Sound Proofing

[just strum]

Since we've had a few threads about guitar/music rooms, I thought I would do a bit of a spin-off. Is there anyone that has done any type of soundproofing or sound deadening in their house.

The set-up of the spare room and two other bedrooms that my kids have, they are all lined up on one side of the house with the middle room having a common wall to the other two rooms. I definitely would like to do something about sound between the guitar room and my sons room, but I would also do it between my son's and daughter's room if their was an economical way to accomplish it.

So any ideas out there?

 

[Spudman]

The best way is to build another wall. It will leave dead air behind it and that way sound won't transfer into the common wall. Not sure how cheap it is but if you don't have carpet and do the work yourself it's probably about the same price as any other solution.

 

[just strum]

Are you saying just add another set of studs and drywall against the existing wall? What are you referring to regarding the carpeting. Right now it's carpeted, but I have laminated flooring that I can put in.

 

[ted s]

Maybe just move the kids into the shed, take out a wall and have a bigger music room.

 

[Spudman]

I was talking about the carpet on the floor. It would make it hard to put up another wall.

What you'd want to do, what some studios do, is to build a room within a room. If you aren't worried about noise going through other walls then just build a wall in front of the ones you do want to block. You need to have them not touching the existing wall and have a dead air space between them. The bad thing is that it shrinks your music room in size.

 

[just strum]

I was talking about the carpet on the floor. It would make it hard to put up another wall.

What you'd want to do, what some studios do, is to build a room within a room. If you aren't worried about noise going through other walls then just build a wall in front of the ones you do want to block. You need to have them not touching the existing wall and have a dead air space between them. The bad thing is that it shrinks your music room in size.

I knew you were referring the carpeting on the floor, I just thought maybe you might be were referring to it for acoustic reasons. It's due for replacement, so it's not really an issue.

As for room size, it won't have any impact on my room, but my son's room will be smaller

Maybe just move the kids into the shed, take out a wall and have a bigger music room.

Ted, my daughter would probably go for it because she would think "she's on her own" however she would insist that I add on by making room for kitchen, bathroom, large family room and basement. I would be better off buying her a house down the street so I would have money left over for more guitars.

I still haven't given up on talking my wife into converting the master bedroom into a guitar room. I do realize I have better chance of having a Gretsch and Rickenbacker to the collection.

 

[wingsdad]

.....I have better chance of having a Gretsch and Rickenbacker to the collection.

Now you're talkin' :AOK:

 

[Plank_Spanker]

A nice heavy rug on the floor will tame the roar a bit. You can hang blankets on the walls to go along with that.


******TIPPING THE BRANDY SNIFTER*************


Perhaps an elegant tapestry or two depicting the Canterbury pilgrimage.........

 

[street music]

Strum, one of our local radio stations just opened a new building this past month , I was there FRiday to talk with one of the DJ's and he showed me how they had setup the new studios - they had actually covered the walls with very tight burber carpet and man it was dead quite in those rooms except for the music they were playing, the outside noise could :beer: not be heard at all.

 

[Dreadman]

Carpeting the walls is probably the cheapest/easiest way to go but here's some more info if you want to avoid a "soft" sounding room..

There are actually two parts to sound abatement - Sound reflection and sound absorption. Reflection bounces the sound energy back and is accomplished with very hard, dense materials. Absorption absorbs the sound energy (by turning it into heat) and is done with soft, airy materials (even air itself).

A good layered wall designed for some reflection and some absorption might consist of:

1.) 1/2" existing drywall
2.) 3/4" air
3.) 1/2" fiberboard
4.) 1/2" more of drywall

The "air" is put in there by installing (every 16") horizontal Z shaped metal bars that stick out from the existing wall by 3/4", giving a non-solid mounting for the next layer(s). You could probably get the same level of abatement with 5+" of rigid foam but your room is going to get small.

No new studs. Wood transfers sound energy very well and will give the sound a path to follow.

For floors add rigid foam insulation under the flooring. Height can be an issue but an ideal sound absorbing floor would be layered like this:

1.) Joists
2.) Plywood decking
3.) 2+" of rigid foam (any amount you can fit will help)
4.) Flooring (wood for acoustic reflection, carpet over 1/4" plywood for more absorption)

The ultimate in sound abatement is lead sheets lining the room (and covered with drywall, etc..). It's both dense enough to reflect sound and flexible enough to absorb sound. It can be bought for this purpose in thicknesses ranging from 1/16" to 1/2", with or without adhesive backing, but is HUGELY expensive. Maybe $10k or so for an average bedroom.

 

[just strum]

No new studs. Wood transfers sound energy very well and will give the sound a path to follow.

So shooting foam in the wall would still allow enough sound travel that the results would not achieve my objective and therefore would not justify the cost?

 

[Dreadman]

Foam in the joist cavities will help some but sound will still travel through the studs. At three times the cost of fiberglass, foam probably isn't worth it.

For a 10'x10' room you could add 1/2" fiberboard and 1/2" drywall for $100 (if you install them yourself). Lot of bang for the buck. The Z shaped channel stuff (can't remember the name) is pretty cheap too but adds some complexity to the installation.

 

[just strum]

I'm only doing one wall and it's about 11' long, standard 8' high. I just noticed one obstacle - the cold air return is on that wall, so the sound would still be getting out. Maybe a little door over the return that I can close while playing?

I just noticed another issue - the casing for the door in the room is on the adjoining wall and almost flush with the wall I would be soundproofing. Maybe I should be the one moving to the shed.

 

[mrmudcat]

Hey brother if you google Auralex they are having 50% off these panels at Sweetwater and M.F. and also ebay has some great deals on some .Id get the box of '2x2' panels @ 2" thick studiofoam panels.Would not cost much to do a side or two and way less work and more time for beer!!:beer: I will be doing my studio in this stuff!!:dude:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation?q=auralex


Get the discount to here !!:AOK:

 

[just strum]

Hey brother if you google Auralex they are having 50% off these panels at Sweetwater and M.F. and also ebay has some great deals on some .Id get the box of '2x2' panels @ 2" thick studiofoam panels.Would not cost much to do a side or two and way less work and more time for beer!!:beer: I will be doing my studio in this stuff!!:dude:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation?q=auralex


Get the discount to here !!:AOK:

Easy to install, relatively inexpensive, and achieves the objective - three things I like in a product.