Planning a simple practice room build. Help! Did a Sketchup.
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 7:13 pm
Hi, this is my first post, please be gentle!
I have been reading this forum for a little while now, and I have been learning tons. I think I get the idea of why MSM, two-leaf rooms are best for isolation. The air/fiberglass/mineral between the two walls act as the "spring" that absorbs vibration and transforms it to heat before most of it leaks out as sound. Correct?
Anyway, I am in the process of buying my first home; it has a huge backyard that is mostly covered with concrete slabs. Apparently, the previous owner used the backyard as a car shop. My dream is to have a simple practice studio that doesn't disturb the neighbors (especially in the evening)... I would have my 5-piece band practicing in there (we reach 110dB at our loudest, but this is just an educated guess).
I plan to hire a contractor to have this room built (I am not a DIY construction kinda guy, I am super accident-prone, and I own very few tools). Long shot, but perhaps one of you would build it? I am in San Jose, California. If not, the odds are that the contractor I would hire hasn't built this type of room before, so I'd love to have a concept ready for him to execute. My budget is $8K. If I could have it built for less, I might use the rest for acoustic treatment...
Below is the little design in SketchUp.
The room is about 15' x 22'. This will be built on top of a concrete slab as pictured below.
1) WALLS
-I understand the walls must be airtight, and yet de-coupled. How should I tell my contractor to de-couple the walls?
-Mineral wool or fiberglass? Any pros/cons?
-What material should I have the outside wall made from? I'd like to save as much real estate as possible inside the room, so I'd like to avoid thick things like brick.
-What material should the inside wall be? Drywall? Sheetrock? Is there a difference? What about wood? Costs?
2) FLOOR
-I have a concrete slabs, so I believe I will very little problems with the ground acting as a transducer. Would I need any flooring other than this? Would carpet be good? Do I need to have a "floating" floor if I have concrete? Will this concrete end up coupling the walls together?
3) ROOF/CEILING
-Should it have an angled roof? Does it have anything to do with room acoustics?
-How can the roof be MSM in a cost-effective way? How would I communicate this to a contractor?
4) DOOR/WINDOWS
-How can I have a door/windows without destroying the airtight-ness?
-Does it need to be a double door because of the two leafs?
5) AIR
-I'm assuming I need some sort of ventilation. How can I do this and keep the room isolated, sound-wise? What equipment do I need for five to six people, two with guitar amps? Do I need some sort of air pump?
6) NOISE/PERMIT
-The city says I need to keep it to 50dB, so is this practice room dream even viable?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. And please tell me if I am out of line here...
I have been reading this forum for a little while now, and I have been learning tons. I think I get the idea of why MSM, two-leaf rooms are best for isolation. The air/fiberglass/mineral between the two walls act as the "spring" that absorbs vibration and transforms it to heat before most of it leaks out as sound. Correct?
Anyway, I am in the process of buying my first home; it has a huge backyard that is mostly covered with concrete slabs. Apparently, the previous owner used the backyard as a car shop. My dream is to have a simple practice studio that doesn't disturb the neighbors (especially in the evening)... I would have my 5-piece band practicing in there (we reach 110dB at our loudest, but this is just an educated guess).
I plan to hire a contractor to have this room built (I am not a DIY construction kinda guy, I am super accident-prone, and I own very few tools). Long shot, but perhaps one of you would build it? I am in San Jose, California. If not, the odds are that the contractor I would hire hasn't built this type of room before, so I'd love to have a concept ready for him to execute. My budget is $8K. If I could have it built for less, I might use the rest for acoustic treatment...
Below is the little design in SketchUp.
The room is about 15' x 22'. This will be built on top of a concrete slab as pictured below.
1) WALLS
-I understand the walls must be airtight, and yet de-coupled. How should I tell my contractor to de-couple the walls?
-Mineral wool or fiberglass? Any pros/cons?
-What material should I have the outside wall made from? I'd like to save as much real estate as possible inside the room, so I'd like to avoid thick things like brick.
-What material should the inside wall be? Drywall? Sheetrock? Is there a difference? What about wood? Costs?
2) FLOOR
-I have a concrete slabs, so I believe I will very little problems with the ground acting as a transducer. Would I need any flooring other than this? Would carpet be good? Do I need to have a "floating" floor if I have concrete? Will this concrete end up coupling the walls together?
3) ROOF/CEILING
-Should it have an angled roof? Does it have anything to do with room acoustics?
-How can the roof be MSM in a cost-effective way? How would I communicate this to a contractor?
4) DOOR/WINDOWS
-How can I have a door/windows without destroying the airtight-ness?
-Does it need to be a double door because of the two leafs?
5) AIR
-I'm assuming I need some sort of ventilation. How can I do this and keep the room isolated, sound-wise? What equipment do I need for five to six people, two with guitar amps? Do I need some sort of air pump?
6) NOISE/PERMIT
-The city says I need to keep it to 50dB, so is this practice room dream even viable?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. And please tell me if I am out of line here...