I just moved my studio into my house and need to block some sound out

  • Thread starter Thread starter Weird Musician
  • Start date Start date
W

Weird Musician

New member
I recently bought a house and luckily got 2 bedrooms for my music studio, one for the computers and keyboards and guitars and stuff and another for my drums, but there are 2 windows in the drum room and I wonder how I could cover them up to dull the sound outside a bit cause you can hear them pretty loud out there and I don't want to get my brand new neighbors pissed at me :), I have no idea what to do, any suggestions would be great, thanks.
 
Ideally, you should remove the windows and replace them with walls, including multiple layers of sheet rock. Since you probably won't want to do this, the next best thing is an insert that has the sound deadening quality of your walls. More than this is a waste of money, since sound takes the path of least resistance. Depending on your window construction, You might get away with building an insert that is framed similar to your wall, only with narrower framing than your wall has, then putting two layers of sheet rock on each side of the studs, and (first choice) caulking the insert in place in the window, or (better for removal) lining the edges with self-adhesive weather stripping foam and fitting the whole thing into the window sill. The end result should be a section of wall that is the same thickness as your window recess, but with double wallboard on each side of the framing. For removal, buy two of those Stanley heavy duty barn door handles (Home Depot, etc) and screw them thru the wallboard into the frame of the insert. Remember, sound finds any small hole, so build accordingly.

For the doors, you might want to replace the (normally) hollow core doors with solid core ones, and get a sealable threshhold for the doors too. If that's not enough isolation, try sheet lead or sheet block from Auralex.com - not cheap, but it works. Remember, sound PROOFING takes MASS - nothing else works. There are lots of ways to sound CONDITION a room, check this out for some -

http://www.acoustics101.com/

That should get you started, good luck... Steve
 
I'm doing this very thing right now. I've built a window plug 3' x 4' x 6" out of 1x6 s and hardboard. Will seal it into the window frame however necessary (combination of fiberglass insulation, caulk, weatherstripping). It will be filled with SAND (yes, VERY heavy -- but superb sound absorbtion). Yes, this is in an APARTMENT (read: "not my place!") so I'll have to tear it down when I move out.

I've tacked the hardboard into the frame with 1 1/4" (3d) tacks supplemented by larger nails at the corners. (Drilled holes for all the large nails). There is one horizontal brace (so the weight won't be held entirely on the bottom board) and a vertical brace holding THAT up. (It's a "T" shape). Caulked all the seams; waiting (for the caulk to dry & cure) to fill the lower two compartments with sand. Then, I gotta figure out how to fill the upper compartment, since that is gonna be one heavy BASTAGE to pick up if I do it before hand ;)

When I close it up (when the box is full of sand), it will be covered with another piece of 1/4" hardboard (smooth side INWARD) and then a piece of sheetrock facing into the room. This piece of sheetrock can be painted. Yes, it will need handles--in case anyone wants to try to pick it up :)

The plug will stick out from the wall about 3" -- but it will look nice, since some nice Primacoustic foam will grace it :):)

Don't ask what will happen if we get an earthquake :eek: ;)


Chad
 
"Yes, it will need handles--in case anyone wants to try to pick it up " - Handles? HANDLES??!? What about the freakin' CRANE to lift it? 'Way to overcome the apartment limitation, though - Maybe you should figure out a way to mark where that cross-brace is, so when you move you could just cut a hole above the brace and vacuum out the sand with a shop-vac or something - I can't think of any handles (including the Stanley barn door ones) that would be enough to lift that much sand - still I bet the window isn't the weak link in your wall anymore... Steve
 
exactly!

knightfly said:
"Yes, it will need handles--in case anyone wants to try to pick it up " - Handles? HANDLES??!? What about the freakin' CRANE to lift it?
Click to expand...

Yeah... In fact, that was foremost on the mind (after caulking it, and realizing that there was NO WAY IN HELL I was going to beable to lift it :D) Thinking about ways to install it in the window (empty) FIRST... then... what I'm thinking of to fill it is... measure the exact amount of sand needed for each of the three cavities, staplegun thick pieces of burlap to the inside of so that there's a gap at the top of each, fill each one (the sand will bulge out -- like big, rectangular beer guts ;)) and then push the final piece of hardboard into place.

Any better suggestions on how to fill that sucker up? So far, there's cutting holes in the cross brace and top, putting it into the frame, then filling it (don't like that), and the burlap idea. Either that, or I could just fill it, close it up, and have six guys with no regard for their lower backs help me lift it into place :D

Maybe you should figure out a way to mark where that cross-brace is, so when you move you could just cut a hole above the brace and vacuum out the sand with a shop-vac or something
Click to expand...

That's actually a great idea. Thought about cutting holes in it to let all the sand out when moving, but the vaccuum idea makes even better sense. I wonder if you could use a sandblaster, or something (like a vaccuum in reverse) to fill the sucker in the first place. It would compromise the design a bit, but would be relatively painless... Hmmm...:rolleyes:


Chad
 
Naah, forget the sandblaster - I tried to use one of those to clean the loose paint off a house one time - soon as the sand cut thru the hard paint, it would drill a hole in the wood in about half a second...

Actually, unless your walls are sand-filled concrete block or 8" solid concrete, the sand filling will be 'way overkill. I would think it would be much easier to just use 2-3 layers of sheet rock on each side, and fill the middle with fiberglas insulation, as much as you can get in. As soon as you equal the TL of the wall, you're wasting your time/money/back, etc going any further - That way, you might actually be able to USE those handles for something other than hanging cables on 'em... Steve
 
thanks, kf...

The thought did occur to try different materials in the window box, but I needed an expert opinion and just got it from you :)

Sheetrock and the pink stuff, huh? How about a layer of sand (1~2" thick), the pink stuff, then some sheetrock? (Just need to figure out what I'm gonna do with all this FREAKIN SAND! :D:D)

Another material was suggested -- packing peanuts... and I thought of those 1" thick styrofoam sheets as well, to be used in the center. Anyhow this is much closer to being complete, thanks to you kf. :D thanks :cool:


Chad
 
Why doesn't someone invent window plugs that have a hollow plastic core that one can fill with water. Water should have mass (although its ability to transmit sound is a bit worrisome) and it could easily be drained and filled without hassle.

Is this a foolish idea?
 
If it busted and got water everywhere

if water got all over the very expensive music equipment that would be very very bad!
 
Sorry guys but for me sand is total overkill and extremely difficult to deal with.(fine on a roof) remember your sound retention is oly as good as the weakest point. Sheetblok would be easier to use :)

cheers
John
 
Re: If it busted and got water everywhere

Weird Musician said:
if water got all over the very expensive music equipment that would be very very bad!
Click to expand...
Weird,

Would ytou rather have sand all over your console?

;-)
 
I guess the moral of the story is don't take your music equipment to the beach.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top