Questions about proper safe ventilation.

[HammeringScrews]

Hi all. Looking forward to being a part of this forum as I try my best to finish a small 10x7x12 "storage" room in my basement. I'll be using this room mainly for live streaming music online and also recording vocals and acoustic/electric guitar from time to time.

My budget is pretty tiny ($1,500) but I think I can make it work. The room currently has two studded walls and two concrete walls and I'll be doing the work myself where possible.

My main concern right now is proper ventilation. I will be spending upwards of 3 hours per live streaming session and want to make sure I don't pass out from lack of oxygen!

My plan for sound dampening is using roxul safe and sound insulation along with resilient channel and sound dampening caulk where needed. I think this should be sufficient for my needs (please hold the eye rolls for the time being if I sound like a complete idiot). I think a lot of the noise will be coming from the upstairs floor/rooms as the rest of the basement will typically be unoccupied while I work.

I've read around the forum and have come across some greatly detailed posts about ventilation but I still feel so confused.
I apologize if making this post violates the rule in regards to searching the forum first for answers. I don't mean to waste anyone's time. On the contrary I hope this post can help anyone in a similar situation figure out what they need to do.

Is venting into the existing finished basement a bad idea? If so why and how would that be any different than just leaving the door open into the room?

Should I bite the money bullet and just hire an HVAC specialist for this part of construction since it is so important?

Thanks guys and I appreciate the help and insight. I may sound like an idiot right now but I hope to change that. I'm here to learn and look forward to sticking around and updating everyone on my progress.

[Soundman2020]

Hi there "HammeringScrews", and Welcome to the forum!

My budget is pretty tiny ($1,500) but I think I can make it work.

"Really tiny" is right... that isn't much to get you where you want to go... I'd urge you to consider increasing it, quite a bit, if possible.

My main concern right now is proper ventilation. I will be spending upwards of 3 hours per live streaming session and want to make sure I don't pass out from lack of oxygen!

You probably won't pass out after 3 hours, but it could become rather stuffy and uncomfortable in there.

My plan for sound dampening is using roxul safe and sound insulation along with resilient channel and sound dampening caulk where needed.

... and some drywall too, I hope! Insulation plus RC plus caulk won't do much unless you have drywall there...

I think this should be sufficient for my needs

That sort of leads into the question: What are your needs? How much isolation do you need, in terms of decibels?

I've read around the forum and have come across some greatly detailed posts about ventilation but I still feel so confused.

It can be a bit confusing, yes. But hang in there: it's not as bad as you think it is. You'll be able to work through it if you keep at it.

I apologize if making this post violates the rule in regards to searching the forum first for answers. I don't mean to waste anyone's time. On the contrary I hope this post can help anyone in a similar situation figure out what they need to do.

Is venting into the existing finished basement a bad idea?

It's probably against code. You'd be dumping moisture, CO2 and stale air from one habitable space into another. That's usually a no-no in code.

If so why and how would that be any different than just leaving the door open into the room?

If you left the door open, and the existing home HVAC system is properly designed, then the air registers in each room would do their job, allowing air both in and out. Some slight mixing might happen through the open doorway, but you would not be forcibly dumping all your air from one room into another.

Should I bite the money bullet and just hire an HVAC specialist for this part of construction since it is so important?

I don't think you have enough budget to do that. It is very, very, VERY tight already, and the fee for the HVAC designer would take a large chunk out of that. Possibly a very large chunk...

I may sound like an idiot right now but I hope to change that.

Not at all! The only idiots on the forum are those who DON'T ask questions when they run into doubts or concerns! (OK, and maybe some other idiots who refuse to follow the forum rules at all, and demand answers anyway as though they owned the place... But that's not you!)

Asking the right questions is smart, not dumb. So you sure are certainly not an idiot.

Keep asking! That's the way to learn.

I'm here to learn and look forward to sticking around and updating everyone on my progress.

Cool! That's the winning attitude that well get you through to completion! And I'll be looking forward to following your thread. Feel free to start your own design thread, and post a link that leads back here so you can always find this reference again. It's better to keep all of your posts that are related to your build, together on one single thread, so you don't lose track of them.

- Stuart -

[HammeringScrews]

Thank you so much for taking the time to to through my post so thoroughly! I truly appreciate it and it's such a warm welcome to the forum. This whole design and building process can be quite stressful, especially when I have a deadline.

Stuart, should I go ahead and start the new thread in the design forum and ask all of my questions there or continue with this thread? I want to list out in greater detail what I'm trying to accomplish as far as sound dampening requirements, what supplies are needed, the HVAC issue, etc.

Thanks again!

[Soundman2020]

Stuart, should I go ahead and start the new thread in the design forum and ask all of my questions there or continue with this thread?

Sure! Start your new thread, and then post a link back to this question so you can keep track of all your info from one place.


- Stuart -