Will this work???

I have been doing a ton of reading and studying on soundproofing. I am going to be starting to build a studio in the next couple weeks from scratch in my backyard. I am going to do the room within a room technic, using six inches of space between the two walls. I am going to insulate inside both walls, and insulate between the six inch gap. I am also going to drywall all of the walls, and possibly add a layer of fiberboard. I am also going to have a double ceiling made the same way I described the walls. My problem is that this is going in my backyard, and i need to be as soundproof as possible, because i am in a neighborhood where houses are fairly close. I am a member of a four piece band, and we like to play loud (metal/punk) style music. I am looking for info from anyone who has done this and can tell me that this building format will do what it needs to do. If this wont work, i would love to hear any ideas that anyone may have. Thank you for your time.

Welcome to the forum. From a high level, it sounds like you're on the right track. Increasing the gap between leaves from 6" to 12" will give you better results. Note that if the frames themselves are 5" apart and you're using 2x4 framing (1.5" x 3.5" nominal), you end up with 12" between inner wall surfaces not counting the frames, which is very good. You'd need to post a lot more details of your plan, including drawings, for more specific commentary. --Keith :mrgreen:

Try to learn as much as possible. It sounds like you're on the right track to me. Just remember there's a difference between sound proofing and control acoustics within a room. Nothing bugs people like us more than when someone doesn't know there's a difference. :)

Thanks for the advice guys. I am not planning on having any windows in this structure, and i am planning on usin a double door system? Will these two factors also help to eliminate alot of my problems with noise leakage?? Thanks.

A well-built window will be just as effective at stopping sound as a wall. And for doors, you could have two doors built very poorly without proper seals at the perimeters and they'd stop sound like junk, or have one really well-built air tight door that works wonders. I'm personally building my own doors instead of buying solid core ones from the store. Not only will I save money but I'll design them for maximum sound stopping. So my point is, make sure you seal the doors as they shut. If air can leak through, sound will too. Use some closed cell weather stripping and make sure it compresses when you shut the door. Make sure every side of the door is sealed, including the bottom.

Ok guys great advice, but there is something that i am a little uncertain about. When building a double wall, do you need to layer every wall (inside and out) with sheetrock??? Or is it best just to layer the outside of one wall, and the inside of another wall? Thus, leaving the gap opened between the two walls. I guess the easiest way or me to describe my question would be if you were standing in a six inch gap between the two wals, would it be best to see sheetrock on either side of you, or just see the 2 x 4's with insulation packed inside of them on either side of you? Hope i was clear on my question. Thank you for your time.

Your question is clear... But it also clearly demonstrates that you're behind on your reading and study of the "Before You Post" and the "Reference Area" announcements. :roll: You're describing two leaf vs. four leaf... And your mixing up some pretty important terms. A leaf can have multiple layers of drywall. You want two leaves. Four leaves perform worse than two leaves. I don't have time to write a tutorial on this. Please keep reading and studying here. Buy Rod's book. Feel free to ask questions if you are confused, need clarification, or need advice on your particular project. We've all been where you are now, so we do sympathize... But there are no shortcuts. If there were shortcuts, my bloody room would be built already! ;-) --Keith :mrgreen:

Yeah, it wouldn't be taking 6 years to build my studio. it's insane, but there's a reason it takes so long. Regular construction is all on the surface, but there's nothing but studs every 16 inches to back it up. Studio construction is rock solid and rooms function in a specific way and there's something behind all the layers of sheetrock making things happen. :) I get a little excited when I talk about this...

Sharward, i have been looking over your wall designs, and i am very impressed. I was wondering if you could give me some advice on something. I am going to be doing a very similar design to yours, but i have a question. What would be the best way to do a two leaf wall, if i am not going to have an outer wall like brick or stucco? I like using three layers of gypsum board, but wont that get wet being on my outside wall? Just looking for some suggestions. Thanks alot.

Yeah, you can't use drywall as an exterior... But you'll have to have some kind of outer skin. What do you plan to use? Stucco is probably one of the more cost effective skins to use. Building a beefy outer layer from scratch is probably as simple as framing walls with 2x4s or 2x6s, sheath it with 1/2" OSB, then cover that with maybe two layers of Hardipanel® Vertical Siding. I'm not sure what you'd want to do about a roof, but it would have to be similarly "beefy" to keep up with the walls. Inside you can build independent frames with one layer of OSB and two or three layers of 5/8" drywall. This is just a conceptual idea and by no means a finalized plan. You'd need to follow all the guidelines in the "Before You Post" announcement with details of your goals, photos and drawings of the space where you intend to build, and all that good stuff. So far you're receiving much more information than you are providing... That will only work for so long... ;-) --Keith :mrgreen:

NCD, the "don't even THINK..." post has each important point BOLDED for a reason; if you cover each point as best you can, it saves a few dozen posts for people trying to "drag it out of you" - not ragging on you, so many people either aren't sure what info is needed or are afraid of long posts getting them yelled at, or?? that Keith's contribution (and my subsequent editing) is there as a guideline. You won't get picked on for TOO MUCH information, or too many questions - everyone here knows they will be bleeding profusely after I'm done with them if that happens. This is a place to LEARN and to ACCOMPLISH our GOALS, so crap like that is NOT tolerated. One example of a backyard project, from another board - http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=88275 (there are old links there that I can't change - any that have homer.com.au as part of the URL, replace with johnlsayers.com (and the rest of the URL) and you should be good. Sooo, read the top thread - then answer EVERY bold thing you can, as best you can, and let's get going... Steve