Track Lighting Question

[darwin]

To reduce a negative impact on STC in a ceiling, how do you recommend installing the track for track lighting? I was hoping to not have to use the drywall anchors that comes with the stuff. Is there a safe way to adhere the track to drywall?

 

[Michael Jones]

No matter what you do, you're going to have penetrations in studio walls and ceilings. What you DON'T want to do, is start sacrificing common sense, structural integrity, and safety for STC.

Trying to glue or adhere your tracks to the ceiling is probably NOT going to work. Install them per the manufacture's recommendation, just seal up the holes you create from the toggle bolts with a quality acoustic caulk.

 

[JPickman]

Hey Darwin,

Holmes Drywall has some pretty good acoustical caulk. Where are you building your studio at? What kind of equipment are you using?



-Pick Man

 

[Shockwave]

I agree with Michael. The last thing you want is the thing to come crashing down. I opted not to use the crummy hollow wall anchors that come with the track lights. Get yourself some good light duty hollow wall anchors so you make the hole once, and only once. I have found the box of white, fat cork screw type with screws inclusive in the box to be the quickest and most reliable.

Dan

 

[darwin]

Hey Darwin,

Holmes Drywall has some pretty good acoustical caulk. Where are you building your studio at? What kind of equipment are you using?



-Pick Man

Ya, I saw that at Holmes Drywall.

It's going to have pretty high end stuff by the end of the year. I should be able to record bands pretty much live. I am going to take a trip to Nashville and get a 2" as soon as I get the Drywall done. I hope that won't be more than 1.5 months. I probably won't go ProTools. I am actually looking at the new Apogee A/D, D/A converters. They output straight to firewire. I don't really want to go commercial with it because it is my home and I have a pretty decent day job so I can just do my own projects and friends projects that I want to work on.

 

[riley357]

Those are called "Zip-It's" and they work very well. I would avoid the plastic ones, however, and get the ones made of pot metal. I've had the plastic ones deform during install or the tips can break off too.

Another option is to layout your holes in the track to match your ceiling joist layout and screw directly into the joists. Nothing to caulk then.

As far as your box for the supply voltage goes, those can be sealed with a duct-seal pad and caulked around the outside of the box UP IN THE ATTIC to reduce sound travel. if you're pretty handy with a caulking gun you may be able to put a thin bead around the opening in the room as well. Just don't put big globs of the stuff so it forces your term-fitting away from the ceiling.