This is by far the most asked question at Soundproofing America Inc. How do I soundproof my garage, basement, or a bedroom in my single family house or condo so my 4 piece rock band can practice and record and not bother the neighbors. If I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question, I would be in the Bahamas right now, instead of writing this narrative.
www.soundproofingamerica.comOne tip when choosing cabinets is to look at the interior door style in your house (the doors to each room, such as a bedroom). Often times choosing a coordinating cabinet door style to match the interior doors within your house is an easy and safe way to ensure that the new kitchen design looks good. Of course, you can deviate this. Consider choosing a different material for an island and maybe a more elaborate doors style. Don't make the mistake of selecting an overly fancy door style unless your house warrants it. You don't want your friends to come into your kitchen and say, "wow, look at your fancy cabinets!" You want them to say, "wow, look at your amazing kitchen!" You want them to notice everything. If you have kids and pets, consider choosing a stained wood cabinet rather than a painted cabinet. Generally they will end up looking better for longer, and they are easier to touch up when they get nicked. If you are consider a faux or decorative finish, keep in mind that when you are looking at a sample painted on one door, you'll generally want it to look less distressed than you think it should look rather than over distressed. When you install all the kitchen doors, it can look very 'over done' if you go too heavy handed on faux or decorative finishes.How to Choose Cabinet MaterialsOnce these areas are treated with the Mass Loaded vinyl (MLV) then it time to decide whether or not it is necessary to float the walls and ceiling to prevent the impact and heavy bass sounds from passing through the solidly barriered walls and ceiling. For more information on ceiling and wall floats, please call the toll free number.Whenever anybody is at a loss to buy me a present, I tell them they can never go wrong if they get me a variety of herbs and spices. Apart from using them regularly, I love to look at them: to see their depths of color and tone. There are, however, literally hundreds of herbs and spices - if not thousands if you take into account various blends - so, before splurging out on a space saving spice rack or two, you really do need to consider very carefully where you are going to put it. Many people don't like bits and pieces cluttering up their kitchen surfaces. If this is the case with you, the best place for a spice rack is attached to the wall. If you are one of those people who doesn't like anything on view and prefers everything in the kitchen to be hidden away - well, there is even an option for you as well.How to Select Backsplash MaterialsOnce the walls are framed out and the right amount of "Dead air space" is determined, then it is time to install the soundproofingThe first order of business is to consider what needs to be done to the wall cavities prior to installing a barrier and finally the wallboard. I like to line the inside cavities with a closed cell vinyl nitrile foam mat such as American Mat. This mat (generally �" thickness) is adhered to the inside cavity walls as well as the studs and joists (if these areas are opened up) Keep in mind that the American Mat is used to line the cavities only, not to fill them up. If thermal insulation is needed, use products such as rock wool, mineral wool, cut wool fibers, or my favorite, Roxul.Often the first thing I consider for flooring choices are the same materials on the floor of adjacent spaces. If there are hardwoods in nearby rooms, a good solution can be to extend the wood into the kitchen. This is especially true in a smaller room, where continuing the same flooring material will usually make a space look larger. If you do not want wood floors in the kitchen, then choose a tile that is a similar color value to the adjacent wood floor, so the transition is not harsh and it does not separate the space. A resilient material like cork can be an excellent choice for the kitchen as it is slightly soft underfoot and is more forgiving if you drop a dish on it. Natural materials like Marmoleum are also great and a good 'green' choice.The last step for your home studio is to layer over the mass loaded vinyl barrier with a fresh layer of 5/8" fire code drywall or sheet rock. It is always advisable to butter the edges of the last layer of drywall with the acoustical caulk. You'll want to gain every STC (sound transmission class) point you can when trying to make your new studio as quiet as possible. Finally you will tape mud and paint the new drywall. We here at Soundproofing America Inc. are also musicians and we understand the plight of our fellow players. Please feel free to call us anytime for free studio soundproofing advice. We're here to help; it's not about making money off our fellow musician friends.For some reason the backsplash is often the hardest material choice for people to decide upon. But the backsplash is one area that can have a big visual impact and help tie the design together. If you're having trouble choosing a material for the backsplash, look to the other surfaces in the kitchen for inspiration. In a more contemporary kitchen, choosing a stainless steel backsplash that matches your stainless steel appliances can be a wise decision. For a less expensive choice, consider plastic laminates that look like stainless steel that can even be installed by a do-it-yourselfer (but resist the temptation to use these on countertops because many are not rated for horizontal surface use). Glass tile can be another good choice to tie together different color materials. There are so many different glass tiles available today it can be challenging to choose one. A safe place to start is by choosing a glass tile that pulls colors from your countertop. Other material you may consider are sheets of glass, plastic laminate, stone tile, ceramic tile, or even wood (painted or sealed, of course).Another newer countertop option is Quartz. Quartz countertops turn a natural material, quartz, into slabs that appear almost like natural stone. One of the many benefits of these countertops is that they do not absorb liquids spilled on them.
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Author: Dr. Bob Orther
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