New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

New HT in a small basement w/ drain

post #1 of 9
7/21/08 at 9:28am
Thread Starter 
Basement specs:

---10 year old split level.
---drain in basement
---all concrete except for the upper 1/2 of two walls, one to garage, one to other room.
---have added a new wall 4' from the other room for furnace, etc.
---Have an opening to the other room with a vent for air flow.
---dimensions are: 23' x 11' x 7.5'
---Want to put a couch & chair down there with a flat screen on the wall.
---Want to do it well, but don't want to go overboard with $$$. Just want a place my family and I can enjoy.

Questions:

1. I have to put in a dropped ceiling. This'll leave over a foot of space between the ceiling and floor above it. Will this work? I've seen traditional tiles, vinyl tiles, & acoustic tiles you can purchase over the internet. I want to get black ceiling tiles and have heard tiles in general are good. Also have lots of leftover fiberglass strips. Will putting these in the joist above help with sound at all?

2. I don't have the room to put in multiple walls. Will just getting 2 layers of 1/2" drywall with green glue (does anyone recomend this stuff?) between the two layers for soundproofing work?

3. With a drain I have limited options. Will just sealing and using decorative paint on the concrete work? I've heard concrete absorbs sound well. Probably will put an area rug down too.

4. What do I do with the door and small single-pane window that's at the top of the wall?

5. Any tips for how to help with reflection in the room? I know this is a separate issue.
Reply
post #2 of 9
7/21/08 at 12:04pm

Re: New HT in a small basement w/ drain

1. A lot of people in your situation use ceiling tiles but what is your goal? Acoustics? There are better options including acoustic tiles or DIY acoustic panels. Soundproofing? Not going to help much.
2. Two layers of drywall is better than 1. If you can use 5/8" and 1/2" drywall it will work a little better (according to some people) as each has a different reference frequency. QuietRock drywall is better than regular drywall.
3. You have to follow the correct process in painting concrete. Your local hardware or home improvement store can help you with that. Concrete does not absorb sound. It refects most of the high frequency sounds and causes a pretty good echo.
4. I'm sure there are building codes that require you to have the window. Most plug the hole with a light blocking material that is easily removed in an emergency. Something like styrofoam. What do you want to do with the door? Block it? Sound proof it?
5. DIY sound absorption panels.

-Robert
Reply
post #3 of 9
7/21/08 at 12:48pm

Re: New HT in a small basement w/ drain

Robert has it all covered well. I'd add one note: yes, you want a rug on the floor! The sound-bounce off the concrete is going to be pretty severe. Concrete reflects pretty much every frequency with gusto!
Reply
post #4 of 9
7/22/08 at 12:39pm
Thread Starter 

Re: New HT in a small basement w/ drain

Thanks. I was wondering what, if anything, a normal dropped ceiling will do. Will the 15" space deaden sound at all? I've seen ceiling tiles range from $2 - $13 per tile. What are websites with these acoustic tiles? I wanted black tiles for the look, so that limited what online sources I found. I've heard quietrock is very expensive. Would two layers of drywall with green glue or resilient channels work? How much of a soundproofing difference are we talking here? My wife will want the details before she lets me get to work. I also have to justify to those in my family, who have built several houses, why I would like them to help me put up two layers of drywall. thanks for the help. It's always hard doing something new!
Reply
post #5 of 9
7/22/08 at 12:41pm
Thread Starter 

Re: New HT in a small basement w/ drain

I also forgot. I built a wall to house the furnace, etc. It's 4' from the next room in the basement (acutally, the room next door is a half flight up from this room). Will this air spaced deaden sound at all? I want to get a solid door. I have to allow some air in it.
Reply
post #6 of 9
7/23/08 at 5:34am

Re: New HT in a small basement w/ drain

Air space doesn't do anything for soundproofing. Mass stops sound. That's why 2 layers of drywall are better than 1. And it varies by frequency. My room uses staggered studs with the cavity filled with insulation. It stops most of the high frequencies but does absolutely nothing with the bass.

If you want details on sound dampening, there are many sites that list the details on how much dampening each method does. If you use multiple techniques, then you just add the dampening factors together for a total dampening number.

-Robert
Reply
post #7 of 9
7/23/08 at 7:03am

Re: New HT in a small basement w/ drain

It isn't really necessary to put extra drywall on the walls in front of the concrete walls. The reason for the extra layer is to help stop sound from passing through the wall. So, if you don't mind some sound getting to the garage and to the "other room" then you can save the money fro the second layer. Of course, the second layer won't hurt anything, either.

Now for the ceiling. Putting in a drop ceiling will stop some of the higher frequencies, but will do nothing for the bass. There is nearly nothing you can do to stop the bass from travelling up and into the rest of your house. Unless you can put in an eight-inch thick concrete ceiling!

I would not want to lower the ceiling any more than necessary.

You could put fiberglass matt between the ceiling/floor joists, and put up something for a ceiling to improve the looks. I'll leave that for others to comment on!
Reply
post #8 of 9
7/24/08 at 10:06am
Thread Starter 

Re: New HT in a small basement w/ drain

So it sounds like it may not be worth it to spend a lot on the walls because they're mostly concrete and instead spend more on the ceiling? I have to drop the ceiling, so if anyone knows what tiles and soundproof materials would work best between the joist let me know. thanks a bunch
Reply
post #9 of 9
7/24/08 at 10:52am

Re: New HT in a small basement w/ drain

Concrete between the joists would be best (you asked) since it has the most mass. Behind that, drywall it instead of using a drop ceiling.

-Robert
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home