Building Codes Question

Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:53 pm

for anyone knowledgable in this area.

My drum room is in the basement of the house I RENT. I can't do anything permanent to treat/isolate the room, but I have plywood sheets on the floor and an area rug underneath the drums. The block walls are paneled, but not insulated. There is an old fashioned acoustic tile ceiling.

I would like to build GOBOs ala the Abbey Road ones (Igot plans off the web) and surround the kit with about 3-4ft of space between the boundry of the kit and the GOBOs. Then to help with isolation (my control room is on the main floor), I want to build a lid to span the GOBOs, kinda like the drum shields we use at church.

My question is: would this kind of construction be likely to be in violation of local building codes?

Thanks.

Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:52 pm

I can't answer that specifically, but don't see how it would be anywhere on their radar as it doesn't alter the structure. Insurance, that may be different Wink

But I have a question. Does it seem like there is a ringing, maybe somehow involving the paneling? Seems to me, based on my limited knowledge, that sound could get behind the undamped paneling and cause it to vibrate and add to your noise levels.

Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:35 am

Space wrote:

Quote:

But I have a question. Does it seem like there is a ringing, maybe somehow involving the paneling? Seems to me, based on my limited knowledge, that sound could get behind the undamped paneling and cause it to vibrate and add to your noise levels.

Very likely, yes.

Quote:

Insurance, that may be different

You bring up a good point. I have read here, that even sticking up a piece of paneling on a basement wall could negate the homeowners insurance if it was determined that its presence contributed to the spread of a fire and a building permit was not obtained prior to installation.

I guess the insurance question is more on target.

Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:13 am

Maybe Fire Marshall Bill could help as well.

Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:22 am

Neither the fire marshall - nor the building official have control over this one.

If these are free standing opbjects - then they have nothing to do with the building itself - and are no different than a couch or chair.

Nothing a renter can do (and this includes illegal construction) can alter the insurance carried by the landlord unless the landlord themselves were implicitely involved.

In my opinion only 2 things matter here.......

the first is that i would strongly recommend that the gobo\'s be treated with fire retardant spray - a nice (and not really expensive) safety feature for the tennant - and the other is that he realizes that this is NOT going to give him a whole lot of isolation.........

do not expect much - because that is all you are going to get - not much.......

Rod

Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:30 pm

Thanks Rod.

I don\'t need much more in the way of isolation, as I can walk out into the yard while someone is playing and hear the grass crunching under my feet.

Just looking for a little added peace of mind about playing at midnight or later.

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