If you are anything like me, you just want a place to play your music, jam with your band, mix, etc without your neighbors calling the police. The solution is to soundproof your studio or room so that when you are playing music, the sound is minimal to persons outside of this room. Soundproofing a room will also allow less sound to come INSIDE the room, but more importantly will allow less sound to go OUT of the room. Now, I didn’t know much about buildings and carpentry before i started this project, but doing the project allowed me to learn much more, and I want to pass that knowledge on to you to help you avoid the many mistakes I made. Me, I’m a musician. Ask me anything about music, and I can answer…carpentry or building, not so much, but I knew I wanted a soundproof studio so as not to bother my neighbors while mixing or having a session. In researching the web, I found tons of advanced procedures for building for professional builders, but not much for the building amateur, so I decided to write a basic guide for those of us with minimal building skills.
Note: Before I started this project, I didn’t even know that drywall is the same as sheet rock!!! Let me teach you so you avoid the hurdles I had to overcome…Even if you have never touched a hammer in your life, after reading this tutorial, you will be able to build a basic soundproof room so you can jam to your heart’s content.
OK, so let’s get started…We will be soundproofing a studio that is 1 room with an iso booth(An iso booth is a room built with soundproofing to record vocalists, guitarists, etc.) We also built this room, and I will elaborate on another article. The Walls have plywood facing out and that’s it. The ceiling has a slanting roof with an attic, which we will be covering totally. Our goal is to soundproof the room so that sound does not enter into the room, nor does sound escape the room.
I. Tools
You will need the following tools:
1)T-Ruler (This is a builder’s tool that looks like a silver ruler shaped like a T. This is used to cut straight drywall). Highly recommended, as I did not have one at the beginning of my project, and was a problem.
2) Box Razor (Normally used to open boxes, also called a “Box Cutter)
3) Drywall (Need to measure enough to cover all 4 walls and ceilings)
4) Caulk (Any type will do…there are special kinds, but any kind will do, depending on your budget)
5) Electric Screwdriver
6) Drywall screws (Many!!!)
7) Carpet
8) Insulation (There are many types, but to keep it simple, we will be using “The Pink Stuff”
9) Staple Gun
10) Safety Gloves
11) Goggles
II. Steps
What we will be doing is basically creating a wall Acoustic Screens with our drywall, then covering the drywall with carpet and then treating the wall. Now, your room may be different from mine, but the concept is the same. I was fortunate to already have plywood on the outside of my room, so the only thing we had to do was insulate in between the 2x4s, and cover with drywall, then cover the drywall with carpet.
a. Insulation – The 1st step was to insulate in between the 2x4s with regular insulation (You know, the pink stuff). You will want to insulate the entire room, which could be a little expensive, depending on the size of the room. I went to Home Depot, and got my insulation. It cost about $11 per roll, and I purchased 10 rolls. Insulation is very easy to work with. Make sure to wear gloves as well as goggles as the particles from the insulation fly everywhere, and some people are allergic to it if it touches their skin. Measure the piece you need, and then cut the insulation with a sharp razor…Watch your fingers!!! To make sure the insulation stays up on the wall, I used a staple gun to staple it to the plywood, which is