My plan for finishing out a home studio - please give me your criticism and input

[ob]

I have made several posts here in an effort to educate myself on studio construction and soundproofing, and after doing as much research as possible on the Internet, have developed a plan. I would like to hear from anyone with more experience than me as to where I am screwing up.

Initially, the existing building. I am converting a 17 x 19 second floor garage apartment. As best as I can tell, this garage was built in 1923, when the house was built. The floor is tongue and groove pine flooring on 2x8’s 12 inches on center. The exterior walls are either building block (large brick-like objects) covered by brick on the gable ends or 2x4’s 16” on center covered by 1x8’s and vinyl siding The roof is very steeply pitched (probably 60 degrees) and is covered in slate. Shed dormers were cut into the roof to create space, and these are covered with flat rubber roofs.

The interior has a 17 x 19 footprint, but because of the pitch of the roof, not all that space is usable. It is essentially divided into two rooms; one is 17 x 14, and the bathroom is 5 x 8. There are two “closets” cut into the corners of the 17 x 14 room that are roughly 4x4. The bathroom is roughly 5 x 8. The ceiling is 7 feet high, but I have determined that in the center, I can raise it.

There is one exterior door and three windows. The windows are single pane, double hung, and the door is solid with a fixed window in it.

Demolition. The walls are currently covered in “beaver board”, which I am ripping out. I am also tearing out the wiring and getting rid of the bathroom fixtures and sealing all the holes where the plumbing was. The bathroom will be an isolation room or control room, depending on where I am recording.

Framing and Insulation. I plan on building new, staggered walls on the inside of the existing walls. For the ends with the building block, I am going to use 2x6’s; for the ends with stud walls, 2x 4’s. I am going to seal the cracks with caulk and I am going to add resilient channel to the studs and sit the drywall on neoprene when I get to that point.

I am going to raise the ceiling to 9’.

I am not sure about the insulation. I was going to use Owens-Corning acoustical bats; my question is 3.5” or 5.5” in the walls. I have 5.5” of space, but wondered if I would be better off with 3.5” and an air space or 5.5” and no space. If I go with 3.5”, does it go against the outside wall or the drywall? Where is the best place to put the insulation?

Drywall. Two layers of 5/8” staggered. Sitting on neoprene, taped and mudded.

Lighting. Track lighting in the large room, a single recessed can in the isolation room. Are dimmer switches a bad idea because of interference?

HVAC. A mini split heat pump. I figure that I will have to shut it off when I record, but it seems like the cheapest and most efficient way to heat and cool the place.

Doors and Windows. Leave the existing windows but build “plugs” to cover them as needed for soundproofing. Replace the door with a new door and perhaps build an airlock into the doorway. Put double pane windows in the isolation room.

Drum Riser. Build a drum riser with 2x6’s, particleboard, some sort of acoustic material between layers, and sitting on Auralex Uboats.

Other issues. I don’t know what to do with the existing floor. I don’t really want to put another floor on top of it because of expense and labor.

Ok, what have I missed? Am I doomed to failure? Is any of this unnecessary?

 

[Todzilla]

First, some questions:

1) What's yer budget?

2) What are your goals?

3) What do you want to do in the resulting space?

4) How soundproofed do you need to be?

5) How strong is your back (for lifting gear up stairs)?

6) What the hell is "beaver board"?

7) Drawings are very helpful?

8) You talk about raising the ceiling. What is the roof joisting system like? Does it have trussing? If so, how high is the truss?

9) Is the framing for the bathroom load bearing (probably not, but you don't want to find out the hard way)?

10) Can you use closets as bass traps?

Thoughts:

1) Consider treating the garage below so as to make a live room. This could save you on a drum riser, which will undoubtedly strain the existing joists if you really make it isolating

2) My understanding is that absorptive insulation (e.g., OC 703) is not nearly as good an insulator as fluffy stuff (e.g., looser pink R-19). What is more important, thermal insulation or sound absorption.

3) Angles walls/ceiling go a long way to avoiding parallel surfaces. make use of corners for bass trapping

4) As long as bathroom wall is not load bearing, think about room ratios between control and tracking without preconceived notions. Everest has a garage footprint studio plan in his plans book. Moving a wall or making a new one is surprisingly inexpensive in the grand scheme (if your labor is free).

5) Dimmers are a bad idea, unless you go to weird and expensive lengths. Just have a phalanx of lights- lava lights, little christmas lights, halogens. You can set the mood cooler than with the giant overheads. Overheads are good for super illumination for finding that dropped guitar pick in the shag carpeting, but that's about it...

6) Floor reinforcement is an issue depending on your need to soundproof against neighbors and family. This will probably be the weak link in your soundproofing, so don't go overboard everywhere else. You may be going nuts with the walls (staggered studs, double sheetrock, resilient channels, massive window plugs) only to have all the sound leak through floor joists. Put a carpet in with a really thick pad. But then you lose the cool pine flooring look...

7) HVAC - good move. By having a separate unit, you will solve lots of otherwise maddening problems.

That's all I can think of for now. Sit tight and let the real gurus weigh in...

 

[ob]

Thanks for the input. Here's some answers.

1) What's yer budget? Whatever it takes to get done what I have outlined; probably around $2,000, with me doing all the labor.

2) What are your goals? To soundproof the room so that I can play the drums and not bother my neighbors. If I can contain the drums, everyhting else should be ok.

3) What do you want to do in the resulting space? If this means what am I going to do in the large room, use it for recording. I have a Roland 1680 and Mackie board which are on a wheeled cart, which I plan on moving around as needed. If recording a group, I can be in the bathroom/isolation room with the band in the larger room; Otherwise I will be in the large room if by myself.

4) How soundproofed do you need to be? See Number 2 above. My neighbors are close - 40 feet on each side.

5) How strong is your back (for lifting gear up stairs)? Fair to middlin for a 38 year old.

6) What the hell is "beaver board"? Yeah, that's what I wondered, and it almost ellicits a smutty response, Anyway, it's a type of wall board which was very popular in the 20's and 30's. It is mainly paper and wood shavings, I think. It has the propensity of coming off in chunks no bigger than your fist, and producing a hell of a lot of dust when doing that.

7) Drawings are very helpful? I'll see what I can do. I'm no wizard in that department.

8) You talk about raising the ceiling. What is the roof joisting system like? Does it have trussing? If so, how high is the truss? The roof joists are big, long 2x10's. It does not appear to have any spreaders, although the current ceiling joists (2x4's) may be serving that purpose. I'm having a contractor look at it before I start sawing.

9) Is the framing for the bathroom load bearing (probably not, but you don't want to find out the hard way)? No. It is merely a partition wall.

10) Can you use closets as bass traps? I thought about that. They are hollow and the inside wall slopes towards the interior of the building due to the roof. (the roof line is the back of the closet).