Building and Soundproofing a Home Recording Studio

"How do I soundproof my garage, basement, or a bedroom in my single family house or condo so my 4 piece rock band can practice and record and not bother the neighbors?"

If I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question, I would be in the Bahamas right now, instead of writing this article. Many factors need to be considered prior to beginning your studio or practice room-soundproofing project. Some of the questions you should be asking yourself are: What type of amplification will the band be using, are the drums going to be acoustic and miked or are they digital. Are you going to be recording live late at night or are we going to be doing "line in" recording only? These questions and many more need to be considered before the actual construction begins. If live recording and rehearsal are the plan, then maximum soundproofing will be needed. The most effective way to soundproof a garage, basement, or bedroom is to actually construct a room within a room (go to www.auralex.com) and download the free booklet "Acoustics 101", this is a wonderful resource for the home studio builder.

Their ideas are solid and applicable to any studio-soundproofing project. The room within a room concept utilizes the sealed dead air space that is captured between the inner walls and the outer walls to help greatly with the soundproofing endeavor. It is probably easiest to frame the walls on the floor and then tilt them up into place thus making dry walling the outside of the walls much easier. It is also highly recommended that another ceiling be joisted out for the room within a room, however, this is often times not possible due to space constraints.

In this case, the existing ceiling and ceiling joists may be used as the ultimate ceiling for the studio, provided that it is adequately soundproofed with materials such as the mass loaded vinyl or a combination of closed cell foam mat and MLV. I will elaborate on these materials, as we get further into this article. Once the walls are framed out and the right amount of "Dead air space" is determined, then it is time to install the soundproofing. The first order of business is to consider what needs to be done to the wall cavities prior to installing a barrier and finally the wallboard. I like to line the inside cavities with a closed cell vinyl nitrile foam mat such as American Mat. This mat (generally 1/4" thickness) is adhered to the inside cavity walls as well as the studs and joists using a contact cement to adhere the mat. Keep in mind that the American Mat is used to line the cavities only, not to fill the cavity. If thermal insulation is needed, use products such as rock wool, mineral wool, cut wool fibers, or my favorite, Roxul. Roxul is a great thermal rock wool based batt type insulation that has great soundproofing qualities. If thermal insulation is a requirement for the practice room or studio, then Roxul is the way to go.

Now we come to a crossroads, it is time to determine if decoupling the walls using resilient channels or American Sound clips is a necessity. De coupling is used when impact transmission or low frequency noise is a factor. Impact would come primarily from the drums (acoustic type) or the bass amplifier. However, if the band is using Marshall high powered amps (50 watt amps with 4 X 12 cabinets for example) along with miked acoustic drums and an Ampeg bass system, then decoupling will most likely be necessary. These methods and procedures will be explained in later articles. If decoupling were determined to be unnecessary, then the next step would be to find a good barrier material such as American mass loaded vinyl (which is a high grade mass loaded vinyl barrier). This barrier could be stapled directly to the studwork on a wall assembly or directly to the joists. This is a method that is used if cost or space constraints are factors. If the barrier material is to be stapled directly to the stud or joist framing then it is best that the seams be over lapped, caulked (using OSI acoustical caulking compound) and then taped with either a lead tape or a heavy-duty PVC seam tape.

Once the Mass Loaded vinyl (MLV) is installed and sealed, it is time to install the final layer of drywall. I always recommend using 5/8? drywall as the final layer because of its mass and its sound blocking abilities. . It is always advisable to butter the edges of the last layer of drywall with acoustical caulk. You want to grab every STC (sound transmission class) point you can when trying to make your new studio as soundproof as possible. Finally you will tape mud and paint your final layer of drywall. Now you have a great soundproof home recording studio. We will discuss acoustical treatments for your studio in subsequent articles, but for now you are well on your way to having a professional grade-recording studio in your home.

Dr. Bob O.
Soundproofing America, Inc.
Senior Technical Director
Soundproofing Expert to The New York Times, The San Francisco Herald Examiner, The San Diego Union Tribune, and the Charlotte Observer
Ph (877) 530-0139 Toll free Fax (347) 721-9079
E-mail: Dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
Website: http://www.soundproofingamerica.com

Solar Roofing Shingles

Find out how to generate power on the roof of your house with solar roofing shingles.

No matter where you?re located, the price of electricity, the available sunshine and incentives by local and state governments have made it very appealing to install solar roofing shingles on your home or business.

In the beginning, solar power from the roof was considered too expensive for most homeowners. The initial expense has been reduced and often your electrical company will pay you for any excess power generated by your solar roofing shingles.

Solar roofing shingles are shingles that look very much like ordinary shingles but they allow your roof to generate solar electric power. Solar roofing shingles install just like traditional asphalt singles. Once you hook them to your home?s electrical system, you?re generating solar power that can drastically reduce your electricity bill.

Solar roofing shingles don?t require any additional support structures. They can withstand the elements of weather just as normal shingles. Some will even handle up to 80 mph wind loads.

Solar Roofing Shingles

If you?re wonder how they look, they?re designed to be aesthetically pleasing and can be integrated into almost any architectural style. They won?t stick out and look like an intrusion on the roof of your home. It doesn?t matter whether you?re remodeling or doing a new construction, solar roofing shingles are available for your project.

Most solar roofing shingles are made for a twenty year power output and do come with warranties. They are lightweight and can be installed directly on fire-resistant roofing underlayment.

If you?re planning to use solar roofing shingles, be sure to check with your local and state governments. Many offer assistance and other types of incentives for those choosing to use and produce solar energy. Some tax credit may even be available.

While the cost of solar roofing shingles is still higher than traditional shingles, with the incentives and the reduction of your electric bill you should be able to re-coup your investment in a short period of time. It?s well worth the effort to harness the power of the sun by using solar roofing shingles.

This article was written by Gregg Hicks of http://www.reliableremodeler.com which provides Internet-based home improvement information and services. Offering homeowners a simple, quick, and free way to access, qualified home improvement remodeling contractors

Soundproofing your Wall

When soundproofing a wall, a lot depends on what sort of noise your were trying to block or absorb. For example, if you were trying to stop a neighbor's loud television noise from coming through the wall into your unit then you would use a barrier material to block the TV noise. Now if you were concerned about your loud music bothering a next-door neighbor, then both a barrier and a damping material would be in order. There are many different methods for soundproofing a wall from neighbors or just from common out-door sound such as aircraft or traffic noise.

If you are working with newly constructed walls that are only framed out and not yet dry walled, you would want to install a layer of sound batt insulation between the stud cavities. This insulation would be a mineral wool, a rock wool or cotton batt insulation and not common fiberglass batts. Once you have filled the cavities with the sound batt insulation you have a choice of products that will be the soundproofing horsepower, so to speak, for the wall. One of the best barrier materials on the market today is a product called American mass loaded vinylÔ. American mass loaded vinylÔ is a loaded vinyl mat that is impregnated with barium salts and silica to give it mass and allow it to emulate lead sheeting. The Mass loaded vinyl; MLV for short would be stapled or nailed directly to the studs. You'll caulk all of the seams as well as the entire perimeter with acoustical caulk. Acoustical caulk remains pliant throughout the life of the caulk and it also maintains the STC (sound transmission class) of the MLV at all of the seams as well as around the perimeter of the MLV. Once you have caulked the seams and the perimeter, you will then tape over the caulked seams with a seam sealer tape. This will insure a tight seal of the MLV membrane on the wall.

After the MLV is completely sealed, you will then drywall over top of the vinyl membrane with a layer of 5/8" drywall. This system is very effective at soundproofing a common wall between condo or apartment units.

There is another method for soundproofing a common between two units where the drywall is already installed and the owner does not want to remove the existing drywall. This method would require the use of a damping product called "Green GlueÔ" Green GlueÔ I a visco elastic damping compound that is applied between 2 layers of drywall or gypsum. You would apply the Green GlueÔ using a large quart size caulk gun. The minimum recommended amount is 2 of the 29 oz tubes per 4' X 8' sheet of drywall. You would lay out the drywall onto sawhorses and then apply the Green GlueÔ to the back side of the new drywall. Once the glue is applied, you would then screw the new drywall right over top of the existing wallboard whatever it may be. Two tubes per sheet of drywall is the minimum, but 3 tubes per sheet is much better. I suggest using 3 tubes of Green GlueÔ per sheet of drywall for all wall and ceiling applications.

These soundproofing techniques will work for home and commercial studios as well as home theaters and music practice areas. I truly hope this has helped you to understand the science behind soundproofing a wall in a apartment or condo setting.

To learn more about Soundproofing and soundproofing materials visit our site http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/

To order Mass Loaded Vinyl see our site http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/mass-loaded-vinyl.asp

You can read more articles on soundproofing on our blog http://massloadedvinyl.blogspot.com/

Reclaim Your Basement With Basement Waterproofing

"It used to be so damp and dark here," says a wife whose 50-square-meter basement used to be barren due to the frequent flooding caused by the seepage of outside water into the basement.

Fortunately, experts recommended basement waterproofing as the most effective method of channeling water from the outside, thereby, preventing the leaks in the basement walls, and flooring.

Since the inception of waterproofing, basement waterproofing has long been one of the most important concepts, especially now that most families would like to maximize the function of their basement.

From the typical stockroom, basements are now made more productive and appealing through the help of basement waterproofing.

Maximizing the Space

Basement waterproofing is normally applied to basements whose structural condition is prone to water seepage. Considering the fact that the basement is situated at the lowest portion of the house and with its below the ground level, water leaking into the walls and flooring of the basement is not a surprising occurrence.

However, this natural dilemma should not be mainly blamed to its basic structural condition. The type of drainage used can also be one cause of water seepage in the basement.

Nevertheless, with basement waterproofing, your basement will definitely be dry all throughout the year.

With that in mind, you can now easily maximize your space by transforming your basement into a more useful portion of the house, such as making it your child's playroom or study room.

No matter what you decide in transforming your basement, it is imperative that you have properly applied a good basement waterproofing to avoid rainy day catastrophes.

One of the main reasons why water retain and seeps into the basement is that the kind of waterproofing facility used was not right.

Cracks on the walls and floors are normal. This is often caused by the pressure from the outside environment. If not treated well, water can seep through and stay on the basement for such a long time.

Hence, to avoid such problem, it is best to apply basement waterproofing. The success of this method will mainly depend on the kind of product that will be used in the process.

With a stiff competition in the market, choosing the best basement waterproofing products can be very tricky. You can be lured into believing that a particular product can render the best results for your basement.

Next, there are so many types of basement waterproofing that choosing the best procedure can also be a problem. So in order to identify the most appropriate basement waterproofing method for your area, it is imperative that you research on the ideas first and evaluate which method will work best for you.

To expedite the process, try to assess your basement first. How big are the cracks? Can they still be repaired? Is the outside water still stagnant? The idea is to repair the walls and flooring first before you apply basement waterproofing.

If there are no obvious cracks present, you can directly apply basement waterproofing into the walls and its flooring.

It is also important to check on the kind of drainage used outside the house. Even if you have applied the most effective basement waterproofing, wrong drainage system can still aggravate the problem.

Your drainage system includes "downspouts" that build up excessive water. If you have used the wrong type of drainage system, excessive amount of water will hold on to the ground, thereby, finding its way back to your basement.

To get you started, here is a list of some factors that you need to consider before you start on a particular type of basement waterproofing.

1. The physical condition of your house

An old house is more prone to cracks and basement problems than a newly built home. So if you know that your house might be prone to cracks due to old age, try to solve the problems first before you apply basement waterproofing.

Applying basement waterproofing will be useless if you have not solved the primary problems first.

Moreover, physical condition outside the house can also affect the problem. Hence, it is best to analyze the overall condition of the house first before applying basement waterproofing.

2. Climate or weather condition

If you live in a place that has lots of rainy days all year round, applying basement waterproofing is extremely important.

Certainly, basement waterproofing is the ideal way to stop all the water problems in your home.


Lee Dobbins writes for http://basement.biz-review.com where you can learn more about basement remodeling and maintenance

Soundproofing Solutions for Your Home or Business

We live in a noisy world. Noise seems to be everywhere - traffic, construction, loud music, crowded buildings. Noise can even be a problem in labs and offices. The problem has become so wide-spread we have even created a term for it: noise pollution. It may not be possible to stop all that noise, but thanks to advances in technology, there are ways to isolate ourselves from it. To understand how we can begin to isolate ourselves from all that noise, we need a basic understanding of how sound travels - not just through the air, but through walls, floors and ceilings.

Sound travels through the air in waves, and those waves cause the objects they come into contact with to vibrate. When a sound is loud enough, those vibrations can travel through walls, floors and ceilings transferring sound into our buildings from the outside or from room to room and floor to floor on the inside. The key to effectively stopping unwanted noise from invading our space is to stop the vibration.

In most homes and commercial buildings, walls and floors have an interior support structure of wood or steel studs or joists and are covered with some form of rigid sheeting like drywall or particle board flooring, leaving an air space between the walls, floors and ceilings. That air space allows for the easy transfer of sound waves with very little solid mass for the sound to vibrate through or slow its transfer. One of the most common methods used to reduce the transfer of that sound has been to insulate the wall, floor or ceiling with one of several types of insulation. This may reduce the transfer of sound vibrations through the air space, but does nothing to stop the sound transferred through studs, drywall, joists or flooring.

It's also important to understand that not all sound frequencies are not the same when it comes to insulation. Lab tests show that low frequency sounds aren't stopped by insulation, and high frequency sounds aren't reduced significantly. Insulating the air space is only effective in deadening mid-range frequency sound.

Then how is sound transferred in an insulated wall? When drywall is nailed directly to wall studs, sound waves vibrate the drywall, that vibration is transferred to the stud, and is finally transferred to the drywall on the other side of the wall. That vibrates the air in the room and the vibrations become sound waves again. The industry calls this coupling.

One method to reduce this transfer of vibration is called de-coupling. De-coupling is nothing more than creating a space between the drywall and studs. This dampens the sound. That is, the vibration and resulting transfer of sound is greatly reduced. This can easily be done during construction by placing a resilient cushion between the drywall and stud to absorb the vibration. There are clips and channels available for that purpose. Another even more effective method is to install a cushioning sheet over the stud wall and under the drywall, or over floor joists and under sub-flooring, When combined with insulating the air space between walls and floors, there is a significant reduction in the transfer of high, low and mid-range sound frequencies.

It is also important to seal around all outside door and window openings with a good quality caulk. To reduce the transfer of sound from room to room, don't forget to seal outlets and install duct liners in furnace and air exchange duct work. When used together, each of these methods will go a long way in controlling the transfer of unwanted sound.

So far we have considered reducing sound in a home, a commercial building or a single room or area. And these methods are really only practical for new construction. They also can't completely eliminate sound - only reduce it to acceptable levels.

What can be done when retro-fitting a room isn't cost effective and sound isolation is needed? The answer may be as small as a portable "mini" sound shelter or as large as a sound isolation room. There are any number of applications where sound isolation is required. Hearing testing, speech therapy, psychological testing and data recording and industrial applications are just a few.

To meet those needs audiometric booths, sound isolation rooms and noise reduction rooms are available. By incorporating innovations like carpeted vibration isolated floors, space-saver roof mounted ventilation, recessed electrical outlets, noise-lock doors, double glazed windows and double thick modular wall panels, sound can be controlled in small spaces such as a portable booth or as large as a room within a room.

Understanding a bit about sound, how it travels and what can stop it can help you decide what you need to do to control the sound around you. Whether you want to keep the noise of the outside world out, quiet a part of your home or commercial building or need an area of sound isolation, understanding the technology that is available can help you make a sound decision.

Integrity Acoustic Solutions builds, installs, and repairs audiometric booths, sound isolation rooms, and noise reductions rooms for medical and educational institutions.

5 Quick Roofing Contractor Tips

Your roof is one of the most important yet neglected parts of your home. You don't usually think about your roof until it starts to leak or gets damaged. If it is time to have your roof replaced read these 5 quick tips to help you with your roofing project.

1. Get a written contract. Get everything in writing before your roofer begins work so that there are no surprises. The bid should be detailed giving you prices for labor, materials, etc.

2. Check your roofer out before you begin work. Don't just ask for references, pick up the phone and call them. Also make sure that they are licensed and insured.

3. Never pay for the job all up front. Most companies will want some sort of down payment but you should never pay for the entire job before it has been completed.

4. Get multiple bids. Don't just get one or two bids. This is a big job and you need many bids to compare. Beware of the lowest bidder and remember that you do not want to be ripped off and you also get what you pay for.

5. Be wary of con artists. Watch out for lowballers wanting large deposits or contractors who knock on your door soliciting. If a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is.

Having a roof replaced is a big job. Take your time, do your homework and you will get through this home repair project easily.

Learn more about local roofers at the authors website. Find information on roofing and roofs.

Quality Online Roofing Resources

I recently had the need to come up with relatively useful definitions of some roofing terms and also some guides and opinions regarding roofing methods. I stumbled upon some useful online resources that provide the things that I need and also may also be helpful to other users out there.

Here is a list and some descriptions of some of the sites I have found:

1. Garlandco.com - It is a roofing company that has been in business since 1895. What generally caught my attention was their PowerPoint presentation that provides an overview of the most common types of roofing systems that are available in the commercial market place today. Other information include in the presentation are brief description, history and application of each system and lastly, the advantages and disadvantages of each roofing system.

2. Roofing.com - It is a forum all about roofing. Its main feature is a forum area where there are active members. All posts are related to roofing and most members are highly knowledgeable when it comes to roofing both in theory and in practice.

It also has a Knowledge base area wherein forum members can give inputs like answers to frequently asked questions and some roofing guides. Within this area, you can find the definitions to most roofing terms.

The site also has a section wherein you can view the number of roofing jobs available per state. It also has a directory of roofing companies categorized by state. All in all, the site is quite user-friendly and highly informative. Most of my friends also think that it is one good online resource site if the subject is roofing.

3. Roofersreview.com - Is a highly informative site dedicated to roofing. Here you can find local roofers through browsing photos of their works. Also, this site has been suggested to me by members of Roofing.com. They say the pictures they upload to this site help them get quick answers from other users of the forum.

I would include the other sites that I find useful in another article which I may finish by next week. Until then, I hope you get the maximum benefit that you can from the following sites.

Jasper Bautista is a Webmarketing Specialist of Agents of Value who is currently handling Roofing.com

Learn How to Install Metal Roofing

Learning how to install metal roofing may be your first step toward safeguarding your home from the elements in the most efficient and economical way. Although the initial monetary outlay may seem high, if you remain in the home for a period of years, the cost justifies itself. Experts agree that a home with a metal roofing system withstands greater wear and tear than other types of roofing.

Several metal shingle suppliers online offer advice and instructions on how to install metal roofing. One of these, Permanent Roofing Systems (www.PermanentRoofing.com) offers a downloadable PDF file to those interesting in learning how to install metal roofing purchased from their company.

The patent-pending, do-it-yourself metal roofing offered by Permanent Roofing features a four-way interlocking system of aluminum shingles. The user-friendly design of the Permanent Roofing system gives people who are trying to learn how to install metal roofing a leg up with its innovative system.

Because so many types of metal roofing exist, before you decide on learning how to install metal roofing, you might want to check some of these out. Some of the most popular metal roofing systems being used today include Gerard, Decrabond, Met-Tile, Prestige, and Zappone. Prices for metal roofing with these systems vary anywhere from $1.25 to $4.50 per square foot in material ranging from aluminum to copper.

If you feel better about learning how to install metal roofing from reading a book, check out Roofing the Right Way by Steven Bolt. You can find Bolt's book, which includes a fairly comprehensive section on metal roofing, at Amazon.com for around $20, not including shipping.

Learning how to install metal roofing doesn't have to be a daunting task when done methodically. Reading Permanent Roofing Systems' instructions, educating yourself on the various types of metal roofing systems, and acquiring Steven Bolt's book should all propel you forward in your quest of how to install metal roofing.

So don't put off your quest on how to install metal roofing any longer! There's no time like the present to get started on the roof you've dreamed about forever. And learning how to install metal roofing may lead to learning something else. Who knows? You could start a habit you'll never want to break!

Carlo Morelli writes for OnlineTips.Org, where you can read tips on attic radiant barriers, metal roofing and other home/garden topics

Other Roofing Products VS Metal Roofing Products

While most people know only roofing panels made of metal, in reality, there are many metal kinds of roofing products being produced. They are in demand these days for their affordability and industrial usefulness. Several types of these metal roofing products have been used years ago but are now in style again.

Here are some other product materials being used in roofing, which can be compared to metal:

1. Asphalt shingles are used for up to the whole surface of a roof in the United States. They are used to evaluate factors such as wind resistance, fire, tear strength, and other performance gauge. They come in standard or designer varieties.

The standard type is light-textured with a flat surface while designer types are heavily textured. Metal does not have these characteristics. It is actually up to your decision how well you will like this kind of roofing product material once you try using it.

2. Wood shingles and shakes are also used in metal roofing. They are commonly made from redwood, cedar, southern pine and other woods. Handmade wood shingles have rougher looking appearance compared to machine-sawn types.

They are not used these days as some building codes prohibit them due to susceptibility of catching fire. Most of them have class C ratings in construction materials. In comparison, class A products are applied with a fire-resistant coating. You can definitely choose metal over wood, as they are more fire retardant.

3. Tiles are also used and are a very durable product material. The Spanish round-topped and mission tiles are used widely on Florida and nearby places. There are also flat styles to get an impression of English and French look.

There can be various colors and finishes. Tiles are heavy, if you want to replace your roof with tiles, make sure the load can be supported by the structure. Heavy means too much load and roofing products must be lightweight and can be transported easily. It may not be advisable to use.

A roof can be fitted with metal roofing from small to big structures. Architecture and builders can use different roofing products to achieve the desired effect. As with the client's preference, they can modify appearance, aesthetic, and performance or various materials.

These roofing materials may come in copper, steel, aluminum and other steels. Most of them are made of recycled materials and coated or treated to prevent corrosion or rusting.

For tips on installing metal roofing, visit http://www.metalroofing101.com