John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Due to people's availability I want to lay the concrete foundations for my little garden studio this weekend.

I have not finalised where everything is going to be, and exactly how I am going to build it (I am hoping to pop some plans on here in the next few days, and perhaps get some opinions).

The building is going to be a wooden construction, 8m x 4(ish)m and the concrete base will be re-inforced, and about 6inches deep.

Other than a bit of hosing for electrical wires to travel through what else do I need to take into consideration?

Can you update your profile to include a location? I'd sorta hoped people would actually DO that after reading the "sticky" I posted months ago -

Not sure where you are, but in the US the NEC is God for electrical, and requires that a full length piece of rebar be embedded in the slab, and bonded to terminals protruding from the concrete slab, and this to be used as building ground -

Other than that, I'd suggest "drawing quicker, and building slower" - it's not fun to have to rip stuff out and do it over...

What kind of outer walls? If they're to be heavy masonry, you'll need wider, deeper footings -

Windows and doors - easier to locate early on, but don't require changes in the slab.

Other than that, go for it... Steve

Apologies, I thought I had done that already...I had even seen you ask a couple of people about it already.

I explain the details of the building in another thread, a lot clearer.

http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2268

Already posted to that one, also check this diagram for optimum isolation -

http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 5478#15478

and this link, bottom of the page - note the 40 dB and 63 dB walls use the EXACT same amount of materials, but 23 dB difference in performance -

http://www.domesticsoundproofing.co.uk/tloss.htm

Hope that helps explain some things... Steve

Excuse me Steve for poking in here.
I don't know about your local codes, but where I used to live, even pouring a small (8'x12') slab for a garden shed required a permit. And in some areas, you even have to account for the square footage percentage of ground cover, which if exceeds the code, can result in large fines(Lake Tahoe for example ) Unbelievable codes. The fees alone are $5 per square foot of coverage if above the code, the fines are about $20 per square foot PLUS removal.

I would think that since you are building a structure that is used for human activity, that a obtaining a permit would be wise, as the building inspection department will usually provide you with a small list of requirements. Better to know these from the outset than to be discovered and receive a stop work order. I hate to keep spouting off here about this subject, but time after time I read peoples posts about building stuctures from the ground up with NO permits. This is a safety and legal issue which if ignored, can possibly set up consequences you do NOT want. Given the fact that you do not even have a plan, I assume you don't have a permit either, as usually, a plan is required to apply for a permit. But don't take my word for it. Sometimes experience is the best teacher, and only you know your circumstances. It's just a little friendly advice. Besides, with no plan, Steve is right. Demolition of new work is hindsight training in the least. However, if indeed you do have a permit, good luck and ignor this reply.

fitZ

Thanks Rick, I was running on the fumes again and just answered the questions -

We're not going to try to be your conscience here, but Rick is absolutely right about the MAJOR headaches you can get into by "scabbing" stuff in without permits - in the end it's up to you, but it's good to know beforehand what you may run into... Steve

I have written to my local council and given them a floor plan of what I am doing - it falls within "permitted development". I actually oversized the building I sent them just to make sure. So essentially, I have a permit.

I appreciate the warning Fitz... I actually tossed and turned about whether I should apply.

My neighbours have all built extensions on the back of their houses, and didn't get a permit for them. I have gone round and spoken to almost all of them, and explained what I wanted to do (I did say that I might play the guitar in it, but failed to mention it was going to be a studio) and they ALL said to me "we have built this...and this... and we have had no problems, nobody round here will say anything because we all have illegal buildings up". I didn't want to build this thing without getting a permit, but I didn't want to be in a situation where a planning officer comes to my house, gives me approval, but notices all the buildings on my neighbours houses...

I would not be very popular then.

As it turned out, I just got a letter saying that what I was planning was within my permitted development rights, and that I could get on with it.

Cool, as I said we're not trying to "bust yer chops", just inform - nobody needs the living hell that can rain down on us from bureaucracy run amok... Steve

Oh I absolutely agree.

My mother and my step-father were both on the planning commitee for a long time, and they said that under no circumstances, I should think about this without planning, simply because it can cause SO much trouble 3 or 4 years down the line.

Thats cool. Sometimes, people who arn't familiar with construction underestimate the implications of building a simple structure. I had a brother in law who added on a 10' x 10' bedroom to his vacation house in Lake Tahoe without a permit. Did it all himself. Trouble was, he built it within 2 feet of the property line, but code called for a 5 foot easment(setback). He got caught by BID, and not only did he have to remove the ENTIRE addition, including the slab he was fined $2000. THEN would have had to pay fees of $5 per square foot to build it AGAIN, which he chose not to. Talk about hindsight.
fitZ