carpet?

[jingleheimer]

Ok i have a "studio" in my friends basement and in our lack of knowledge we covered the walls with carpet in order to deaden the echo of the room. well now i relize that carpet was probably a bad choice in materials, even though the echo isnt there anymore neither is much of our sound. My question is should i tear all of the carpet down and start new with studio foam and basetraps or should i simply try and take down some of the carpet to give the room some more resonance?

here are some pics of how we carpeted the walls (and yes i will admitt that we are very cheap)

 

[Gorty]

My question is should i tear all of the carpet down and start new with studio foam and basetraps or should i simply try and take down some of the carpet to give the room some more resonance?

here are some pics of how we carpeted the walls (and yes i will admitt that we are very cheap)



Hey jingleheimer,

Ideally treating your room acoustically will help you achieve the best results in your critical listening environment, which will mean Bass traps, absorbers and diffussers. Studio foam is not cheap, however DIY treatments using Rigid Fiberglass or Rockwool in frames covered with material will be cheaper, producing favourable results.

Have a read through this forum and you will find some very useful information.

 

[Renascent]

If it's too dead you might want to "Stagger" the carpet panels. Sure it's a cheapo way, but if you guys aren't working with a lot of $$$, that might be a better way to liven up the room. Diffusers and absorbers aren't mega expensive to build, just some fiberglass and wood, you may also want to consider those.
Looks cool!
Scott

 

[Rod Gervais]

jingleheimer,

My only comment is that you have created a fire trap - if ever there was a fire - those pieces of carpet would go up in a flash.

Carpet isn't made to be installed on walls - except Berber (and that is not Berber Carpet)- and even then only under controlled situations.

If I were you - I would remove the carpet and use conventional methods.

Sincerely,

Rod

 

[seismetr0n]

even though its improper i put carpet on 1 of my walls (1 of the 2 that were parellel), and it worked out pretty good.

(cheap answer (free))
i'd recommend renascent's advice, remove at least 1/4 randomly (not all in 1 spot) and keep listening and removing until you have a decent "liveness" that youre looking for.

gl

 

[apl]

Carpet is only effective absorbing higher frequencies. You'll still have problems with bass.

A hard floor is good because your brain knows it's going to hear those reflections and if they're missing it'll sense that something's unnatural.

Check out www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html

 

[lomky]

jingleheimer,

My only comment is that you have created a fire trap - if ever there was a fire - those pieces of carpet would go up in a flash.

Carpet isn't made to be installed on walls - except Berber (and that is not Berber Carpet)- and even then only under controlled situations.

If I were you - I would remove the carpet and use conventional methods.

Sincerely,

Rod

On this note, does anyone know about that no burn spray stuff? http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/no-burn_fabric_fire_guard.html?gid=

I think without heavy consideration on the materials used you are going to create a firetrap. The only way to avoid is to use Concrete, 5/8" Drywall, or Timber.

 

[Rod Gervais]

On this note, does anyone know about that no burn spray stuff? http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/no-burn_fabric_fire_guard.html?gid=

I think without heavy consideration on the materials used you are going to create a firetrap. The only way to avoid is to use Concrete, 5/8" Drywall, or Timber.

Actually - most all of the wall coverings meet the requirements of ASTM A84 when installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Also - the building codes set out a whole series of explanations based on thickness - mounting type - etc., etc., exactly how one can determine if a material is acceptable for use.

For walls - there are almost all woods - leather - a world full of fabrics - mats made from grasses (which we just used inside the pool level of a new hotel) - an endless number of possibilities that meet codes.

The Sprays are acceptable if they are certified for the materials they're sprayed on - for example - if they tested that product with carpet in the normal use - that does not certify it safe for carpet installed on walls.

And any time that you install something that does not meet the building and ife safety code standards (I'm only talking about in the US now - I don't know about other countries) you take a chance of having your insurance company abandon you if there was a fire - and if there was a death that your installation contributed to (that didn't meet code) you stand a chance of criminal proscecution.

So don't assume just because it's a fire spray that it means you're covered.

Sincerely,

Rod

 

[Zaphod B]

Damn, that room is ugly!

 

[lomky]

Actually - most all of the wall coverings meet the requirements of ASTM A84 when installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Also - the building codes set out a whole series of explanations based on thickness - mounting type - etc., etc., exactly how one can determine if a material is acceptable for use.

For walls - there are almost all woods - leather - a world full of fabrics - mats made from grasses (which we just used inside the pool level of a new hotel) - an endless number of possibilities that meet codes.

The Sprays are acceptable if they are certified for the materials they're sprayed on - for example - if they tested that product with carpet in the normal use - that does not certify it safe for carpet installed on walls.

And any time that you install something that does not meet the building and ife safety code standards (I'm only talking about in the US now - I don't know about other countries) you take a chance of having your insurance company abandon you if there was a fire - and if there was a death that your installation contributed to (that didn't meet code) you stand a chance of criminal proscecution.

So don't assume just because it's a fire spray that it means you're covered.

Sincerely,

Rod

I would never assume anything as such. Here in Alberta we have a huge building code that addresses such issues as combustible and non combustible construction, finishing materials, and building assemblies. I would never suggest that I understand all the ins and outs of our building code (we had an 80 hour course on it and only scratched the surface). I was just flipping through part 9 of our code (Pertaining to small buildings and residential) and to be honest, without relaxation a studio would be pretty difficult to build in a residential basement.

I would love to hear some users experiences in building codes and home studios.

As far as the spray I was speaking of, I was wondering of its effectiveness in conjunction with proper building practices. /edit: After re-reading your post, I totally agree with the effectiveness of products in different situations such as fabric on walls :edit/ If there is a fire and the flame spread can be slowed it may give you extra necessary time to evacuate. I would NEVER suggest that a product such as this should be relied upon to compensate for bad construction.

 

[johnnypraze]

On another note...

It Looks Good...

How in the world did you aquire all those samples...?

 

[timboZ]

jingleheimer,

My only comment is that you have created a fire trap - if ever there was a fire - those pieces of carpet would go up in a flash.

Why is carpet on the walls a fire trap, and carpet on the floor is not?

Is a wood floor a firetrap?
Is wood panneling a firetrap?

 

[Rod Gervais]

Why is carpet on the walls a fire trap, and carpet on the floor is not?

Is a wood floor a firetrap?
Is wood panneling a firetrap?

Tim,

Does wood burn the same if it's vertical as it does when it's horizontal? (I'll save you thinking about it - the answer is "no"). Even a piece of paper will burn more rapidly when you hold it up then when you lay it flat.

Same thing with any other material - when placed vertical any material will develope a fire faster than if it's laying flat on top of another substance.

By the way - on top of another substance is also a part of the equation.

So carpet hung in the air with open air space on both sides will also burn faster than flat on a floor.

Another thing that happens in fires is that you develope a heat pocket that builds from the ceiling down - and the higher the fire gets in the air - the more heat exists to help it to increase it's burn rate.

Thus - carpet installed on a ceiling (tight to it - even glued to it) will burn more rapidly than carpet on top of a floor.

All of that having been said - think about it - if carpet manufacturer's could sell their product for wall and ceiling applications - don't you think they would? Don't you think it odd that Berber Carpet has been certified for walls - and no other style of carpet has?

The reason for this is because they cannot meet both the developed heat and smoke requirements that exist for the building and life safety codes.

The tests performed for wall coverings is not the same test performed for floor coverings and again neither of those are the same tests performed for ceiling coverings.

Because the fire acts so differently in each condition - the tests are done for each condition.

It's just that simple.

Sincerely,

Rod

 

[timboZ]

Thanks Rod.

You opened my eyes.
I never gave it that much thought.