Studio Door

[Higgs]

The largest room in my house is 16' x 20'. I am wanting to split this
room into two 16' x 10' areas. This room has an 8' ceiling. For one
half I am wanting to make it as soundproof as possible. I am planning
on floating an inner "room within a room" on Auralex U-Boats. The
floor will be 2' x 4' construction with one layer of 3/4 plywood, one
of 5/8 sheetrock, and one of 5/8 plywood. The walls (2' x 4'
construction)will sit on top of strips of limp-mass vinyl. Well, at
this point you probably get the idea of what I am doing. There are
several websites that have basic plans for this type of room.

My question is, what to do for a door? I see all of these articles
about the room itself, but they neglect to mention the door. My plan
as of now is to place an ordinary exterior door onto it. If I do this
it seems that I just might be wasting my money on the rest of the
room, since I'm sure that the door will let in more noise than the
room I mentioned above.

Although I can't find any studio-specific doors listed anywhere, I
know that they would be too expensive for my project. So the options
as I am seeing them is to either:

1. Try and match the soundblocking qualities of the room to the door
I choose (and save some $$.)

or

2. Find a way to increase the soundblocking qualities of the door to
match the room.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any help.

-Higgs

[Mike Rivers]

In article <4e3cce4a.0308160327.602029ce@posting.google.com> jamescashworth@yahoo.com writes:

> My question is, what to do for a door? I see all of these articles
> about the room itself, but they neglect to mention the door.

Door? You just build the musicians into the room, and feed them
electronically. No door needed. Be sure to put in plenty of guitar
strings and drum sticks before you seal them up, though.

> My plan
> as of now is to place an ordinary exterior door onto it. If I do this
> it seems that I just might be wasting my money on the rest of the
> room, since I'm sure that the door will let in more noise than the
> room I mentioned above.

Wenger makes great studio doors. They're several layers, they have
gaskets, and a neat cam arrangement that rasises and lowers the door
slightly as you open and close it so that the gaskets will seat.
They're very expensive. If you're going to all of that trouble to
soundproof the room, you need a door like this. Otherwise, as you
suggest, you're just wasting your time.

> 2. Find a way to increase the soundblocking qualities of the door to
> match the room.

You can start out with a solid core door and add a couple of layers of
MDF to increase the mass, but you won't be able to make as good an
airtight seal around the edge as with the "real thing." Don't forget
to beef up the hinges too, when adding mass to the door.

> Any suggestions?

Before you wrap up your budget, consider ventilation and air
conditioning. That can be even more expensive than a door, and just as
big a sound leak if it's not done correctly. Bottom line - you CANNOT
build a soundproof studio on a tiny budget, even if you do all the
construction work yourself. Materials are specialized and expensive.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - (mrivers@d-and-d.com)

[Higgs]

Well, I wont rule out anything on costs alone (to a point of course.)
I can't seem to find a URL to Wenger, any idea what it is?

mrivers@d-and-d.com (Mike Rivers) wrote in message news:<znr1061037081k@trad>...
> In article <4e3cce4a.0308160327.602029ce@posting.google.com> jamescashworth@yahoo.com writes:
>
> > My question is, what to do for a door? I see all of these articles
> > about the room itself, but they neglect to mention the door.
>
> Door? You just build the musicians into the room, and feed them
> electronically. No door needed. Be sure to put in plenty of guitar
> strings and drum sticks before you seal them up, though.
>
> > My plan
> > as of now is to place an ordinary exterior door onto it. If I do this
> > it seems that I just might be wasting my money on the rest of the
> > room, since I'm sure that the door will let in more noise than the
> > room I mentioned above.
>
> Wenger makes great studio doors. They're several layers, they have
> gaskets, and a neat cam arrangement that rasises and lowers the door
> slightly as you open and close it so that the gaskets will seat.
> They're very expensive. If you're going to all of that trouble to
> soundproof the room, you need a door like this. Otherwise, as you
> suggest, you're just wasting your time.
>
> > 2. Find a way to increase the soundblocking qualities of the door to
> > match the room.
>
> You can start out with a solid core door and add a couple of layers of
> MDF to increase the mass, but you won't be able to make as good an
> airtight seal around the edge as with the "real thing." Don't forget
> to beef up the hinges too, when adding mass to the door.
>
> > Any suggestions?
>
> Before you wrap up your budget, consider ventilation and air
> conditioning. That can be even more expensive than a door, and just as
> big a sound leak if it's not done correctly. Bottom line - you CANNOT
> build a soundproof studio on a tiny budget, even if you do all the
> construction work yourself. Materials are specialized and expensive.

[LeBaron & Alrich]

Higgs <jamescashworth@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Well, I wont rule out anything on costs alone (to a point of course.)
> I can't seem to find a URL to Wenger, any idea what it is?

Google, my man. <g> Terms: [wenger sound isolation door]

"Closing the door on noise - A breakthrough in sound isolation.
"So whether you're building, renovating, adding on or replacing doors
"that don't work, the Wenger Acoustical Door is your solution to sound
"isolation. ... "

<store.wengercorp.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=782
2&prmenbr=586>

--
hank alrich * secret mountain
audio recording * music production * sound reinforcement
"If laughter is the best medicine let's take a double dose"

[Jay Kahrs]

>The largest room in my house is 16' x 20'. I am wanting to split this
>room into two 16' x 10' areas. This room has an 8' ceiling.

Bad move. Consider moving one of the walls by a foot or so so that you don't
have a room that's 16' wide and 8' high. 15x8 and 17x8 would give you much
better room modes.

---
-Jay Kahrs
Owner - Chief Engineer
Mad Moose Recording Inc.
Morris Plains, NJ
http://www.madmooserecording.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Come visit me here --> http://www.gear****z.com

[James Kidwell]

Home Depot has a door called "Safe and Sound" that is quite good at
blocking sound and fire.
It looks like a normal door and works well. JK

Higgs wrote:

>The largest room in my house is 16' x 20'. I am wanting to split this
>room into two 16' x 10' areas. This room has an 8' ceiling. For one
>half I am wanting to make it as soundproof as possible. I am planning
>on floating an inner "room within a room" on Auralex U-Boats. The
>floor will be 2' x 4' construction with one layer of 3/4 plywood, one
>of 5/8 sheetrock, and one of 5/8 plywood. The walls (2' x 4'
>construction)will sit on top of strips of limp-mass vinyl. Well, at
>this point you probably get the idea of what I am doing. There are
>several websites that have basic plans for this type of room.
>
>My question is, what to do for a door? I see all of these articles
>about the room itself, but they neglect to mention the door. My plan
>as of now is to place an ordinary exterior door onto it. If I do this
>it seems that I just might be wasting my money on the rest of the
>room, since I'm sure that the door will let in more noise than the
>room I mentioned above.
>
>Although I can't find any studio-specific doors listed anywhere, I
>know that they would be too expensive for my project. So the options
>as I am seeing them is to either:
>
>1. Try and match the soundblocking qualities of the room to the door
>I choose (and save some $$.)
>
>or
>
>2. Find a way to increase the soundblocking qualities of the door to
>match the room.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Thanks in advance for any help.
>
>-Higgs
>
>

[LeBaron & Alrich]

Jay Kahrs <brownsnd14@aol.com> wrote:

> >The largest room in my house is 16' x 20'. I am wanting to split this
> >room into two 16' x 10' areas. This room has an 8' ceiling.

> Bad move. Consider moving one of the walls by a foot or so so that you don't
> have a room that's 16' wide and 8' high. 15x8 and 17x8 would give you much
> better room modes.


What he said. Taking care of some of the problems by controlling the
dimensions of the rooms will save a hell of a lot of hassle, money,
time, and deliver a much better result.

--
hank alrich * secret mountain
audio recording * music production * sound reinforcement
"If laughter is the best medicine let's take a double dose"

[RB]

www.wengercorp.com


"Higgs" <jamescashworth@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4e3cce4a.0308161009.117df1ad@posting.google.c om...
> Well, I wont rule out anything on costs alone (to a point of course.)
> I can't seem to find a URL to Wenger, any idea what it is?
>
> mrivers@d-and-d.com (Mike Rivers) wrote in message
news:<znr1061037081k@trad>...
> > In article <4e3cce4a.0308160327.602029ce@posting.google.com>
jamescashworth@yahoo.com writes:
> >
> > > My question is, what to do for a door? I see all of these articles
> > > about the room itself, but they neglect to mention the door.
> >
> > Door? You just build the musicians into the room, and feed them
> > electronically. No door needed. Be sure to put in plenty of guitar
> > strings and drum sticks before you seal them up, though.
> >
> > > My plan
> > > as of now is to place an ordinary exterior door onto it. If I do this
> > > it seems that I just might be wasting my money on the rest of the
> > > room, since I'm sure that the door will let in more noise than the
> > > room I mentioned above.
> >
> > Wenger makes great studio doors. They're several layers, they have
> > gaskets, and a neat cam arrangement that rasises and lowers the door
> > slightly as you open and close it so that the gaskets will seat.
> > They're very expensive. If you're going to all of that trouble to
> > soundproof the room, you need a door like this. Otherwise, as you
> > suggest, you're just wasting your time.
> >
> > > 2. Find a way to increase the soundblocking qualities of the door to
> > > match the room.
> >
> > You can start out with a solid core door and add a couple of layers of
> > MDF to increase the mass, but you won't be able to make as good an
> > airtight seal around the edge as with the "real thing." Don't forget
> > to beef up the hinges too, when adding mass to the door.
> >
> > > Any suggestions?
> >
> > Before you wrap up your budget, consider ventilation and air
> > conditioning. That can be even more expensive than a door, and just as
> > big a sound leak if it's not done correctly. Bottom line - you CANNOT
> > build a soundproof studio on a tiny budget, even if you do all the
> > construction work yourself. Materials are specialized and expensive.

[Chris]

In article <Fxs%a.3157$Q_.2537@fe03.atl2.webusenet.com>,
jameskid@bellsouth.net says...
> Home Depot has a door called "Safe and Sound" that is quite good at
> blocking sound and fire.
> It looks like a normal door and works well. JK
>
> Higgs wrote:
>
> >The largest room in my house is 16' x 20'. I am wanting to split this
> >room into two 16' x 10' areas. This room has an 8' ceiling. For one
> >half I am wanting to make it as soundproof as possible. I am planning
> >on floating an inner "room within a room" on Auralex U-Boats. The
> >floor will be 2' x 4' construction with one layer of 3/4 plywood, one
> >of 5/8 sheetrock, and one of 5/8 plywood. The walls (2' x 4'
> >construction)will sit on top of strips of limp-mass vinyl. Well, at
> >this point you probably get the idea of what I am doing. There are
> >several websites that have basic plans for this type of room.
> >
> >My question is, what to do for a door? I see all of these articles
> >about the room itself, but they neglect to mention the door. My plan
> >as of now is to place an ordinary exterior door onto it. If I do this
> >it seems that I just might be wasting my money on the rest of the
> >room, since I'm sure that the door will let in more noise than the
> >room I mentioned above.
> >
> >Although I can't find any studio-specific doors listed anywhere, I
> >know that they would be too expensive for my project. So the options
> >as I am seeing them is to either:
> >
> >1. Try and match the soundblocking qualities of the room to the door
> >I choose (and save some $$.)
> >
> >or
> >
> >2. Find a way to increase the soundblocking qualities of the door to
> >match the room.
> >
> >Any suggestions?
> >
> >Thanks in advance for any help.
> >
> >-Higgs
> >
> >
>
>
>
You could consider installing a door that opened out onto another room or
corridor, if possible.

I have also had good results with (about 6") thick home-made doors that
are slightly tapered to fit their frames which are fitted with several
draught-exclusion-type gaskets let into recesses in the frame. The door
is than filled with sand (line it with plastic first)and closed with a
meat-safe type handle which presses the door into the rubber seals. This
assumes reasonable carpentry skill is available locally.

The really cheap version is two sections of double/triple glazed sliding
patio doors. This works surprisingly well if the gap between is big
enough and the inner & outer doors are not parallel. The advantage is
that they are cheap and readily available, the disadvantage is you can
still see the musicians!!!

Both of these solutions are almost air-tight so think carefully about
your ventilation/heating/cooling arrangements first!

Pip pip

Good luck

--
Chris Notton
Replace "nospam" with my surname to reply by email
Sostituisca il "nospam" con il mio cognome per rispondere
}<////(*>

[Charles Robertson, Psy.D.]

I went with a sound lock between recording spaces. Any sound has to bleed
through one door, turn a corner, and bleed through another door to get
through. I used solid core door covered with closed cell foam which seals
against over-size jams. I could put Jaimie Lee Curtis in one room screaming
bloody murder and never know it.

Chuck Robertson
Pool House Studio
"Higgs" <jamescashworth@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4e3cce4a.0308160327.602029ce@posting.google.c om...
> The largest room in my house is 16' x 20'. I am wanting to split this
> room into two 16' x 10' areas. This room has an 8' ceiling. For one
> half I am wanting to make it as soundproof as possible. I am planning
> on floating an inner "room within a room" on Auralex U-Boats. The
> floor will be 2' x 4' construction with one layer of 3/4 plywood, one
> of 5/8 sheetrock, and one of 5/8 plywood. The walls (2' x 4'
> construction)will sit on top of strips of limp-mass vinyl. Well, at
> this point you probably get the idea of what I am doing. There are
> several websites that have basic plans for this type of room.
>
> My question is, what to do for a door? I see all of these articles
> about the room itself, but they neglect to mention the door. My plan
> as of now is to place an ordinary exterior door onto it. If I do this
> it seems that I just might be wasting my money on the rest of the
> room, since I'm sure that the door will let in more noise than the
> room I mentioned above.
>
> Although I can't find any studio-specific doors listed anywhere, I
> know that they would be too expensive for my project. So the options
> as I am seeing them is to either:
>
> 1. Try and match the soundblocking qualities of the room to the door
> I choose (and save some $$.)
>
> or
>
> 2. Find a way to increase the soundblocking qualities of the door to
> match the room.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks in advance for any help.
>
> -Higgs

[Higgs]

When the "room inside a room" is completed the dimensions then will be
around 15' x 9' x 7'. The space in which it will be built is the 16'
x 10' x 8' I mentioned.

After the shell is complete I will be working on the acoustics of the
room as well.

Any ideas on where I could find a link to that Home-Depot door? I
searched their site, but didn't find it.


walkinay@thegrid.net (LeBaron & Alrich) wrote in message news:<1fzsa76.oxgnpmkhmfblN%walkinay@thegrid.net>...
> Jay Kahrs <brownsnd14@aol.com> wrote:
>
> > >The largest room in my house is 16' x 20'. I am wanting to split this
> > >room into two 16' x 10' areas. This room has an 8' ceiling.
>
> > Bad move. Consider moving one of the walls by a foot or so so that you don't
> > have a room that's 16' wide and 8' high. 15x8 and 17x8 would give you much
> > better room modes.
>
>
> What he said. Taking care of some of the problems by controlling the
> dimensions of the rooms will save a hell of a lot of hassle, money,
> time, and deliver a much better result.

[Mike Rivers]

In article <MPG.19a8d28633ebe083989943@news.cis.dfn.de> chris@nospam.net writes:

> The really cheap version is two sections of double/triple glazed sliding
> patio doors. This works surprisingly well if the gap between is big
> enough and the inner & outer doors are not parallel. The advantage is
> that they are cheap and readily available, the disadvantage is you can
> still see the musicians!!!

A pair of good sliding glass doors isn't really cheap, but it's
cheaper than a Wenger. An advantage is that if you have the space to
spare, you can use the little room that's created between them as an
extra isolation booth when things aren't too loud in the main rooms.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - (mrivers@d-and-d.com)