John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

The sketch up above in this thread shows the the basic layout and double walls and door and window locations (for the time being... nothing is built).

Below is my guess at the layers...

All of the walls that aren't the house (the left wall and the top wall in the sketch, and the half of the right wall) will be rebuilt, so we can do whatever we want exterior finish on in. A bunch of the rest of the house is stucco, but my wife's not crazy about it. We've looked at some cool Hardiplank stuff, but it's pricy. So, we don't know yet.

Thanks,
b

Awesome illustrations, Stick!!

What the purple stuff on the studs under the Durock/Wonderboard in the top image?

--Keith

I was assuming I should stick some regular insulation up against that side as well as on the inner wall. Maybe that's overkill?

And thanks for the compliment on the drawings... it's just SketchUp.

Too bad I don't know enough to really draw the "plans". It's making me crazy trying to get them drawn without busting the budget.

Stick wrote:I was assuming I should stick some regular insulation up against that side as well as on the inner wall. Maybe that's overkill?

Again, I'm talking about the purple stuff on the surface of the stud. Maybe that's just a goof in Sketchup, but it looks to me like it's a tiny bit of something on the surface of the studs themselves between the studs and the Durock/Wonderboard. (Insulation? Rubber?) If so, then I think that's a mistake. Certainly insulation between the studs is good though.

Too bad I don't know enough to really draw the "plans". It's making me crazy trying to get them drawn without busting the budget.

What's the budget-busting aspect of it? Are you trying not to spend too much money on the software to be able to draw the plans? Or are you concerned that you'll have to pay someone to draw them for you?

FYI, Steve has recommended that people do 3 layers of 5/8" drywall, rather than monkeying around with 3 layers of different thicknesses. The extra 1/8" in your case gives you a bit more mass, which is better for low-end TL -- plus, you don't have to worry about maintaining multiple thicknesses of panels on site -- especially beneficial when you have limited storage space for materials.

--Keith

Ah, no, that's me forgetting to put the little "wood grain" color on that side of the stud.

And, yeah. John gave me what is probably a very resonable quote to draw the plans, but it's just way more than I can spend.

As far as the drywall, I think I will just do 3 5/8" panels on the inside... initially I was thinking the differing thinknesses helped with resonances, but I suppose witht the same material all the way through it wouldn't matter. And I thought if we could find unbeveled 5/8" (for the seams), and then use beveled 1/2" it might be slightly easier to keep track of which was which... probably doesn't matter. And space is not an issue. 1.4 acres to spread the love.

Maybe I don't need someone to draw them for me, but I just really need to get it going soon... and I don't really have the hours of research to figure out everything I need to know. Like, the Air Conditioning set up... dealing with the attic joists and supporting two ceilings... span loads for the inner ceiling... blah blah blah. I guess I should just go for it, and run it by you guys and see... maybe I don't need too pay someone. It's just that everyday I spend working on this, is a day I'm not making music earning the money to pay for it. Hmmm.... what do you think? Can I do it?

Thanks,
b

Stick wrote:Ah, no, that's me forgetting to put the little "wood grain" color on that side of the stud.

Ahhhh, nothing like having a silly little thing pointed out in public to boost the confidence level, eh?

And, yeah. John gave me what is probably a very resonable quote to draw the plans, but it's just way more than I can spend.

John's work is amazing, indeed. But, budgets are budgets...

As far as the drywall, I think I will just do 3 5/8" panels on the inside... initially I was thinking the differing thinknesses helped with resonances, but I suppose witht the same material all the way through it wouldn't matter.

I seem to recall seeing that there is a slight benefit, but I think the benefot of the "extra mass" outweighs that. (I'm just echoing what I think I've read before -- that's by no means an authoritative answer. )

And space is not an issue. 1.4 acres to spread the love.

You bastard!

Maybe I don't need someone to draw them for me, but I just really need to get it going soon... and I don't really have the hours of research to figure out everything I need to know. Like, the Air Conditioning set up... dealing with the attic joists and supporting two ceilings... span loads for the inner ceiling... blah blah blah. I guess I should just go for it, and run it by you guys and see... maybe I don't need too pay someone. It's just that everyday I spend working on this, is a day I'm not making music earning the money to pay for it. Hmmm.... what do you think? Can I do it?

You have a lot of company in your conundrum -- that's for sure. Fellow Northern Californian mikeklooster is one such animal. (And, having met him personally, I mean that in figurative and literal senses! )

Your project is one of the more involved ones, in that it's an addition -- not a garage conversion, not a basement buildout, not the repurposing of existing space. So, in that sense, I can understand your hesitation.

However, your limited budget being what it is, and seeing what you can already do with sketchup, I would think that you've "got what it takes" to put plans together and then post them here for the world to see and for all the experts here to tear apart to smitherines.

I realize it seems like rather un-fun work (it is, at times), and that there's so much other stuff you'd rather be doing... But think of it this way: you'll have a lot more freedom to experiment and move things around on proverbial paper if you do it all yourself. You'll also force yourself to learn all the intricacies of the project -- which is so valuable, whether you actually do all of the construction work yourself or not.

I realize I'm saying this a couple of weeks prematurely, so with that caveat... If I -- a web software guy who's to this day more than a little frightened of a circular saw -- can draw up plans and get a permit from a very scrutinous municipality, then surely you can.

We won't let you screw up, Stick. Heck, we'll spot that purple blotch a mile away!

--Keith

Well, you are encouraging... and besides, I'm about to fly overseas for a session in Poland, so there's a good 2 days of travel time to play with my plan. HA! Though running SketchUp drains the battery in a hurry!

Actually, it is a garage conversion. So, that's where a lot of my air conditioning issues and space limitations come from. We don't really want to rip off the entire roof for this little endeavor. Though, now that I say it... maybe we should... it's a little saggy already. Heh heh.

And though I'll do some of the work (more like "help") I've got a great contractor that'll do most of the real building. But, I do own a couple saws and I'm quite handy at demolition (should'a seen me swinging a little sledgehammer through the stucco the other night). Basically I just need a plan that he and I can build from.

I'll also hire an HVAC guy to put in the system, but this is the area where I'm most sketchy for solutions. And looking at your nightmare with the ventilation stuff, I'm even more afraid.

Ok, off to Lowes to pick up a bathroom door. (We've been remodeling the interior of the house for a year now...)

BTW, have you found a place for Acoustic Caulk in Sac? I've got some on the way from elsewhere, but the shipping costs are a bummer. I ordered the Titebond stuff...

Stick wrote:Actually, it is a garage conversion.

Oh yeahhhh -- I'm still stuck on your old original ultimate dug into the earth half bomb shelter half building standalone thing. (That was you, right?)

I'll also hire an HVAC guy to put in the system, but this is the area where I'm most sketchy for solutions. And looking at your nightmare with the ventilation stuff, I'm even more afraid.

Well, I think my nightmare ended happily. It won't be cheap, but I'm all but certain it will do the job and (here's the kicker) give me the required level of control of the system inside my space withot impacting the rest of the house.

Once I stopped thinking of air conditioning and ventilation as the same issue, I was able to free my mind to come up with solutions to both separate issues.

BTW, have you found a place for Acoustic Caulk in Sac? I've got some on the way from elsewhere, but the shipping costs are a bummer. I ordered the Titebond stuff...

Have you checked with Acoustical Material Services' Sacramento location yet? Post back with what you learn, 'cuz I'll need some fairly soon (I hope).

sharward wrote:Oh yeahhhh -- I'm still stuck on your old original ultimate dug into the earth half bomb shelter half building standalone thing. (That was you, right?)

Yeah, that was me. I still think that was a pretty cool idea. But the bread just isn't there for it.

Once I stopped thinking of air conditioning and ventilation as the same issue, I was able to free my mind to come up with solutions to both separate issues.

Yeah, that could be the way to go for me too...

Have you checked with Acoustical Material Services' Sacramento location yet? Post back with what you learn, 'cuz I'll need some fairly soon (I hope).

No, good lead though... I hadn't found them. I'm calling right now... I might go grab some now if they have some in stock... the wall we're working on this week in the house needs some sealing, as it backs up to the soon to be studio.

Have you checked with Acoustical Material Services' Sacramento location yet? Post back with what you learn, 'cuz I'll need some fairly soon (I hope).

Well, I called 'em up, and then ran down there to get some caulk, which they obviously had in stock. And it was cheap. 7 bucks for 3 29oz tubes. I'm feeling like an idiot for ordering the Titebond stuff from Virginia. Oops. Oh well, at least I'll be able to give first hand advice on which one is better.

It looks like they've got a lot of stuff in stock. 703, Roxul, doors, etc. And sounds like they can get whatever as well. I think they'll be a good resource. Though, they didn't have much in the way of quiet HVAC parts.

And I'm leaning back toward designing the whole deal myself with the help of my new best friends on the RSDF. Away we go! I'm going to redraw from scratch on a more carefully measured starting point, so perhaps I should start a new thread?

Thanks...
b

7 bucks for 3 29oz tubes

Man, that's about the cheapest I've ever seen; what brand is it, and could you post that info in the Building Products forum? Pleeze, Pleeze, thank you... Steve

The tube says:

Miracle SCS-100 Sound-Control Sealant

I thought I was getting the OSI 175 you recommended... but this is what the guy had for me when I got there... and at that price I figured it was worth trying.

Guess we'll see....

Here's the Miracle SCS-100 Sound-Control Sealant data sheet.

Hey Stick -- next time you're heading out to AMS on a weekday, PM me first -- I work about two miles from there and it'd be cool to put a face to your name other than the infant's.

--Keith

yeah i got miracle too, from ams' location in san leandro.

i hope it doesn't suck. the said they had USG in stock, and then when i got there they said they were out

i'm pretty sure i paid more than that though.

Well, I'm about to cut the first tip... we'll soon see. Of course, I have no previous caulk experience...

Hey, do you guy know where I can get the putty packs around here? Is that something Home Depot will have?