Lou's Studio - Construction Phase

Lou, Awesome job and hats off to all your hard work! Sorry about the hat channel "incident" but everything always works out. I had a question about your backer rod application. The reason I am asking this is because I just purchase 6,400 Ft. of the stuff for use in my studio and I'm wanting to see if I can get clarification on it's application. You mentioned that you will apply it around the "perimiter" of the sheetrock. My understanding is that it's to be installed betwee every seam including floor, ceiling, corners, in-between boards, etc. From what I understand while reading Rod's book is that each board whether drywall, plywood, etc. should be surrounded by backer rod then sealed with acoustic caulk in order to help isolate each panel? I was looking at the photos of your sheetrock installation thus far and didn't see any spacing between sheets. Mabey the photo was just at an angle where I didn't notice the spacing? Thanks, Dan

Lou, looking good man. i didn't read much, i usually just skim the pics. anyway, sorry i didn't see it sooner, but it looks like your RC/Hat situation is all covered up. i was going to suggest the isomax clips too. i used them and they are working fine. but your rock is up already. besides ripping up the floor upstairs i would second the suggestion to add another layer of rock and some Green Glue to the ceiling. straight hat channel can hold quite a bit of weight. some post around here tells you how much exactly. Godspeed on the rest of your build!

Dan, check out this thread, its at the top of construction forum titled "useful links" or something like that. http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=20003 second post describes how to do it. third post shows a sketch. you're wasting your time if you backer rod and caulk between each layer. it's just where the walls meet other walls, or the floor/ceiling. it strictly for decoupling. you don't need to decouple EACH sheet from one another. just the entire wall from any other wall.

Much Appreciated!!

Hi guys - a real quickie this one, since although we lost last night to the better side in the rugby world cup, (and yes, any SA builders, it was definitely a try!), I'm just about to go and watch Lewis Hamilton win the 2007 formula 1 world championship in his first ever season - I really hope! :wink: But, for the moment, Dynamike wrote:

you're wasting your time if you backer rod and caulk between each layer. it's just where the walls meet other walls, or the floor/ceiling. it strictly for decoupling. you don't need to decouple EACH sheet from one another. just the entire wall from any other wall.

Spot on of course, my friend, and that's exactly what I've done and will be continuing to do! Glad I've got something right, even though, of course, you could argue that there's no need to worry if you use 'that stuff' instead of RC! :evil: :evil: Proper update to follow tonight chaps, Many thanks again for the sympathy and encouragement :wink: Regards, Lou. 8)

Hi guys – it’s been yet another hectic week in the ‘Studio 4’ construction area, and, it’s just occurred to me, whilst posting this, that we passed the three month anniversary of the build last Thursday! Also, would you all believe that I’ve now posted 6 shots short of 800 pictures on this thread – so if there is a prize for the ‘most well-documented build’. I ought to be up there amongst Aaron and Keith! Sincerest apologies, Mr Desart, for your struggling computer, and Mr Gervais for potential boredom. :oops: :wink: :wink: :oops: As I said in my earlier post guys, many thanks etc – here comes the update… :) Hat-channel cock-up aside, as you all know, I am carrying on, and will rectify any problems that may occur later. Another 8” of recycled denim jeans in the flat roof area, and no. DH it's not packed in too tight, but plenty tight enough :shock: Bryan and I start constructing the mock-up of bedroom 4 floor that I mentioned before So, I know it’s a bit of a basic test but this bit of ¾” ply is not moving anywhere with 14½ stone of something looking like he was cast in Jungle Book, bouncing all over the top of it (as I said, photo to prove if required!). :lol: :lol: "Have a bannana, take two bannanas" Arty shot No 1 (for this post!) of me installing ‘that stuff’ Still a bit gutted, to be honest, cos if I end up never having any work again, I now know that I can now install level plasterboard ceilings, with or without obstacles :roll: Trev carries on cutting, bless his heart :wink: 8” of recycled denim jeans are now above my first layer with just the loft hatch to go Trev tidies up the studio cables ready for Andy’s chaps in the morning This is the caulk I bought Bryan, as an ex painter and decorator, makes a great job of filling all the joins and seams :D :D Time to cut back the live room ducting No stopping Bryan now! First layer of plaster board around loft hatch Job done Everything now caulked up, including screw heads and seams. Backer rod around perimeter and dust in shot! This is what I used on the first layer – but I got a real deal! Now I can crack on with the middle (MDF) layer – laid transversely against the first plasterboard layer All butting up very nicely and with a gap to the steel for backer rod Remembering previous screw positions, joist and channel positions etc is a headache but something of a challenge since I still have my last outer-leaf layer to go :roll: :roll: :roll: Steve showed up yesterday morning to finish off my plastic. I’ll just let the pictures tell the story – totally great job. :D :D Middle MDF layer nearly done Next lot of free insulation arrived yesterday and will definitely come in handy…cos its dry! :D Tools are now in the centre of the area to make way for the rendering guys tomorrow Middle MDF layer now completed Now my other nightmare starts – kitchen delivery 13th November. Work back three days for floor tiling, another three for chill-out area and kitchen rendering, two days for me to replace the existing ceiling, two days for me to rip out existing floor, wall-tiles, ceiling and kitchen! Yup, Im doing kitchens next Monday! Great. :roll: :roll: :D Meanwhile, so you know that Im ahead of the game, 36 sq m of porcelain floor tiles now adorn our hallway :shock: This is the awful ceiling that will be coming out next week :shock: Potentially up-lifting shot of what’s been done in three months, bearing in mind you can’t see from this what’s been done at the back of the house, or what’s already been done inside :wink: :wink: :wink: That's it for the mo Guys - many thanks for your input - stay tuned! :wink: Warm regards to you and yours as always, Lou. 8)

Aloha Lou, Hat Channel episode aside, it's looking lean & mean! :wink: Keep on keeping on! Aloha 8)

looks good lou. shame about lewis hamilton.

Another 8” of recycled denim jeans in the flat roof area, and no. DH it's not packed in too tight, but plenty tight enough

Actually Lou, I really LOVE tightly packed denim jeans!!! ;)

Wow. Look how nicely finished that drywall is in the corner. Yup...nicely finished alright.

Wow DH, Now THATS what I call WALL Treatment! One heck of a diffusor! Are you trying to control the "bottom end" in that corner?

Gentlemen - Please! DH - I can so relate to that, but if we're not carefull, we'll all get banished to the wombat hole! :shock: Personally - I would definitely regard that as a 'sub 40HZ absorber', rather than diffuser, since the bottom end could be controled perfectly with the right treatments, as in good absobtion without too much isolation. proper instalation of the correct thickness of backer rod, not to mention caulk.......................Yup, tightly packed jeans are definitely an ass-et then! :wink: Trust this to crop up on my thread! :roll: :roll: Love ya' guys - Take care, and regards, as always, (it only takes a pretty woman to make us all forget about hat channel! :lol: :lol: :lol: Lou. 8)

Sorry 'bout that! (he he) ahem.... Back to business!

Lou wrote:

Personally - I would definitely regard that as a 'sub 40HZ absorber', rather than diffuser, since the bottom end could be controled perfectly with the right treatments, as in good absobtion without too much isolation. proper instalation of the correct thickness of backer rod, not to mention caulk.......................Yup, tightly packed jeans are definitely an ass-et then! :wink:

Oh my! :lol: I have a feeling that we could continue along these lines for a while, but as mentioned, I do not envy those banished to the wombat hole!

hey lou whats up, ive been following your construction since day one, and never congratulated you on your build... keep it up looking nice Kalet :D

Same here Lou, your thread is my everyday surfing through the interweb highlight! Keep going the good stuff. Hope you'll prevent more pub visits, at least with rod's book in your hands :wink: Anyway, cheers to your build! :D Roman

Yeah, cheers the OTHER Roman ;)

Hi guys – hope you’re all ok (as per norm), and starting your respective weekends in the appropriate manner. Ken – Many thanks Dude, means a lot! Pretty girls in tightly packed jeans aside (I know DH. I’m marrying one next May) I am, from a forum point of view, in something of a dilemma. There are loads of thing to show you chaps – (since we don’t do nothing ‘round here). :twisted: Andy’s guys have been here most of the week starting to render out the studio, but, my friends, our attention has had to turn to the ‘chill-out area’ kitchen, which of course is also gonna be our family kitchen. In short (thanks for the comps as always, especially both Roman’s, Tmix, Kalet), my schedule on this part of the build is even more ludicrous than anything I’ve mentioned thus far, and whilst wanting to show you guys what I’ve been up to, I don’t want to bore any of you with construction that isn’t strictly ‘studio related’, since I’m almost certainly going to be potentially ‘off-topic’ for the next couple of weeks. So, if you want me to post it all, (with or without edits), I will. However, if you’d rather wait for the ‘other stuff’, I will be back soon once I’ve got the more domestic side of the studio construction sorted. :wink: As a side note, – if you pick this up JohnP (from Oxfordshire) Daikin air-con is the absolute nuts, spot-on for picking that up so early in your build. Good luck, Buddy. My air-con meeting is scheduled for the 17th Nov, and will almost certainly be Daikin. Warm regards as always, Lou. 8)

Pretty girls in tightly packed jeans aside (I know DH. I’m marrying one next May)

Are you sure its not too late to talk you out of it??? Ha! I jest! Congratulations of course... I wish you all the best. I am coming up on 19 years in December as a married man, and I can tell you that your life is sure to change come May!!! :) (For the best, of course!)

Hi Lou Good luck with the kitchen area mate, I did a complete replacement a couple of years ago and it took me a couple of weeks. Things got so bad round here that i ended up shipping "her indoors" and the kids to the inlaws in cornwall until it was done :D Thanks for checking out the Daikin, feel a lot better about that now. Did you get to decide on air con ducting ? i'm gonna do this myself to keep the cost down Also what are you planning to use for silencers, are you going for the custom silencer approach ? all the best John

SUP LOU ? :D Man, I've been following for a long time and loving the project, its really starting to come together and look great, Best of wishes for you that it is everything you hope for in a work space. Speaking of which,,,By all means post the progress on the chill out area bro,,even though it is a shared space, it IS still a important part of the creative end of things,,cause sometimes you just have to unplug and chill, and I've seen many times, when working/playing on projects, others and mine alike, some of the BEST breakthroughs and ideas, especially when in a slump have come from the lounge, and if it is comfy and a great atmosphere it is an important place to be. Just wait until it is all said and done, and you hit a wall while working and have to just go unplug in the chill out, and that Epiphany hits you and you go "I GOT IT" about how to make things happen,,,,and with that Epiphany look around your chill out space and feel for yourself how just as important that space is to the whole picture, and how it was all worth it ,even if for just that one breakthrough,,,,,you could even throw up a toast and say "MOSH ON DAVE! as you remember my words :lol: :lol: But seriously,by all means bro ,, its all relative and important in the bigger picture of creativity,,and will be cool to look back in the future for yourself and others,,,,,,,so,,,umm,,,,,,wheres the pics already :roll: :wink: :lol: MOSH ON DAVE

Hi Guys – hope you’re all well, and thanks for the replies. DH - Many congrats on the nineteen years my friend, this is of course my second time, but I clearly did marry the wrong girl first time around! Johnp – As I said mate, my meeting is scheduled for the 19th Nov so will hopefully be able to be more help to you then. Ro does have a real point though, air-con is not necessarily old air removed and completely new (refreshed) air replaced. I’m afraid buddy that, as a nation in general, we are totally clueless when it comes to this whole subject, and have loads to learn from our overseas cousins. More on this soon. (I hope.) Mosh – Thanks man, nice post with a cool sentiment, and yeah you’re right, the chill-out area is intended to be a client puller as much as the studio itself. Plus, there might be something of use to people up here that wouldn’t normally get asked. OK, so if I get banned after this little lot, well so be it, but without wishing to bore or offend anyone, here comes a big mixed bag of an update at the end of 10 very busy days………………enjoy, good people. :oops: While Trev and I finish caulking studio outer-leaf MDF layer, Bryan starts on the kitchen ceiling. We so gotta get this cleaned up! :shock: Bryan’s efforts reveal this chamber of horrors. :evil: Up until last Friday these had to be moved 2” to the left! :roll: The floor just has to come out………… (‘cos it won’t match what’s going in!) Last pic ever of the old kitchen! (Well maybe not!) :oops: Hot and cold feed currently running diagonally across the ceiling to be more appropriately installed, and that was putting it politely. :twisted: :twisted: Back in the studio, MDF layer around loft hatch. Trev graduates with honours in his acoustic caulk application course! He’s on a roll! Nice one Trev, and thank you mate. :wink: Wed (last week) 7.30am and introducing one of Andy’s blokes – Simon. First bit of render gets applied. Very fussy and very skillful, just what you need on this type of job. ‘Scratch-coat’ done on the single skin aqua-proofed walls. Great job, Simon. Wafer head screws designed for attaching ceiling steels together…………………….DO NOT purchase this product. They are a total nightmare. :evil: :evil: Now this will make you all laugh…………Underfloor heating. Just simply unroll and affix with supplied ½” gaffer tape strips! Yeah right! We’re musicians, you dumbass, and we know exactly how cable behaves when it comes off a tightly packed 130m roll! (I’ll let you know how I get on.) :roll: Clips to hold secondary ceiling members to primary ceiling members….ok then! SDS heaven, and a chance to blister through our 1970’s style ‘Indian Restaurant’ tiling! :) Bryan and Trev get stuck in. Old floor now up. Stitch drill chill-out area/kitchen window. Job done. Guys – we really do need to clean up before Sarah gets home!!!!!!!!! :shock: More of the same, and I get to appear in my own Arty shot…well nearly, Trev! Tidy progress. :D This is all coming out, but the stuff it all holds has got to go somewhere! Perfect solution – 15 industrial stackable storage crates. :wink: Meanwhile, Simon motors on. Total star. Arty no 2 – All vertical ‘beads’ perfect! Told you we’d get cleaned up. Especially for DH – the last of my tightly packed jeans, which have to be temporarily relocated. Saturday morning sees the third arrival of the ‘big guns’ - Andy does not mess around! He cracks on with the first top coat over Simon’s scratch coat. This of course leaves the girls completely free to pack up our kitchen. Sarah’s Mum and children kindly help out. Introducing ‘Emo’, Cool bloke. These guys are seriously good. So good in fact, that the halos around their heads show up perfectly when photographed. Arty shot no3 Gentlemen. Very proud of his work is Andy – you guys know, you’ve seen his screeding! Real hard to believe that this will ever look like a potential client puller - have faith my friends! :wink: I’ve figured out a better way to work around these. :wink: New temporary kitchen (until 17th Nov!!!!) in our sitting room of course. Gas hob and sink still to come out. :shock: But at least we are still just about able to wash up! :( New ‘box-work’ to shower waste from above. Yes, I am a musician! :D :D Build up chill-out window sill to match kitchen. Move hot send and return pipes 2”, or narrow the walkthrough aperture by 2”? tricky that one, Lou! Duh! Last bit of tiling to get the hammer. New hot and cold feeds to utility area. Isolating valves just before new washing machine supply, to allow for easy ‘T-off’ for hot and cold feeds through the utility wall and on into, the studio toilet next week. New cold supply ‘teed off’ to another ‘T’ for new AMERICAN style larder fridge and freezer! (Can’t wait to show you guys those!) :wink: :wink: Great (and totally necessary gadget) self-levelling cross line laser level. (Machine Mart -£70.00) Meaning that this job is a breeze. Graham’s artwork. Graham ripped out every cable in our kitchen in just over an hour, and everything else in the house stayed ‘live’ Cooooooooooool! Re-wire begins and the primary support members go in. This guy’s also damn quick and very thorough. Secondary support beams get the treatment. (No their not RC either! :roll: :roll: ) Finally all steel work for the new kitchen ceiling and all cabling are in place. Selected shots of the now, almost complete, studio render. 20mm concrete all over folks. Iso booth outer-leaf ceiling. Front of control room. Finished box work. Happy workforce. :D We now have a new kitchen ceiling. Which needs 10 perfectly positioned holes cut into it for lighting! And……………voila. That’s it for the mo guys, I’ve got studio session work on for a few days (which is probably just what the doctor ordered as I’m all ‘D.I.Y’d out right now :roll: ) and then straight back on it! Andy’s in to finish studio render (2 hours max) and plaster chill-out area and kitchen on Friday/Saturday, underfloor heating and floortiles go in from next Wed, new kitchen arrives installed from Tues 13th. No more kitchen/chill-out pics until those areas are completely finished – promise. :oops: :oops: Thanks for reading, chaps - stay tuned, ‘Mosh on Dave’ Regards, Lou. 8)

looking nice Lou. A friend is staying for a week and he's out rendering everyday - he keeps calling for mud in his nightmares :D

Lou... all I can say is you must have cajones the size of grapefruits my friend! What an amazing job you have done, and those studio walls are just beyond belief! It is better than *any* internet porn in the world!!! You are really taking things to a whole other level, and it is so impressive to watch! As I slog about in my little hole in the ground, you are out there building a place that you will proud of for many, many years to come! I've got to say it one more time... Man, those studio walls! Sheesh! I am so jealous and ashamed to even show pics of my place after what you have done! :) Oh, also, congratulations on the upcoming marriage. Sarah appears to be a fine woman, and also very tolerant of your "projects", and that speaks *worlds* about your future wife! Best of luck of course!

hey lou whats up... looking good with those builds... keep it up, love the walls of the studio,congrats lou.. take care blessings kalet