2 QUESTIONS - recessed lighting tradeoffs and high STC doors

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jonothon

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Question 1 -- I really like the look of recessed lighting, but am concerned about losing isolation, cutting big holes in soundproofed ceilings. Should I just go with track lighting?

Question 2 -- What improvement will I get by buying an expensive commercial soundproofed door vs. a do it myself slab with weatherstripping and whatever hardware is designed to make a tight fit? And does anyone have suggestions for said hardware?

thanks
 
-bump-

Also need answer to Commercial STC Door question... about to drop $2,800 on two STC 63 doors.
 
scuppari said:
-bump-

Also need answer to Commercial STC Door question... about to drop $2,800 on two STC 63 doors.
Click to expand...

If you have it budgeted, go for it. I'd be jealous with my cheesy bifold doors in my home studio :(

Regarding the first question - track or recessed, track is easier to install, and you can have longer wired lights hanging for over a piano, or shorter ones to aim at the walls with floods or spots, track lighting is more flexible.

Though recessed lighting looks good too. If you're going to install it and still want to retain the sound proofing, you're going to have to build an enclosure above it (using plywood probably) and chaulk it so its sealed. Then use low-wattage bulbs as not to start a fire. If a dimmer is not required, you can use those new-fangled flourescent bulbs - they screw in like normal bulbs but don't generate any heat (and they don't burn out either!)
 
scuppari, what doors are you looking at? is that $2800 apiece or for both?

It's not in my budget, but I'm worried about street noise. I want NONE!!! If it takes thousands, then so be it, I'd rather spend the money now than kick myself every time a truck rumbles by.

but I sure would be happy if someone could direct me to some hardware that would make a standard solid slab door really tight and soundproof.

and save me (and you) a thousand dollars or two.
 
Regarding lights I agree w/ Frederic, I used low-voltage track lights instead of recessed lights. I found these lights at HomeDepot on clearance for $35 a set (4' track w/ 3 lights) instead of $75 regular price. Their 40% off clearance mdse sale ends this weekend.

I've contacted Chris at www.soundguardwindows.com regarding STC 63 doors. Take a look at the vinyl doors (w/ glass) pictured on the patio. Has double-glazed windows, extra insulation, 5 point locking mechanism to ensure tight seal, etc. But despite all of this, he hasn't been able to provide proof the door is rated at STC 63. He said it will, but.... BTW, it's $1,400 per door and includes shipping direct from the factory.

I've been looking high & low for hinges, seals, etc. to convert a solid-core door. I just found info on www.soundproofing.org regarding seals and how to use a router to improve sound quality of a regular door. However, they don't sell much hardware (at least I haven't found it on their website).

Hope this helps.
 
jonothon said:
scuppari, what doors are you looking at? is that $2800 apiece or for both?

It's not in my budget, but I'm worried about street noise. I want NONE!!! If it takes thousands, then so be it, I'd rather spend the money now than kick myself every time a truck rumbles by.

but I sure would be happy if someone could direct me to some hardware that would make a standard solid slab door really tight and soundproof.

and save me (and you) a thousand dollars or two.
Click to expand...

I am not sure if this is going to work for you, but it worked for me.

As you may recall (or not), my 5'x7' vocal booth resides over a stairwell, and has a window to the outside (cringe, its okay).

Because I couldn't find an "off the shelf" door(s) that matched the width of the stairwell opening, I instead at the suggestion of my wife used a pair of bi-fold interior doors. I attached the two pairs of doors to each other, then hinged from one side, so that the doors when folded up, completely open up the stairwell to bring gear and things up and down the stairs.

Sound did get through the doors as well as the large gaps, so what I did was take them down, drill out several small holes in the top of the doors, and fill with well-mixed resin. After it tried for about a week, being that they are now VERY heavy, I re-hinged them with higher quality hinges and certainly longer bolts. Since the resin dried hard as a rock, the fact that the doors are hollow and the edge pieces are only an inch thick really didn't matter. I used a drill press to make sure the hinge holes were straight.

Remounted them and all is well as far as the doors go. I will be carpeting them inside and out both for appearance and a little more high end control.

The gaps between the doors and the walls/etc need more work, right now I have four layers of sheet rubber between the wall and the door edges (much like a giant squeegie) and it does reduce a lot of the sound that passes through.

Being that the window in the vocal booth is exposed to the backyard, and I'm on a cul-de-sac, there is minimal noise coming in through the window. I have to worry about lawnmowers and birds :)

I cut out two pieces of 3/4" plywood, glued them together, and hinged them into the frame of the window, so that I can swing it out into the vocal booth to get fresh air when not recording, but also to close it up when I am. The plywood has strips of rubber gasket material around its edges thus sealing the window fairly well, though not perfectly.
 
bumpity bump bump


- No response to high STC door question... does this mean nobody has used these doors?
 
I haven't got that far yet, but if you REALLY want to drop a chunk of change, go to overly.com and drill down to their studio door area - last time I looked, you could drop oer $5000 on just ONE door. If you click on actual part #'s, there are drawings in several formats that are good brainstorming stuff.

The other way would be DIY - Everest's Master Handbook of Acoustics has some basic details but no complete plans, for BBC type doors. Involves magnetic seals, felt trim, heavy mass, etc - You could build your own, if you're a rabid DIY guy, out of 3 layers of 3/4" particle board faced with the veneer of your choice, two complete (inner and outer) weatherstripping seals, and some kind of drop-down bottom seal. Two of these in an airlock would be better. For that weight, massive hinges are mandatory.

Stanley used to sell an exterior door with mag seal for a couple hundred $US, but I heard they dropped the mag seal a few months ago. Those worked well in pairs with a soundlock. Sheetblock helps normal solid core doors some, but is kind of expensive.

I'm still working on affordable solutions too, hopefully misery loves company... Steve
 
I'm in the process of putting together a cost estimate for the design I have in another thread, and doors are un-godly expensive!

I have 4 sliding glass doors, and 7 - 30" man doors. I was thinking $4000 for the lot; it's more like $8500! Just for doors!!
I can't remember what the STC rating is for them. It's decent though.
 
How much?

Holy you know what!! , for that kind of money, I'd think about moving to the country!!LOL But Geeeeez, whats going on in your neighborhood, war?Just kiddin!!
But seriously though, if its trucks and things like that, maybe your doors arn't going to do the trick no matter how much they cost, and how good the rating is. That is unless of course, the rest of the studio is of the same quality. (Weakest link syndrome) But it sounds to me you might be beating a dead horse if there is just your home floor. or home construction. And without knowing the rest of the story, its hard to qualify that kind of expenditure. Of course, its your money. Your studio. Do what you think is right for yourself, but frankly, how much noise are you trying to keep out. Do you really know? I am certainly no expert on this subject. And the other guys who responded are a LOT more knowledgable on this than me. I'm just the kind of guy that would rather spend the money on soundproofing I KNOW I need. And that might be hard to determine. Especially if it is low frequency transmission through the ground(trucks, trains, etc. At least, look at it from all angles before spending that kind of moola, and finding out later you still have transmission through the floor. Or someother part of the building. How about your HVAC? Do you plan on spending alot on that also, as thats the worse one of all! And could totally negate the benefits of those expensive doors. And how about the walls that surround them. And the ceiling Same rating? I sure can't afford to throw that kind of money at something, and have it fail just because other parts of the program weren't in the same league! But good luck with your studio. Sorry I couldn't really give you a qualified answer. Just 2 cents.
fitz:)
 
Second idea

Mass is whats happinin, when it comes to stopping sound dead in its tracks. If it were me, I've been tossing around an idea of welding steel frames with pre-drilled hardware machining. and casting concrete/rebar in them. Then shiething them with 3/4" MDF. Of course the jambs would also be steel. Or laminating 2 layers of 1 1/2" MDF, with 4 HD Soss hinges and a perimeter neoprene seal machined into all 4 edges. OR something to that effect. Don't really have any idea the rating I would have, but I know it would be better that spending $5000. At least for me. Even if it took double doors. I have to build damn near everything myself, including the HVAC. But thats me. And I don't mind experimenting on things like that. I just do it till I get it right. Kind of like trim tabs on an experimental aircraft. Just keep movin em untill it flys straight. At least thats what my dad says.
fitz:)
 
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