Please check my initial plans small garage conversion

[paganskins]

Hi,

Having researched past threads and google I was hoping I could get some feedback on my plans for converting part of my garage into a music practice room before I get into planning it in detail.

The garage is single skin block with a pitched roof, I'll be taking the back half with the new room interior roughly 3.25m by 2m with a height of 2.4m. I'll be incorporating the existing uPVC side door into the room.

Here's a rough layout, grey is block, black door and red new stud.

And a side view

I'm not after complete sound isolation and won't be doing anything that loud (guitars, vocals etc) in there but would like to keep as much sound in as possible.

How does this sound:

• Stud and thicker plasterboard throughout, hopefully double thickness if the budget will cover it.
• The roof trusses are in just the right place so I was planning to use them to attach the headers for the two long side walls to.
• the dividing wall I was planning on making double thickness with a stud frame on both sides of the roof truss and double insulation more for heat retention than sound.
• similarly a big gap and loads of insulation in the roof/ceiling.
• the garage side of the dividing wall and flat across the top I was going to face with thick ply like you see windows boarded up with
• floor will be a wooden frame with insulation and ply or chipboard flooring sheets and just sat on the concrete within but not attached directly to the walls.
• I'll lay damp proof membrane under the whole thing and hang between the stud frames and block walls.

A few sound proofing specific questions:

• Is neoprene worthwhile to limit coupling to the existing structure (between structure and floor, block walls etc)?
• Is it worth the effort of building a room within a room ie just sitting on the floor and not tied into the garage walls, trusses etc?

Thanks

 

[RedHerring2]

Can I suggest that you change the title of the thread to reflect your inquiry.

If it's QA you want some BMs will do it for you.
If it's just the answer to your questions you're after a proper title will attract the correct calibre of advisor.

 

[paganskins]

Can I suggest that you change the title of the thread to reflect your inquiry.

If it's QA you want some BMs will do it for you.
If it's just the answer to your questions you're after a proper title will attract the correct calibre of advisor.

Title ammended accordingly, sorry about that QA was meant as quality assure ie officious speak for 'please check I'm not being a muppet' rather than as a real official building term.

Also having also posed the question on the sound on sound recording forum gooing the room whithin a room route and having it coupled as little as possible to the main structure seems the way forward sound wise.

Probably going to use rubber matting or strips underneath to seperate it acoustically from the floor and also introduce a second door.

 

[RedHerring2]

QA could stand for Quantity Analysis.
Sorry I can't help with your initial query. Not my area of experience.

 

[paganskins]

QA could stand for Quantity Analysis.
Sorry I can't help with your initial query. Not my area of experience.

Ah I see, no it's pretty basic quantity wise so I'm sure I'll be OK in that respect - learnt a new bit of jargon too

Thanks

 

[Deluks]

How does this sound:

• Stud and thicker plasterboard throughout, hopefully double thickness if the budget will cover it.

Good start

• The roof trusses are in just the right place so I was planning to use them to attach the headers for the two long side walls to.
You don't really want any part touching the existing structure.

• the dividing wall I was planning on making double thickness with a stud frame on both sides of the roof truss and double insulation more for heat retention than sound.
If I've got this right, make the second (outer) wall seperate from the 'music room' wall, and build it right up to, and touching the block walls. If you can take it all the way to the roof apex then even better.

• similarly a big gap and loads of insulation in the roof/ceiling.
Rockwool or fibre glass loft roll is what you need, standard 300mm above the ceiling will suffice.

• the garage side of the dividing wall and flat across the top I was going to face with thick ply like you see windows boarded up with
OSB (sterling board) or ply would be good to put on the inside of your music room. All sides and ceiling. This will brace the framework as none of it should be touching the existing structure... Cover this with a layer of min 12.5mm plasterboard.

• floor will be a wooden frame with insulation and ply or chipboard flooring sheets and just sat on the concrete within but not attached directly to the walls.Sounds good, leave a gap of about 10-20mm round the perimeter, use rockwool slab as the floor insulation (between your framework)

• I'll lay damp proof membrane under the whole thing and hang between the stud frames and block walls.
Wrap it about 50mm up the outside of the stud wall structure.

A few sound proofing specific questions:

• Is neoprene worthwhile to limit coupling to the existing structure (between structure and floor, block walls etc)? Hard to say, worth a punt if not too expensive.

• Is it worth the effort of building a room within a room ie just sitting on the floor and not tied into the garage walls, trusses etc? Yes.

Thanks

Other issues/questions.

Second door: This will be next to the PVC jobbie, or opening into the garage itself?

Garage main door, assuming this will still be used, you should consider soundproofing all gaps around that too, and probably adding mass to the door, or building a temporary frame and 'plug' it internally.

Will you be using the trusses for any kind of storage?

Lastly (and important) how are you going to ventilate the room? You will need at least one mechanical fan pulling air out of the room, and another fan, or just a vent, to draw fresh air in. Detailing is important here! Consider putting some big MDF boxes in the attic space, and putting the fans in, and running the ducting through these, to baffle the sound coming in and out.

 

[paganskins]

Second door: This will be next to the PVC jobbie, or opening into the garage itself?

Existing PVC open outwards luckily so the interior door will open inwards.

Other issues/questions.

Second door: This will be next to the PVC jobbie, or opening into the garage itself?

Garage main door, assuming this will still be used, you should consider soundproofing all gaps around that too, and probably adding mass to the door, or building a temporary frame and 'plug' it internally.

The main up and over does need some TLC and a bit of a service so I could work seals into that along with a weather bar etc.

The front half will still be used for the tumble dryer, storing bikes, garden stuff, tools etc so I won't be able to add anything too substantial too it.

There's also a side window in the front bit which I won't be able to block as it'll be needed for light.

I was planning on leaving as large a gap as possible between the new dividing wall and the new rooms interior stud wall, plus on the garage side there'll be the old kitchen unit against it plus lots of other storage which should help contain the sound.

Will you be using the trusses for any kind of storage?

Yes, I was going to run joists between and put ply on the top for storage. Again as was planning on leaving as large a gap as pos between this new platform and the internal stud ceiling.

Lastly (and important) how are you going to ventilate the room? You will need at least one mechanical fan pulling air out of the room, and another fan, or just a vent, to draw fresh air in. Detailing is important here! Consider putting some big MDF boxes in the attic space, and putting the fans in, and running the ducting through these, to baffle the sound coming in and out.

I'd assumed a vent at floor level in one corner and one in the ceiling in the perpendicular corner would pull enough air through, perhaps not? so would something like a standard bathroom extractor fan be the type of thing needed?

Thanks for your thoughts

 

[Deluks]

All sounds good. You need an inline fan with duct runs, sound will dissipate through ducting with baffle boxes. A bathroom type will mean punching a hole straight through and the sound will pour out.
Baffle boxes can get complicated, but a simple mdf or ply box, lined with plasterboard and rockwool will suffice. A hole each end for your ducting, and a fan mounted on taught bungee cord on the inside.
consider s&p td160 or 250, or similar. a min 2m run to and from the fan, and preferably insulated flexi ducting, or similar baffle boxes where the ducting enters and exits the room.