Sound Proofing Closet
- Thread starter Decipha
- Start date
RICK FITZPATRICK
New member
There is no such thing as "soundproof". Only degrees of sound transmission loss, measured in db. In general, there are two things that will improve transmission loss. Mass and decoupling. However, there are many caveats to using these. In theory, simply adding another layer of drywall the same thickness as exists, will result in a maximum of 6db improvement as you would be doubling the mass. However, that is on BOTH leafs(both sides of the studs). For example, if your environmental noise floor is 40db(sirens, trucks, trains, helicopters) within the closet, then doubling the mass is a waste of time and money. This is what most people do not understand. In order to define the maximum transmission loss solution, you have to know what the source level is in the first place. Otherwise you are simply guessing. Some people have been known to use SEVEN layers of drywall to reach their TL goals. However, if your room is on an upper floor, and flanking through a wooden floor occurs(structural transmission, then it would be of little use, as even a 12" thick concrete wall and ceiling would be of little value. This is the problem. Not only do the walls and ceiling have to meet the TL target, the floor and door must also. Otherwise, the weak link syndrome occurs. Even if the floor is a concrete slab, if drums were being played in an adjacent room, flanking can occur through the slab into the closet. How loud this flanking would be within the closet is anyones guess. That is why some people will suggest a wood floating floor. Well, I would suggest this is HOGWASH, as unless it is a floating concrete slab, and the walls/ceiling have the same TL as the floor, you would be wasting time, money and energy. You could build a wood platform filled with sand, and float it on rubber(EDPM) or fiberglass decouplers, but unless NEW double walls were built ON the platform with a suspended ceiling(floating room), it would be a waste. Considering this is a closet, and you are looking for a cheap solution, I would suggest taking that with a grain of salt. However, it will illustrate the point. Drums, bass and guitar amps, traffic rumble or other high spl sources adjacent to the "isolated" space would be NON NEGOTIABLE transmission. In otherwords, unless you can apply these sort of solutions,you won't be able to isolate the closet from them. PERIOD.
If on the other hand, you simply need to isolate a vocalist from your monitors, this is an animal of a different color. Depending on your monitoring levels, a moderate application of DE-COUPLED drywall, and installation of a solid core door or even TWO, may do the trick. However, to de-couple the interior leaf of the closet, REQUIRES removal of the existing drywall within the closet, and applying RESILIANT CHANNEL, and then applying TWO layers of drywall on the RC. But it still depends on existing conditions. If severe flanking through a wood floor occurs, you might have to build a sandfilled platform floating BETWEEN the de-coupled drywall. Also, if drywall is removed, the you MUST fill the wall and ceiling joist and stud cavities with batt type insulation. Also, caulkin of all joints, between stud and jambs, and the gap between the drywall and the platform become critical procedure, as the performance of the RC depends on its ability to vibrate freely. And this is also depends on which side of the wall the source is louder. RC on the inside of the closet will work better to isolate the the vocalist from the outside world. To isolate the monitors from the closet, it would work better on the opposite face of the wall, which with a closet, becomes almost impossible, as the front wall faces a different space than the back wall. See what I mean.
But then you face the biggest challange. HVAC or ventilation within the closet. Singers usually like to breath while singing, and when you "soundproof", you "airproof"
And here is the caveat. When you penetrate the interior shell that you just worked so hard to isolate, you now create a flanking path for noise generated by a fan DIRECTLY into the booth!!
There are solutions for this also, but is beyond the scope of this reply to describe.
This is why it is IMPERITIVE for you to tell us your isolation GOALS. "Soundproof" tells us nothing as it does NOT exist.
The best way for us to help you, is for you to tell us exactly what it is you are trying to "soundproof" the closet FROM....ie....monitoring in the adjacent room.....drums or other instruments.........traffic.......neighbors or what....or vice versa? And then tell us about the existing building conditions and the location conditions. Only then can we begin to suggest solutions.
To answer your question regarding the CHEAPEST "soundproofing" material, that would be run of the mill gypsum board, and a solid core door. PERIOD. No ifs, ands or butts. But that means NOTHING if not used within a context of solution technique dependent on your set of circumstances and budget, skill, existing conditions, and space allotments. Here is the last caveat. If you are renting, good luck. There is little besides expensive limp mass blankets and changing of the doo/threshold, that you can do.
BTW, if you are to lazy to search, no doubt you are too lazy to build also, which is probably why my reply was a waste of time.
fitZ
If on the other hand, you simply need to isolate a vocalist from your monitors, this is an animal of a different color. Depending on your monitoring levels, a moderate application of DE-COUPLED drywall, and installation of a solid core door or even TWO, may do the trick. However, to de-couple the interior leaf of the closet, REQUIRES removal of the existing drywall within the closet, and applying RESILIANT CHANNEL, and then applying TWO layers of drywall on the RC. But it still depends on existing conditions. If severe flanking through a wood floor occurs, you might have to build a sandfilled platform floating BETWEEN the de-coupled drywall. Also, if drywall is removed, the you MUST fill the wall and ceiling joist and stud cavities with batt type insulation. Also, caulkin of all joints, between stud and jambs, and the gap between the drywall and the platform become critical procedure, as the performance of the RC depends on its ability to vibrate freely. And this is also depends on which side of the wall the source is louder. RC on the inside of the closet will work better to isolate the the vocalist from the outside world. To isolate the monitors from the closet, it would work better on the opposite face of the wall, which with a closet, becomes almost impossible, as the front wall faces a different space than the back wall. See what I mean.
But then you face the biggest challange. HVAC or ventilation within the closet. Singers usually like to breath while singing, and when you "soundproof", you "airproof"
And here is the caveat. When you penetrate the interior shell that you just worked so hard to isolate, you now create a flanking path for noise generated by a fan DIRECTLY into the booth!!There are solutions for this also, but is beyond the scope of this reply to describe.
This is why it is IMPERITIVE for you to tell us your isolation GOALS. "Soundproof" tells us nothing as it does NOT exist.
The best way for us to help you, is for you to tell us exactly what it is you are trying to "soundproof" the closet FROM....ie....monitoring in the adjacent room.....drums or other instruments.........traffic.......neighbors or what....or vice versa? And then tell us about the existing building conditions and the location conditions. Only then can we begin to suggest solutions.
To answer your question regarding the CHEAPEST "soundproofing" material, that would be run of the mill gypsum board, and a solid core door. PERIOD. No ifs, ands or butts. But that means NOTHING if not used within a context of solution technique dependent on your set of circumstances and budget, skill, existing conditions, and space allotments. Here is the last caveat. If you are renting, good luck. There is little besides expensive limp mass blankets and changing of the doo/threshold, that you can do.
BTW, if you are to lazy to search, no doubt you are too lazy to build also, which is probably why my reply was a waste of time.
fitZ