Hello,
My wife has given me the room next to my studio room in our home. I would like to isolate the walls from one another and put a window in between the two. Each room is 10x12x8. The room I am currently in is the monitoring room (and drum tracking as well ouch!). The new room will be used for tracking drums. The rooms do not have any insulation on the interior wall. I am thinking of putting Auralex Sheetblok on the drum room side. Then putting a layer of 1/2" sheetrock on top of that. I found a guy who will blow in a dry cellulose material for around $300 for the whole wall. Then I was going to put in a window (roughly 30"x30") between the two, 1/2" glass on drum side straight and 3/8" glass on the monitoring side angled. I also have windows facing the street and would need to insulate/isolate them as well to reduce the noise (I have read a few really good posts here on this today). In my case, are there any other methods to do what I am thinking of more efficiently? Cheaply? What would be the best way install the window in regards to framing and sealants to use.
Thanks,
Keith
Sound proofing adjacent rooms and window installation
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music
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- Location: San Antonio, Texas
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AndrewMc
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- Location: New Orleans, USA
With single walls there is a limit to how much isolation you will get for the drums. The sheetblock vinyl might help a bit but it's really expensive. On the drum side if you could build a room inside a room and fill the space between the external wall and the new wall with fiberglass then put on 2 or 3 layers of 5/8 drywall then you might have a chance of stopping the drums enough.
Is the room on the base level or on the 2nd level? If the 1st level then floating a concrete pad for the drums will help isolate the drums from the building.
The windows to the street will be a major problem - you could build inserts to go over the windows but you'll still hear the drums in the street. If you could cover the windows and then build a 2nd wall in front of them then you see a vast improvement.
I would skip the blown in cellulose - it's not going to do anything for you acoustically - just pack the space with cheap fiberglass.
The only way to stop your drum sounds is a mass - air space - mass. With the mass being as much mass as possible and then isolating the drums from the building with a pad. Putting up an internal wall isn't really as big a project as it sounds.
If your wife is not up for the internal wall then I'd just put several layers of drywall on and skip the sheetblock then make as heavy duty (heavy)covers for the windows as you possibly can.
Is the room on the base level or on the 2nd level? If the 1st level then floating a concrete pad for the drums will help isolate the drums from the building.
The windows to the street will be a major problem - you could build inserts to go over the windows but you'll still hear the drums in the street. If you could cover the windows and then build a 2nd wall in front of them then you see a vast improvement.
I would skip the blown in cellulose - it's not going to do anything for you acoustically - just pack the space with cheap fiberglass.
The only way to stop your drum sounds is a mass - air space - mass. With the mass being as much mass as possible and then isolating the drums from the building with a pad. Putting up an internal wall isn't really as big a project as it sounds.
If your wife is not up for the internal wall then I'd just put several layers of drywall on and skip the sheetblock then make as heavy duty (heavy)covers for the windows as you possibly can.
Andrew McMaster
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music
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- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 8:42 am
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Andrew, Great suggestions. Thanks for the thoughtful insight. Unfortunately, my wife is not into the second wall thing. At best I can only improve the situation using the existing wall and doubling up. Do you think the sheetblock would help significantly?
The room is on the base level. How would I go about creating the floating concrete pad?
Isolating the drums from the front will be a problem without the second wall. Maybe I can double it up a few times.
I would love to try out the other suggestions. Maybe I can talk her into the second wall, however, any improvement will be better than what I had, which was one 10x12x8 room to record and track drums in. Not so fun.
All coments welcome.
Thanks again,
Keith
The room is on the base level. How would I go about creating the floating concrete pad?
Isolating the drums from the front will be a problem without the second wall. Maybe I can double it up a few times.
I would love to try out the other suggestions. Maybe I can talk her into the second wall, however, any improvement will be better than what I had, which was one 10x12x8 room to record and track drums in. Not so fun.
All coments welcome.
Thanks again,
Keith
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AndrewMc
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2003 8:55 am
- Location: New Orleans, USA
The sheetblock certainly can't hurt. The places that sell that are a bit miss-leading, they try to make out that adding it will add 29 or so STC to a wall - it won't, but it will help a bit. Personally I wouldn't bother with it. Your weak spots are your windows - the drums will go right through them even with a window insert, so the sheetblock becomes a bit moot and adds mostly a lot of expense.
If I were you - with only 1 wall I would add Resiliant channel to the studs and then 2 or 3 layers of 5/8 drywall. If you end up using the sheetblock put in between layers of drywall. You could also use MDF. For the window insert - make that as heavy as you can - maybe use the sheetblock there with a few layers of drywall and/or MDF and get it as well sealed as you can.
How is your celing? Sound will go right up through that unless you soundproof that also.
The drum pad would be a concrete pad floating on 703 insulation. Is your floor concrete or joists over the concrete? It'd be much better if it was a solid concrete floor. Your wife might get upset when you suggest pouring a slab inside the house. An alternative could be - build a box out of MDF and fill it with dry sand then sit that on 703, or sit it on lots of those rubber chemistry set corks. If you ever move you could take that apart a lot easier than a concrete slab.
You might do all this and still have the neighbors hear the drums - but it should help some. They won't hear the guitars much.
If I were you - with only 1 wall I would add Resiliant channel to the studs and then 2 or 3 layers of 5/8 drywall. If you end up using the sheetblock put in between layers of drywall. You could also use MDF. For the window insert - make that as heavy as you can - maybe use the sheetblock there with a few layers of drywall and/or MDF and get it as well sealed as you can.
How is your celing? Sound will go right up through that unless you soundproof that also.
The drum pad would be a concrete pad floating on 703 insulation. Is your floor concrete or joists over the concrete? It'd be much better if it was a solid concrete floor. Your wife might get upset when you suggest pouring a slab inside the house. An alternative could be - build a box out of MDF and fill it with dry sand then sit that on 703, or sit it on lots of those rubber chemistry set corks. If you ever move you could take that apart a lot easier than a concrete slab.
You might do all this and still have the neighbors hear the drums - but it should help some. They won't hear the guitars much.
Andrew McMaster