John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Since drywall (especially on ceilings) is supposedly quite difficult (for someone who has never done it before) to make look nice. And also, it's a bit sensative to moisture....

What are some good alternatives? What is not much more expensive but isolates sound just as well or better?

Anything that is mass and dense? MDF? Plywood? Can someone give a list of mass that might be easier to work with and finish to look nice....

Thanks!

Those alternatives are even worse than drywall because you need a circular saw or table saw to cut them. Drywall can be cut with a utility knife.

Drywall is also denser than plywood or OSB of the same thickness, and it's cheaper too. Drywall is the ultimate "bang for your buck" mass in many parts of the world, yours included.

You're right to be cncerned about weight and awkwardness, especially on ceilings. That's why I plan to purchase a drywall lifter when I get to that stage. They are also available at rental yards.

--Keith

If you are concerned about moisture and drywall, I don't know that I'd use ANY material until you find out where the moisture is coming from. Granted it will soak through dry wall faster than wood, but wood will rot too.

Making it look good is not as hard as it sounds. You just have to be careful, take your time, and most importantly: Follow instructions! If it says "let the first layer of joint compound completely dry before applying a second coat, then "pretty dry" or "mostly dry" isn't good enough.

If you are really unsure about your skils, go by 1 sheet of dry wall, cut it in half (or quarters) across the short dimension. Lay down a couple of 2 x 4 and mount two drywall pieces to them side by side (tapered edges touching) then get some mesh tape and joint compound and give it a go. Follow the directions (a good home repair book should tell you all you need to know). If you cut the 1 piece you bought into 4 pieces you could try another joint if you didn't like how the first one came out.

You should also texture the finished drywall (also an easy though messy, project). I don't care HOW good you are, you can't cover up seams in untextured walls. They are always going to show a little. Texturing is done with watered down joint compound. You can either use a large paint brush and flick it at the walls or rent/buy a texture gun to stick on the end of a compressor. The big advantage of texturing is it covers a lot of bumps and such that you would otherwise have to sand smooth.

For an investment of $20 or so, you should be able to prove it to yourself that, Yes, I can drywall! If you do your studio build right, you are going to do at least two layers of drywall so you will be able to practice getting your joints smooth on the first layer (which no one will ever see once the second one goes up). You learn pretty quickly what works and what doesn't.

Last suggestion: If you DO try a piece like I suggested above, make sure you stand it up against a wall before you apply the joint compound. The experience of doing it flat on the ground isn't going to teach you much. Gravity is your enemy so you will have to learn to deal with it and at the practice stage is the best place for that.

len

Good catch on the moisture part, Len. I totally missed that point in his initial post.

Yes, by all means, address the moisture. It may be condensation, or it may be water intrusion.

Great recommendation len!! thanks!

moisture actually doesn't seem a major issue... it was more of a precaution... just because it's in a basement.

TomM,

You'll never know until you try. I speak from experience because when it comes to construction, I've got two left feet. One of which I used to step in a bucket of water yesterday while I was sponging down my dry wall joints. I'll have to add another tip to the "Dos and Don'ts" about placement of buckets of water (or anything for that matter) right at the foot of the ladder.

Glad I was the only one around since then only one of us has to know how stupid that was.

len

Tom,

Another thing I did in my basement was to keep the framing away from the block, and designed it to be able to breath and will have 2 dehumidifiers in place to pull out any moisture. Although this takes up a little extra floor space, it will be worth it in the long run.

Aaron