Hey all,

One of the studios I work at has recently taken on about one foot of water, as a result of a recent hurricane. It's constructed on the ground floor of and old New England style mill. I don't have a way to measure how thick the concrete floor is, but it is thick. It's located about a quarter mile from the a port/waterway/downtown waterfront area. We've been there about 5yrs and have not seen a drop until this year, where two major storms have flooded the facility, w somewhere between 4" to 1'. After talking to some of the other long term tenants, this apparently isn't a new problem, as they have seen the place flood out before. But this is new to us. We control humidity w basic dehumidifiers and pumps, which feed into a French drain. The French drain is along what I'll refer to as the rear wall of the brick building, which is about a foot behind the rear wall of the studio. I can post some pics or sketches if needed. The French drain has a sump pump pumping to the outside of the building, to somewhere I was unable to track.

The drum room and hall, are built directly on the concrete, and use the painted concrete floor as the studio floor. The CR and booths are built on sand filled PT 2x4 wood decks, 2x4s laid flat, w 3/4 t&g osb, w pergo type floor covering.

Ideally, the land lord would solve this moisture problem, but while I'm going to try, I don't see them doing too much about it. So at this point I'd like to start brainstorming some ideas for preventative measures.

Thinking that some basic racks w appropriate space below, will take care of the computer and some amps etc. So the main thing right now is the drumkit, which is left permanently set up and mic'd.

I've never really looked into drum riser construction, and after searching around here, the biggest point I could find was rod recommending they be sand filled.

With something in this case being quite high off the ground, I'm not sure this would be practical, or the best way to go. My two main concerns are keeping the drums high and dry, not introducing any bad sympathetic resonances to an otherwise nice sounding kit and room.

I would imagine it would be so where between 6"-1ft off the ground.

My two basic brainstorm ideas would be a platform made from cinder blocks, or some sort of a dampened wood framed deck, w perhaps a self leveling concrete top, similar to what's in rods book pertaining to the floor above a basement, regarding "massing it up" to reduce impact noise. All i need from this is height of the ground, and it to be as acoustically neutral as possible.

Any ideas, or links would be greatly appreciated, as I am hoping to never have to pour water out of the kick drum again, or amps, or computer :) again.

If I missed anything in my OP I'll be glad to fill in details. And I am fully away are that preventing the flooding is the best way to go, I don't know that it is possible, much less affordable. So I'm preparing for the possibility of living w it, but trying to prevent any further damage/scares to the equipment.

Thanks.

-Kyle