Floating floor and cable duct questions

[Jester]

I going to start building my floor soon and have a few questions before I start. It is going to be a wood over concrete floating floor. I'm wondering what the best way to run audio and power cable is. Should I use a cable duct in the floor? If so what is the best way to go about it? Should I install access panels? Or should I run everything in the walls and ceiling?

I'm thinking of using hardwood flooring in every room (control, ISO, and Live)is that a good idea?

I would be interested to know how far apart people are putting their 1/2" neoprene. Are there any formulas for calculating how much weight a neoprene pad can hold?

I think I'm just going to use a single layer of plywood on the floor. Would that be ok considering I'm putting hard wood above it?

Thanks
Lief Stevens

[knightfly]

Sorry, I'm really short on time for the next few days so won't be able to answer ALL your questions - here's a link to some floating floor questions, and I'll get the rest of yours as soon as I can -

http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=839

As to the neoprene formula, still working on that one with little success. Check the above thread for ways of testing yourself... Steve

[frederic]

I going to start building my floor soon and have a few questions before I start. It is going to be a wood over concrete floating floor. I'm wondering what the best way to run audio and power cable is. Should I use a cable duct in the floor? If so what is the best way to go about it? Should I install access panels? Or should I run everything in the walls and ceiling?

Floor is fine, whatever works better for you as long as you as you have no potential moisture problems over the concrete (such as if the concrete floor is in the basement, below ground, etc.

Wires, connectors, and such DISLIKE water and condensation. If there is any chance your concrete might "seep" water, or it might get damp under the new floater floor you build, put the wiring in the walls. Or at least not directly on the concrete. If you are going to have a 4" deep floor, run the cables in chaulked cable trays or conduit closer to the flooring surface, rather than the concrete.

If so, consider installing a french drain around your house, just to be safe. Seal the concrete with a good sealant, by digging around the foundation of the house, sealing it, then putting the dirt back at a 5 degree slope heading down, away from the foundation. This helps tremendously.

I'm thinking of using hardwood flooring in every room (control, ISO, and Live)is that a good idea?

I like wood. I really like wood. I find wood on the floor often balances well all the foam, resonators, and other sound modification devices you might be installing, and wood generally makes a studio feel like a "home" environment thus promoting creativity. It helps remove the "sterility" of a recording studio.

Its also my preference.

I think I'm just going to use a single layer of plywood on the floor. Would that be ok considering I'm putting hard wood above it?

Putting insulation below the plywood? Of so, it probably would be okay if the plywood is good quality, 3/4" or so, and the wooden frame you build below it is on 12" or 8" centers. If you want to do 'standard' construction on 16" centers, two layers is really much better for strength. Gear, amps, and people can get heavy quickly. If you're using "real" hardwood, such as 1" thick tongue and groove planks, that would be stronger than say, thinner pine planks and/or 3/8" engineered pergo flooring.

With a floor, you have three things to consider. Potential moisture, floor strength, and sound reflection/absorption charactoristics.

Hope that helped.