Floatins studio: Could you help me ???

It sounds to me like your walls have no separation between you and the neighbor, and I don't know what's under your floor - are you on the ground floor, or is there another space below you? Here is a basic drawing of what SHOULD be there for good isolation - any part of your construction that is NOT this way should be changed. Also, when I asked about ceiling support I meant for SAFETY - I'm worried about adding the WEIGHT of more gypsum without knowing if your concrete block ceiling is STRONG ENOUGH to hold it without falling. You need to compare the drawing to what YOU have, and then we need to talk about what is DIFFERENT... Steve

Hello Steve, Thanks for your help, thanks. .- YEs, I'm ground floor. An idea: If we leave without modification the plasterboard cealing and We do a new cealing over steel beams with 3 layer of plasterboard with point of backup in the 150mm concrete walls... Is a solution for the cealing??? Like the pictire below:

- original ceiling: concrete block, holow core and painted - 60mm air space - 80mm fibleglass - 15mm plasterboard, white painted - acoustical panels This is already a mass-air-mass system - if you add yet ANOTHER air gap and ANOTHER mass, it will be a triple-leaf system - this means that the very low frequency sound you're trying to STOP will, instead, get through even EASIER. What is supporting your single layer of drywall right now? By that, I don't mean the isolators you linked to - I mean ABOVE those - are they somehow fastened into the concrete blocks, and if so then what is supporting the blocks so they don't fall on your head? Is there some sort of steel beams up there, or what? Steve

Hi, **What is supporting your single layer of drywall right now?** Please, see the drawing: objet 1 I don't know the english translation, sorry. I think you know the objet 3, 4 & 5 names. If not, objet 2 is a vibration free support for floating cealing. #4 & 5 is metalic support for plasterboard cealing. Sorry for my english limitaions... please be patient! :oops: NO NO NONO, sorry for my explain: in the last draw was an idea to do other cleaing without destroy the actual single layer drywall. I know the best solution will be other concrete box inside the studio but for space limitaion I can't do it. I made concrete walls, not a new concrete cealing for floor. Sorrysorry if I confused you ! :oops: Thanks.

Did the people you got your isolators and track from give you any specification for how much weight that system could support when used as you did? (You may need to ask for help on this from a local engineer, since I don't think we are talking about the same things yet) - What I'm trying to find out is this - do you know if your existing isolators and metal track system can support two more layers of gypsum? Also, can you tell which part of your room has the WORST sound leakage? Steve

knightfly wrote:

Did the people you got your isolators and track from give you any specification for how much weight that system could support when used as you did?

max 180kgr per insulation point

What I'm trying to find out is this - do you know if your existing isolators and metal track system can support two more layers of gypsum?

They say NO, that single layer drywall can't support nothing more... We must destoy it to do your recommendation, no problem.

Also, can you tell which part of your room has the WORST sound leakage?

I think the weakest parts are the cealing and floor. Thanks a lot. Fran

max 180kgr per insulation point And how far apart are your isolators (along each metal track), and how far apart are the tracks? (Don't rip anything out just yet please) Steve

You have win the sky!! -how far apart are your isolators? 120mm x 120mm -how far apart are the tracks? 120mm x 120mm We use this long distance to do a visual and acoustical effect like drawing.. sorry. :roll:

Did you mean 120 Centimeters? 120 mm is only about the width of your HAND :?

:oops: upsss. yes, 120cm. jejejejeje, sorry

OK, now I see why your isolator supplier doesn't think you could hang more gypsum - Here's what I would do for your ceiling - Step #1 is to talk to your supplier of hanging hardware, and find out their recommendation for spacing of hangers and track that will support at least 3 layers of 15mm gypsum - this will weigh approximately 38 kG/M^2. If your supplier is helpful, you will know how many more supports will be necessary for the added weight - remove the layer of gypsum CAREFULLY so you don't ruin the hangers and steel channels - then, add enough hangers and channel so they will support the weight of more gypsum. I would offset the hangers so they are not all in a straight line; this will give more even support for the ceiling. If this is confusing, say so and I'll do a basic sketch. In the meantime, if you've not already done so you should go here http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=503 and download the spanish version of the USG manual. Again, do NOT tear out anything until you have solid answers from your hardware source and ME... Steve

Okey, just a question: Do you suggestion 3 layer over tracks and 3 layer under the tracks like as sandwich??? 1 gypsum 2 gypsum 3 gypsum metal tracks and mineral fiber 1 gypsum 2 gypsum 3 gypsum If is true, Do you suggestion insert between gypsum layer a impact insulation barrier material for enclosing noise sources??? Thanks

No way - your concrete ceiling is your first mass, then the air/insulation, and then 3 layers of gyp attached one right after the other (NO AIR GAPS) to the SAME CHANNELS. That's it. mass-air-mass. Period. Please read the beginning links in the REFERENCE section about wall construction - a ceiling is just a horizontal wall, so similar construction... Steve

Okey.... I understand it. Perfect, the cealing step saving! Please, Must we continue with walls or floor proccess???. :D I'm very nervous but very happy :D

The new cealing cost near 1.500€ ($2.000). It's okey. 10.000 - 1.500 = 8.500 for walls and the floor. Fantastic. :D

Not sure if you mean the results are fantastic, or just the price? In your case, I would first do the ceiling and then MEASURE your isolation - if it's enough, you're done. If not, then (from your description) probably the floor... Steve

Hi Steve, Thanks a lot for your patience, really; and so sorry for my lenguage limitation, I think I can't express well my explanations when I tryed to explain the pictures, materials and everything.!!! But...I think we must to the floor also. Why???, becouse when we do test with kit drum the floor just outside the studio room (inside the building) was trembling and vibrating too much. The timber flooring doesn't have enough insulation, just only a 15mm high density paper fiber and no more. I know my limitation in this acoustic project. Please, Could you suggest me a solution for the floor insulaiton???????. I was thinking in a 50mm of 300kgr/m3 of concrete layer over double layer high density mineral fiber with impact absorbs layer just below the timber flooring. Is it enough to win 60dBa ???? Steve, I'm debt with you! king regards :)

Before I can suggest floor construction, I need to know things like what kind of soil you have, was the soil compacted before pouring the existing slab of concrete, how thick is that concrete, and does that concrete slab extend into OTHER living spaces on the ground floor? Also, are your concrete walls the only thing between you and the other rooms or is there another wall? I need all the detail on this you can possibly think of; drawings like the one you just did are great for understanding. The more you give me, the less questions I'll need to ask before I can suggest what to do... Steve

Okey I'll contact with a business of construction to talk about the original builing construction to explain you all you need. Thanks a lot Fran