Fixing up an old shed to practice in?

santucci218 · #1 09-18-2009, 05:12 PM

Brothers! I dont know much about construction, but i know i dont have a ton of money and me and my buddy need to fix this place up to get it going. to give a quick explaination without pictures, for now, it has plywood walls and then the actual frame of it on the inside, with boards seperated every 1.5 feet, as a standard wall is per say. Pretty much we need a way to insulate it and get it slightly "sound proof." not so you can't hear anything, but so that it is not paper thin and about to fall over. The celing has some holes. i assume i could get more plywood and patch them, but should i use some form of calking or something to get it "watertight."

What are the most important things to me? Muffled sound, Weather resistant because our gear will be in it. Not too much cash. Any tips would really help.

I will get some pictures soon!

Tsal · #2 09-18-2009, 06:57 PM

What kind of area is this in, where are the closest neighbours? How's the climate?

If you just need a roof over your head and don't have to heat the place or worry about pissing off neighbours, it can be done cheaply. If you need to heat it, and if you really need to insulate the sound to prevent neighbours from getting pissed off, it can be expensive. A proper band practice is very loud to the neighbours, so it definitely will be heard relatively far away and even through a thick single wall.

For sound insulation, the best bet would be to build a house inside the house, with the base standing on layer of sand/other vibration resistant stuff. Sound travels by air and by structures, so this should be roughly "airtight" and with some soft stuff like mineral wool on the walls preventing it from vibrating. The same can be done to the outer walls.

santucci218 · #3 09-18-2009, 08:02 PM

meh, its essentially in the middle of the woods. the closest house is the guitarists house, as it is their "shed." but thats like 25 to 30 feet away. Mineral wool? i mean like, should i be using fiberglass insulation or something before i put more plywood up to make an inner wall or should i just leave that void of material? the stuff seems rather expensive...

Tsal · #4 09-19-2009, 03:22 AM

Ok, so basically put a sheet of mineral wool or fiberglass in the wall and make the inner wall out of plywood or drywall stuff. Waterproof membrane, ie. thin plastic sheet goes between the fiberglass and the inner wall. There should be small airspace with open ends left between the outer wall and the fibreglass, so that the moisture isn't trapped there, just make sure that rainwater doesn't get in from these ventilation holes. Sound will seep through from every small crack and opening, so make the shed as airtight as possible, and find a way to "thicken up" windows and doors.

Here's the basic structural picture of a typical wall: from left to right, there's outer wall, airspace, insulation, waterproof membrane and the inner wall of plywood/drywall. The second pic is from above. The arrows show where there might be airspace left inside insulation.

santucci218 · #5 09-19-2009, 07:40 AM

what do you use for a thin plastic membrane exactly? something cheap please...lol. sorry, your post confused me a little, as i know hardly anything about insulation.

santucci218 · #6 09-19-2009, 07:42 AM

"There should be small airspace with open ends left between the outer wall and the fibreglass, so that the moisture isn't trapped there, just make sure that rainwater doesn't get in from these ventilation holes."

what do you mean exactly by this? I assume you mean some sort of vent or, hole if you will on the outside wall so moisture doesnt stay in there? I'm probably wrong as that doesnt make sense to me, haha.

guy n. cognito · #7 09-19-2009, 07:53 AM

What is your budget? Short answer: there's really no way to properly build out this building to reduce the sound levels outside without spending a good deal of money. Roofing, insluation, and drywall aren't cheap.

santucci218 · #8 09-19-2009, 07:59 AM

like...lets say 700 dollars.

guy n. cognito · #9 09-19-2009, 08:07 AM

I'm assuming that the outside is waterproof, so I won't address it.

Basically, you need to add "soundproof" insulation to the walls (can be purchased at Home Depot), cover with 5/8th drywall on walls and ceilings, tape and mud the drywall, add padding and carpet to the floor.

http://www.owenscorning.com/quietzon.../products3.asp

Before anyone flames me here, this will NOT create a "soundproof" room. Your budget will not allow for that, so I'm not addressing it here. The treatment discussed above is basic buildout for a typical house, and will REDUCE, but not ELIMINATE the sound that can be heard outside the shed.

santucci218 · #10 09-19-2009, 08:08 AM

tape and mud the drywall?

also, say the outside wasnt waterproof...what would you do? im honestly not sure it is...

guy n. cognito · #11 09-19-2009, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by santucci218

tape and mud the drywall?

also, say the outside wasnt waterproof...what would you do? im honestly not sure it is...

Do you not understand the term, or are you questioning why you should do it?

If the outside isn't waterproof, then you'll need to start from scratch with roofing, housewrap and proper siding. There's no way to do all that on your budget, unless you already have the materials on hand.

Can you post a picture of this shed?

L-A · #12 09-19-2009, 08:23 AM

You can't waterproof the outside from the inside. It will have to be done properly, and it will be expensive.

fdeck · #13 09-19-2009, 08:24 AM

You don't need to insulate your woodshed in order to woodshed. Your 700 bucks would be better spent on gear that lets you rehearse at low volume.

ForestThump · #14 09-19-2009, 08:29 AM

Think about security: Don't want that gear disappearing on you.
Also it seems that when you soundproof places it is really easy for them to become airtight (sound is after all air moving) so the tricky part is letting air in and out while keeping the sound from going out.

Tsal · #15 09-19-2009, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by santucci218

what do you mean exactly by this? I assume you mean some sort of vent or, hole if you will on the outside wall so moisture doesnt stay in there? I'm probably wrong as that doesnt make sense to me, haha.

Yep, you basically have a bunch of holes or an opening on the top and bottom for the whole length of the wall, so that the air can run through. Then you put a lip above the openings so the rain doesn't get in. For the waterproof membrane, any airtight plastic fabric will do, even tarps.

santucci218 · #16 09-19-2009, 12:12 PM

i may just buy a 10 by 14 metal shed and insulate that. i see them as cheap as 400. some soundproof blankets from market tech or something and it will be better and more sturdy.