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I'm turning a 12'x20' room with 8' walls and a "barn type" ceiling that goes up to 10' into a recording / jam room. It is completely drywalled at this point. The room is separate from the main house. I would like advice on:
1. Sound-proofing the room and also making the room sound as good as possible. The walls are made of 2x4 with insulation, drywall on inside and wood siding on the outside. The ceiling is made of 2x4 with insulation and drywall inside and plywood outside with typ built up roof. Any suggestions here that will go hand in hand with making the room sound good?

2. What should I do to the ceiling?

3. Walls?

4. Floor?

I have read several of the posts about sound traping the corners and how to build them. I'm interested in what should go on the other areas, walls, floors, ceilings. . I am completey new to this and any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Comments

Space Fri, 03/13/2009 - 16:05

It would be fairly difficult to give accurate information with not seeing this structure. But it would be safe to say, what you have, as a room, is as close to what you will end up with in the end.

I have no idea what a barn type ceiling is. Vaulted or Cathedral I am familiar with. But since you named names, the casual onlooker may assume this is a barn, and has no foundation. So it may be a pole type framing, with stud walls fastened to the poles.

How much more load can these walls take if indeed it is this type of construction. Can't say without more information.

But I can say the ceiling/framing/load is about as close to the limits as you should ever want to be. 2 X4 doesn't span very far on a good day. With a 12 inch center, 9-10 with the loading you have might work. If it is 12 inch center and if it was 9 feet and 10 inches, give or take a silly millimeter.

But it most likely is not 12 inches, it may be 16 inches which would reduce the span (based on No. 2 grade lumber) DOWN to 8 feet and 11 inches.

What you want is mass to contain sound, but it doesn't seem that this structure has the capability to safely maintain more layers of sheetrock without eventual structure failure.

Maybe more details on the foundation would help. But it isn't going to change the ceiling concern.

anonymous Fri, 03/13/2009 - 17:03

The ceiling structure is angled in from the top of the walls at a 30 degree angle for a couple feet and then flat across the top. It definately will not handle a lot of more weight. The foundation is a raised floor on pier foundations. I don't want to add walls to the inside so I don't lose more room. Can anything be done that is light weight that will help contain the sound that will also allow for good internal sound?