Creating my own rehearsal space

[Happy Jack]

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, I started a topic about converting my garage into a rehearsal space:

http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...l=garage+studio

At that point my entire house was a building site, and I was still recovering from a major motorbike accident, so I was doing my advanced research and planning. I got loads of very helpful advice, much of which is reflected in what is now happening.

My start point was this:

GONE

Ignore the red squares. They were there for a reason.

GONE

Yes, the up & over door in this photo was broken.

What follows is a more-or-less 360-degree view of the interior of the garage, as was.

GONE

The raised flooring (above) was a bunch of old pallets, covered with hardboard, covered with cheap vinyl lino stuff. Very cheap and cheerful, but surprisingly effective. I got 10 years' use out of that.

GONE

Notice the lack of even the most rudimentary insulation or weather-proofing.

GONE

It's a double garage with a separating wall down the middle (which doesn't reach the peak of the roof). That divides it into two single garages, one of which we treat as (and call) the garden shed. This photo is looking through the connecting door into the garden shed.

GONE

Edited February 8, 2021 by Happy Jack

[Happy Jack]

First thing to do, replace that broken up & over door with a pair of side-hinged jobbies.

Seeing as only a motorbike ever goes in there, I only need one half of the pair to open, which means that the internal wall can reach around inside the left-hand door.
 

Incidentally, I was genuinely impressed by the price AND service I got from the guys who supplied & installed these doors. If you want to know more about them, PM me.

Edited February 8, 2021 by Happy Jack

[Happy Jack]

Next thing to do is to put your back out.

Badly.

I picked up a cylinder for a gas barbecue (must weigh all of 10Kg) as I walked past it and - PING! - there went my lower back.

No worries, just pay a pair of husky 15-year-olds to clear the garage for me.
 

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Happy Jack

[Happy Jack]

Being unable to do any heavy lifting put paid to any idea of doing the building work myself.

Luckily enough, a drummer I know runs a building firm and was about to go off on a week's holiday. He was very happy to "lend me" a couple of Polish workers for a day or two.

Start with a decent damp-proof membrane, held in place by big bits of wood which are apparently known as "spreaders".
 

On top of that, lay support struts for the raised floor.
 

Fill the gaps with rockwool.

Now the floor itself. This is a layer of 7mm "grassmat" (the rubber matting with holes in it that gets used in playgrounds and at open-air events where the turf would get destroyed) covered by 18mm plywood.
 

The grassmat I'm using came from eBay, having previously been used at a County Show somewhere.

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Happy Jack

[Happy Jack]

Time to finish off the floor and get started on the stud-work.
 

That includes building a new doorway, of course.
 

And the tricky bit over the main doors.
 

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Happy Jack

[Happy Jack]

But then the electrics start to push things a bit out of shape ...
 

That's 12mm ply for the walls, by the way.
 

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Happy Jack

[Happy Jack]

Did I mention that this place is now Rockwool Central?
 

And that's 6mm ply for the ceiling.
 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Happy Jack

[Happy Jack]

So that's the main building work pretty much completed.

The outside door needs to be lined with 2" insulation board.
 

The plywood walls & ceiling need to be covered with carpet.

The floor needs be covered with rubber garage matting.
 

And the connecting door needs to be hung and have its hardware fitted.
 

Apart from that, we're about there.

I am SO looking forward to sorting it all out this weekend.

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Happy Jack

[Len_derby]

Brilliant so far, well done.
Reading your postings over the past few days has been better than 'Grand Designs'.
We'll all be looking forward to the next instalments.

[BigRedX]

Fantastic job!

Really good to see this after all the original discussion. Be interested to hear how well the noise is kept in. Will you be doing anything about the outside door which looks like the weakest point from a sound reduction PoV?

[Lfalex v1.1]

Liking this.

But.... how far is said (ex)garage from civilization? What security arrangements have you in mind in case it attracts any unwanted attention? And last (and worst of all) Have you gained planning consent for change of use from a garage? My neighbours fell foul of this one. Which had no connection at all to their installing a gas flue spilling unburnt gas into my garden. Or their refusal to re-locate it.
We can all play that game.

How are your relationships with your neighbour/s, BTW?

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Len_derby' post='1336793' date='Aug 11 2011, 05:53 PM']Brilliant so far, well done.[/quote]

Ta very muchly, Len.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1336800' date='Aug 11 2011, 05:59 PM']Be interested to hear how well the noise is kept in. Will you be doing anything about the outside door which looks like the weakest point from a sound reduction PoV?[/quote]

The original structure was enough to reduce 92dB inside to 72dB outside the main door and to 64dB outside the garden door. I'm hoping this treatment will be enough to knock another 20dB off both measurements.

The outside door is going to get a 6' x 4' block of 2" thick 'solid' insulation glued to it. A matching 6' x 4' piece will then have a couple of grab handles attached and will be stored loose in the studio. When playing, that loose piece will be placed against the door (from the inside, natch). That will add an extra 4" of insulation / sound reduction to the weak point.

See also the next response.

[color="#8B0000"]Edited, a week later.

Looking back, it was silly to expect a further 20dB reduction, especially against the 64dB by the garden door. The reduction achieved (nearer 10dB than 20dB) is more than adequate and turns the rehearsal space into a serious stealth facility.
[/color]

Edited August 16, 2011 by Happy Jack

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='1336838' date='Aug 11 2011, 06:48 PM']But.... how far is said (ex)garage from civilization? What security arrangements have you in mind in case it attracts any unwanted attention? And last (and worst of all) Have you gained planning consent for change of use from a garage?[/quote]

Owing to the bizarre history of this site, my garage is roughly 30 yards from the nearest habitation - a very rare situation in Chiswick.

Additionally, the weakest point (the exterior door) points along the boundary between the back gardens of two parallel roads, so does not actually point anywhere near anyone's house.

Change of use? What you talkin' about mate? Look - there's my bike parked in my garage!

[EdwardHimself]

It's looking great so far. Nice bike port as well.

[Grand Wazoo]

Like the bike too, KTM SMR 690



It needs a set of Akrapovic's though like these



much moore oomph and wheelie's like a good'n

Edited August 11, 2011 by Grand Wazoo

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1337070' date='Aug 11 2011, 10:12 PM']It needs a set of Akrapovic's though [/quote]

I entirely agree, and this is the first KTM I've had in years which does NOT have Akro's.

There's a reason for that.

In fact, there are something like 1500 reasons for that.

[Gust0o]

I like this thread; but am desirous to know more about the red boxes

[Happy Jack]

Well it all starts back when I was a Government Minister ...

[EdwardHimself]

I remember my bike had custom exhausts on it. That was only a little 125 though lol.

Edited August 11, 2011 by EdwardHimself

[cheddatom]

I'm very interested to know how much noise reduction you get from just rockwool... hopefully loads, then I can copy you!

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='1337379' date='Aug 12 2011, 11:02 AM']I'm very interested to know how much noise reduction you get from just rockwool... hopefully loads, then I can copy you![/quote]

I don't think rockwool gives you a huge amount of NR. It's really just to stop sound from reverberating around empty cavity spaces. What you need is high density acoustic matting for proper noise reduction.

[Gust0o]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='1337394' date='Aug 12 2011, 11:09 AM']What you need is high density acoustic matting for proper noise reduction.[/quote]

Egg cartons?

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='Gust0o' post='1337429' date='Aug 12 2011, 11:31 AM']Egg cartons? [/quote]

[Happy Jack]

Rubber! That's what we need! Rubber!

Don't worry about the paving blocks - they're just there to hold the edge down while the glue goes off.

Here's the 2" thick Celotex board glued to the inside of the steel door.

Obviously it has been trimmed precisely to fit the door, and has a neat cut-out for the door handle.

You could say the same about the connecting door, I suppose.
 

Note the second Celotex board to the right of the connecting door, complete with grab handles.

This is what it looks like when in place.
 

So that's a 4" chunk of insulation before you get to the steel door.

Finally, here's the connecting door from the "shed" side. It's a very solid fire door - not because I need a fire door there but simply for the sound/heat insulation that it offers.
 

At top left of this photo there is a small, white square. I've not mentioned it previously, but I was concerned about life getting a bit, well, smelly at times. There are two small extractor fans mounted in the stud wall that reaches from the top of the dividing wall to the peak of the roof. They both vent from the studio into the shed, which means that the extra noise they allow through at least emerges within a structure.

Edited February 8, 2021 by Happy Jack