Building My HT - Questions on SOUND! (1 Viewer)

[ByronM]

This is the everlasting question it seems. I have started building out my basement and so far this is the plan.

HT room approx 13x21' the room is in my Basement and I live in a Condo/Townhome environment. So keeping my sound in and the outside sound OUT is imperative.

The front/back walls a cinder block - will be framing this out with 2x4's, insulation and probably a layer of Mass Load Vinyl.

The left and right walls will both be leading to adjacent basement rooms - sound proofing is important here so it doesn't feed upstairs. I am looking at doing the Staggard stud with 3 1/2 insulation on both sides and 5/8" drywall on both sides.

My big concern is teh Ceiling. I have 7'10" ceilings where the room is. Not to much to mess around with. I'm thinking of packing in more insulation, using the Mass loaded vinyl here as well as 5/8" wallboard Should i focus on using Resilient Channel here if my biggest concern is sound traveling up or are there some other secrets of the sound proofing a ceiling that i need to be aware of?

My Hometheater is more of a home media room. Will be setup for PC/Movies/Xbox gaming and ofcourse movies. Designed around a 5.1 setup using Rocket speakers and around 200 watts of power.

Is there an easier method such as using some accoustic tiles or something rather then hanging resilient channel on the ceiling?

Want to control costs as the room is dual purpose. Decking it out for my theater to have environmental controls but i want to keep it good for dual purpose use so when it comes time to sell if somoene isn't an HT nut they can use the room to let there kids play drums, be loud or whatever

Thanks!

 

[Terry Montlick]

Byron,

It sounds like you are aware of the options. Ceilings are tough. Resilient channel and thick drywall are probably your best options for a limited amount of ceiling thickness. If you can manage it, go for a second layer of 5/8" drywall instead of the mass loaded vinyl. It has more than double the weight per square foot than 1/8" mass loaded vinyl.

The only "secret" is to obsessively seal every possible seam with flexible caulk, or all your other efforts will be wasted. Ditto for not shorting out any resilient suspension by screwing through to joists or abutting to edges.

Regards,
Terry

 

[BrianL Cush]

Terry,
When you mention caulking...would I want to caulk the seams of both layers of drywall, or just the first since the second will be mudded? Also, do I caulk the inner seams, or just corners and where the ceiling meets a wall, etc?

 

[Terry Montlick]

It is critical to caulk EVERY layer, including at the edges of the room. If you don't, sound will breach the uncalked layer, and it may as well not be there.

- Terry

 

[ByronM]

Terry,

Do you have a recommendation on calk brand/type?

I have found the RSIC-1 at several vendors and it looks like that is an easier solution, no risc of "grounding" the channel so if your good at screwing things in to much RSIC-1 channels don't have that issue.

Really looking forward to running an SVS sub, so containing all of that is a goal i have.

Is there anything i should be concerned about on the floor? Concreate slab, in the basement which is only about 2-4 feet underground at max (depending on front/back of house). I believe it is a "floating" slab, so it shouldn't resonate next door should it?

Thanks for all the help everyone!

 

[Terry Montlick]

Byron,

The caulk brand doesn't matter. The one thing to make sure of is that it is permanently flexible. It should say so on the label, with words like "permanently non-hardening" or "stays flexible for 50 years."

RSIC-1 is an extra (and costly) device, supposedly designed to provide extra sound isolation using RC-2 type channel. This is a relatively new product. I've read the manufacturer's lab data, and am so far unconvinced that it is any more effective than using only RC-2 resilient channel.

As for the slab, if it is a separate one from your neighbor, you are all set. Concrete transmits low frequencies very well, but different slabs separated by earth will not.

Regards,
Terry