My Soundproofing Plan

[vegasdrummer]

I had this posted on the "NEwbie" board and someone suggested I post it here:

I have read most everything I could find on here about soundproofing. This is what I plan to do, let me know if this sounds like it will work:

Keep in mind, I RENT this house. Can't do any major remodeling. I also am forced to do this in a 15' x 15' upstairs bedroom instead of a basement or garage.

I also don't really care about sound quality too much. I'm not recording, just rehearsing. I just don't want to get noise complaints from my neighbors.

I'm going to home depot, and getting enough dense fiber boards to cover the walls, twice. Staggering the creases, and covering the window as well with two layers. Do I have to screw these to the walls instead of nailing? I would assume nails wouldn't hold two layers of that stuff? How thick is it?

Then I plan on putting at least 1" - 2" of acoustic foam on top of that (however I've read that foam doesn't really do anything other than make it quieter *inside* the room, right?)

I live in a sub-division where the houses next to me are very close. Do you think I will be able to play drums and/or practice with a full band in this room without pissing anyone off?

Your expertise is much appreciated.

[rcktdg]

Originally Posted by vegasdrummer

Do you think I will be able to play drums and/or practice with a full band in this room without pissing anyone off?

No. Mass stops energy and fiber board is not very massive. 5/8 drywall is massive but even that will only do so much.

I realize this is probably not an option but electronic drums are the best solution. Drums set the volume of the band. If the drummer can groove quietly then the rest of the band can work much more quietly. If you need to beat the hell out of them then you need an electronic kit.

A friend of mine had to go this route after he spent $10,000 renovating his detatched garage to be soundproof. He was actually very successful but you could still hear a little bass thump from the kick drum. An elderly neighbor complained that the sound bothered them. They only rehearsed every other Sunday so I suggested he get them a years worth of Movie passes so they could go see a movie every two weeks. He ended up buying an electronic kit.

Some battles cannot be won. Once they know you're there they will be listening.

[Rod Gervais]

Originally Posted by vegasdrummer

Keep in mind, I RENT this house. Can't do any major remodeling. I also am forced to do this in a 15' x 15' upstairs bedroom instead of a basement or garage.

I'm going to home depot, and getting enough dense fiber boards to cover the walls, twice. Staggering the creases, and covering the window as well with two layers. Do I have to screw these to the walls instead of nailing? I would assume nails wouldn't hold two layers of that stuff? How thick is it?

Then I plan on putting at least 1" - 2" of acoustic foam on top of that (however I've read that foam doesn't really do anything other than make it quieter *inside* the room, right?)

I live in a sub-division where the houses next to me are very close. Do you think I will be able to play drums and/or practice with a full band in this room without pissing anyone off?

2nd floor is even more difficult than you think - due to the fact that sound will travel over and under anything you do with wall treatments.......

As far as your wall treatments go -

The fiberboard is not enough mass - you would do better with 2 layers of drywall -

the foam is a complete waste of money for isolation - it serves literally no purpose from that perspective.

Doing this (what you suggest) to your room will not (ever) give you the sound isolation you think or need...........

The problem is this - there is no cheap easy way to do what you want.......... you literally have to deal with walls / ceilings / floors - both from the perspective of isolated systems to deal with sound levels as well as flanking transmissions........

Find another place to practice - or do as the gent suggested and get an electronic Kit.........

We practiced for years where we used headphones - everything went direct in - with electronic drums.......... turn that up as loud as you can stand it - and the neighbors will never hear a thing.

Rod

[nonethelessband]

i agree with everyone else. Electronic or move on out.
Here is a sad story and a good lesson on sound proofing. I built a 15x15 Room in My parents barn years ago ( my first lesson) I doubled the wall thickness and hung rubber in between, had insallation blown into the walls, evey freaking wall! And you could still hear the shit!
My second attempt was in a garage. This time we double coated the walls with Matresses then put plywood up. It was a concrete floor and piled mattreses on the attic. It would get hotter then hell in there we had closed up so tight.
A week later a State Trooper showed up telling us we were done!

So the best way to deal with the situation that I have found is find some where you can be loud as hell and the neighbors can handle it. We paractice in the basement of our lead singers mothers house. We still have to fight with her from time to time
Later
www.nonethelessband.com

w