product descriptions right. So what you and steve are suggesting is just the pads and not the RIM system. It looked like steve…
cyeazel, 31 October 2006Well after all I've learned about this whole process, I might be willing to spend the extra money on peace of mind and ease of installation. By the way Keith, back on…
cyeazel, 31 October 2006I was hoping you'd say that because that's what I want it to mean. If I can get that low of a MAM resonance with the RIM/KIP system and 2 layers of plywood and only have…
knightfly, 31 October 2006That weight was calculated using a FLOOR of (top to bottom) 3/8" finish floor, 3/4 ply, 2 layers 5/8 gypsum, 3/4 ply, RIM system (4" if it's actually a product, based on…
cyeazel, 31 October 2006Well, good news. I just got off the phone with my engineer and I have the go ahead (with room to spare) to frame a new ceiling using 2x8's or 2x10's (whatever) between…
knightfly, 31 October 2006Sic 'em, Git 'em, Bite 'em, KILL... :lol: (In case you haven't noticed, that's my twisted way of saying "go get 'em, tiger", or similar) Now, you need to analyze all the…

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cyeazel, 1 November 2006Thanks guys. I'll be posting drawings asap. Steve, I wish the stupid Skp files (sketchup files) that I sent you a few months ago weren't so hard to navigate thru. I drew…
knightfly, 1 November 2006So what they're saying is that there isn't a "sliding scale" to their pricing? (meaning, 4" costs about twice as much as 2"?) Still, their test results aren't shabby at…
cyeazel, 1 November 2006Haven't gotten to the point of figuring out how many pads and what spacing I'll need on the RIM flooring to support walls. As far as load capacity goes, I'm good, but…
knightfly, 2 November 2006Concrete weighs about 150 PCF, dry sand weighs about 100 PCF; if your block are 8" thick and 1" each side is concrete (these are typically NOT made of the same density…
sharward, 2 November 2006Here's my non-expert take on the hollow concrete block wall thing. Since the jury has reached its verdict in favor of aquitting on the charge of third leaf in the first…
cyeazel, 3 November 2006Good observation Marc, I actually forgot to include it in the second drawing. The drywall on the concrete block is already existing. It ( the drywall) only covers the…
guitardad72, 3 November 2006I don't think it'll make a big dif to not cover the other 2ft with drywall. Only concerns there would be as the IRC article stated... Whats the finish on the other side…
sharward, 6 November 2006Will you be adding blocking between your new ceiling joists? The "staggering new joists between existing joists" (or, in your case, trusses) concept is a good one, but I…
cyeazel, 7 November 2006I thought that firmly fastened soleplates plus wall-ceiling perimeter sealing would be enough once the whole "inner" box is completed. But if this is way off, then I'll…
sharward, 7 November 2006If you were planning to firmly attach your inner leaf ceiling joists to your inner leaf wall frames, you wouldn't need sway braces or anything special. However, since…

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knightfly, 11 November 2006Chris, http://www.silentsource.com/rsic_prods.html#RSICCWBxx Second and third items on that page, depending on whether the block walls are involved (see pix) - you'll…
cyeazel, 16 November 2006I've had this question for a while now but can't seem to get a definate answer. Is it recommended that I still go ahead and fully wrap (for damping) all sprinlker pipes…
cyeazel, 16 November 2006There are two reasons in my mind that tell me that I should still wrap the pipes fully. One being to help minimize flanking between rooms, and the other to help control…
cyeazel, 17 November 2006Alrighty then. I guess I will wrap up the pipes. Thanks guys for chiming in. Well, I just got a quote from kinetics. Right off the bat I can eliminate the soundmatt…
cyeazel, 21 November 2006After reading an article on Green Glues's website, it's looking like it will turn out to be a waste of time to wrap the pipes after all. The article says that external…
cyeazel, 22 November 2006Sure. (The link is for the article with illustrations too. Otherwise you can read the article directy below as I copied the text from their site.)…
knightfly, 1 December 2006It's possible (though probably not very likely) that you could turn your pipes into a tuned resonator by having all the spirals of butyl the same distance apart; by…
cyeazel, 13 September 2007What's up Keith. It's been a while. I've had a lot of things going on over the past few months but have still been slowly working on the studio. Just had a baby girl in…
cyeazel, 18 September 2007Thanks Keith. I'm gonna go with those sleeves then. Yeah, being a dad is awesome and kind of scary at times. I just know that I love the little thing every time I see…
cyeazel, 7 November 2007Keith, after re-reading this post from a while back, I now realize I didn't read it correctly the first time. Anyway, the mason sleeves are what I plan to use now. So,…

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cyeazel, 12 November 2007Thank you very much for your advise. I appreciate it. Building the isolation walls rectangular will be much easier. Is there a way to avoid the 3 leaf effect when…
gullfo, 13 November 2007technically , the slot resonator has to act as a third leaf because it has some amount of trapped air volume (even with the openings) which transfers energy to the…
cyeazel, 14 November 2007The new floated floor will consist of a 3/4" plywood layer, then 2 layers of 5/8" drywall with green glue between, another layer of 3/4" plywood and a final layer of…
cyeazel, 24 November 2008It's been awhile. How's everyone doing? Progress is slow but I'm back at it again. I just have one quick question about something. I've got an existing block wall that…
Soundman2020, 24 November 2008Personally, I think I'd render the entire wall. You might call it different things ("plaster", "stucco", etc.), but basically it means covering the entire surface with a…
cyeazel, 24 November 2008So I'm better off not using drywall then right? Do you have any pictures of your project in reguards to your brick wall that you rendered, or are planning on rendering?…