Floating floor over basement concrete. (Artifact Recording)

Greetins all. Well, I'm finally starting to get a little better as far as my back is concerned. Hopefully in a couple weeks I can start to lift some heavier items and get crackin' at full steam ahead again on the studio. This weekend, I put a wood frame inside the other window frame in the control room/sound lock and sealed it up. Now I just need the real trim work I'll use for the window frame itself for the glass. This weekend will consist of wrapping up my 2005 taxes...yeah I know, procrastinating... but I hope to maybe next weekend finish up the conduits for the electrical in the tracking rooms, pull some wire, finish the insulation, install RC, then it'll be time for drywall in the tracking rooms. Those are my next logical steps. So...that's where I'm at...now that the temps have cooled down some, I can actually get back to cutting stuff outside again and moving forward. :D

Glad to learn that you're on the mend, Aaron. :) Yeah, you'd better get crackin' soon, because I'm catching up to you -- both in terms of building progress and thread views! :lol: :P --Keith :mrgreen:

Yeah, I know. :roll: It's been a year of monkey wrenches being tossed into the mix. And the most challenging financial year in a long time. But, I'll get through it! I've been doing some doodles on how to do the back wall, as well as window and door assembly details. I could actually maybe be at a point of doing drywall in a couple weeks if I get my butt in gear. Problem is, I need about $1000 worth of drywall. After the drywall is done, I can start working on the flooring system for the tracking rooms. So close, yet so far away... :D

Man - I just found this site and am really excited. Great threads and tons of knowledge going on, and right on time - I'm getting ready to overhaul my basement studio (after a complete remodle of the rest of the place, which is done now, thank God). This thread is of particular interest for the floating floor info. Couple of quick questions: 1) I am thinking about using external sliding glass doors for some areas (due to relativley decent STC rating - not fantastic, but pretty good for the money spent), and the modles I've been looking at have a pretty good-sized bottom threshold (like, 3.5"). That actually works out pretty good for the floating floor, and was wondering if any else is using sliding glass doors for studio applications? 2) As usual, I'm running out of cash (the rest of the remodel did that), and am looking for REALLY inexpensive alternatives for just about everything. Would neoprene pucks under 2x4 (on edge) packed with pretty inexpensive insolation covered with a single layer of 3/4" ply afford enough ridgidity and sound iso between control and recording rooms? This build is in a 100% underground basement, so not that concerned with sound getting to the outside world. Pretty dry area as well (entire house perimeter is french drained, sloped, re-parged, and about 100 other things done to address water) so not sure if I need dehumids? Thanks, and thanks for a great site!

Greetings and welcome to the site.

1) I am thinking about using external sliding glass doors for some areas (due to relativley decent STC rating - not fantastic, but pretty good for the money spent), and the modles I've been looking at have a pretty good-sized bottom threshold (like, 3.5"). That actually works out pretty good for the floating floor, and was wondering if any else is using sliding glass doors for studio applications?

Sliding glass doors are common for a lot of studio's. I would suggest doing a double set of doors though if you do. Either in a double wall scenario or soundlock application.

2) As usual, I'm running out of cash (the rest of the remodel did that), and am looking for REALLY inexpensive alternatives for just about everything. Would neoprene pucks under 2x4 (on edge) packed with pretty inexpensive insolation covered with a single layer of 3/4" ply afford enough ridgidity and sound iso between control and recording rooms? This build is in a 100% underground basement, so not that concerned with sound getting to the outside world. Pretty dry area as well (entire house perimeter is french drained, sloped, re-parged, and about 100 other things done to address water) so not sure if I need dehumids?

First off, there is no "inexpensive" way to build a floating floor. If you don't need to (especially in a basement), don't. There were a few reasons for floating my control room. 1: The floor sloped nearly 3" from one corner to the other. 2: I needed to run lots of conduits. 3: Additional isolation 4: Moisture Second, 1/2" neoprene is what you need if you do float the floor (around 60 duro). Third, What's your definition of cheap insulation? Fourth, I would highly recommend 2 layers of 3/4". One, you want to deaden the floor as much as possible (mass). Second, the weight you'll have on the floor (especially if you construct walls on top) as well as all your gear. And also, give's better isolation by staggering the joints between the second and first layers.

On the exterior sliding doors.... What about third-leaf effects due to the gap between the insulated panes? Would using TWO sliding doors, with a pretty hefty size air/sound lock room (like 10 feet) between them work well? Or, should the insulated panes be replaced with thick laminated glass panes? K

Thanks Aaron - I guess that floating the floor may not be all that advantageous after all – I have a pretty quite and dry room, and I am going to try to build the walls right. I don’t think I’m going to have the space to do 2 sliders, so I was wondering what the STC for most exterior, double-pane sliding doors is? One really good thing about the sliders is that they make it so I don’t need to install a window – plenty of glass there already. That glass is also a concern (both sides of it) for reflection. What do you suggest for covering it to reduce sounds reflection? I was thinking of getting fabric (or textured plastic) vertical blinds on both sides – think that will work? Thanks again –

deadmeat wrote:

. . . I was wondering what the STC for most exterior, double-pane sliding doors is?

Why do you care about STC? Here's why you shouldn't. --Keith :mrgreen:

OK...Back on the band wagon! Let's move this construction project back into the forward motion. 8) Some teaser pix to get things rolling again. (It's taken me all evening to try and figure out how to use this cheesy graphic editor PITA. Now that I've got it manipulated, here we go...) These pix are of me finally getting around to trying and finish up these conduits to the tracking rooms. I got past the most challenging part...the beam (didn't want to drill more holes into the main beam), so I've wrapped around it so to speak. What a PAIN! No wonder I didn't finish them six months ago when I started them... :roll: They are not completely to the panel yet, but I'm only about 12 feet or so to it. Have to make several penetrations through the wall between the "tech bench room" and where the subpanel is. My goal is to finish these up by the end of this coming weekend (maybe week), then I can finish insulation...and guess what...DRYWALL in the next couple weeks the tracking rooms!!!! I'm back on the ambitious train.

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Right on! 8) Glad you're back in action again, Aaron!! 8) --Keith :mrgreen:

Yeah, my back is for the most part, back to normal for light duty lifting. In a couple weeks, hopefully I'll be able to lift drywall. (I may still be pushing the envelope on that). It feels good to be back at it. I was going stir crazy!!! :wink:

Looking good!! Did you ever get everything together for your reverb plate? Can't wait to see the finished studio. KEEP ON TRUCKING! :D

The only thing I still need for the plate is a new Transducer.

Just thought I'd take a break from construction for about 10 minutes and pop in and say hello. I've got 3 of the 6 conduits coming from the tracking rooms & Mechanical room now stubbed into the room with the panel. Working on the 4th. I'll have to stop after that. I'm out of 3/4" conduit for the last 2 runs. The others are half inch, and I have just enough. Conduit...It can be a real P.I.T.F.A.! Anyway, breaks over. Time to get back to it. :D

Here's this evenings work. 4 conduits running towards the panel...

I'll post pix later, but I got all but one conduit finished to the panel. I pulled about 1/2 a mile of wire yesterday. Ran out of wire, so I've got to go pick up some more (@ $61.00 a F***ing roll!!). (Three years ago it was $18 a roll). :evil: I plan to terminate the electrical in the mechanical room this evening. Then I need to purchase more recepticles. Movin' right along... :D

Conduit is the only way to go... even for ALL the residential wiring runs: it's much neater and organized (you can see which conduit goes what direction); prevents gnawing damage from rodents; protects against accidental piercing of wires/cables (from, say, drilling a hole in the wall); provides a grounding 'shell' around conductors; ALSO, conduits allow much easier addition/changes of circuits by being able to pull wires through... The downside is the price of the condiut and fittings, and having to hickey the conduit to the proper shapes... Usually though, compared to romex cable, single conductors on large rolls are more economical... so the cost of the conduit is balanced off. At least, that's the way it was when I had done such electrical work... If you have to pay other people to run conduit, though, it may be expensive....

Aaronw wrote:

I'll post pix later, but I got all but one conduit finished to the panel. I pulled about 1/2 a mile of wire yesterday. Ran out of wire, so I've got to go pick up some more (@ $61.00 a F***ing roll!!). (Three years ago it was $18 a roll). :evil: I plan to terminate the electrical in the mechanical room this evening. Then I need to purchase more recepticles. Movin' right along... :D

The conduit price isn't too bad. (it was 8 months ago). 1/2" is $1.97 per piece (10 ft). 3/4" is double @ $3.97 per piece The 1/2" is pretty easy to work with, but a real pain trying to pull cables through on long runs or multiple bends. The 3/4" is a bear to bend and manipulate, but much easier to pull wire for sure.

ah, you are right... yes, thinwall is quite cheap, really.... It's labor costs that might kill you with having conduit run -- but if you do it yourself, you'll save that. I would never use 1/2 inch, unless it was only from a junction to a single light fixture or switch, or something of that nature... large appliances, and any circuit homeruns would be best with at least 3/4 inch -- if not for just the ease of pulling alone. 3/4 inch is probably the thickest that you can practically use a hand hickey to bend... It's not too too bad, but certainly alot harder than 1/2 inch.

Aaronw wrote:

The conduit price isn't too bad. (it was 8 months ago). 1/2" is $1.97 per piece (10 ft). 3/4" is double @ $3.97 per piece The 1/2" is pretty easy to work with, but a real pain trying to pull cables through on long runs or multiple bends. The 3/4" is a bear to bend and manipulate, but much easier to pull wire for sure.

OK, Here's the pix. All I can say, it was a Mo Fo trying to get them suckers bent around to put into the panel. Not much room to do it in...

Bought a new wire caddy for the wire. Had 8 rolls on it when I started, and I STILL ran out of wire. 2 conduit runs short...and at $61 a roll...ouch! :(

And how about this spaghetti mess... :lol:

And here's the power all finished for the mechanical room, for all the power supplies, amplifiers, etc...