Sound Isolation Issues

[ultrafast]

Hi all,

This website is proving more and more invaluable as I continue with the setup of my home theater, so I hope you all can help me out a bit with my biggest problem.

I've been setting up my home theater in a corner of my basement, with concrete walls to two sides and open space on the other two. I am immediately presented with two problems. First of all, the sound bouncing off the walls is interfering with the original signal, creating a very sub-optimal listening environment. This, if I understand correctly, can be fixed with some acoustic foam panels. I would attach these to the walls, attempting to cover a large portion of the surface. My question here is where one can purchase these, and if it is possible to keep the price down (I've already blown the budget on the AV equipment).

The next problem, and perhaps the more difficult issue is that of sound isolation. The area I am in is usually quite quiet, though our gas fired furnace at the other side of the basement is a slight nuisance in the winter. The bigger problem is not disturbing the rest of the house. I don't mind if the sound escapes straight up, as the room above does not need to be kept quiet. The real issue is a bed room that is above the opposite side of the basement. My initial instinct was to build a wall to seal off the home theater side of the basement, but I am not even sure how to effectively stop the sound from getting through the wall. Alternatively, I thought it might be possible to apply some sound treatment to the underside of the bed room, as the ceiling is unfinished, to block the sound at the point of entry. I am pretty stuck here, so any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Also, I have read the article on this site about sound isolation, but most of the solutions presented there seem to be geared towards a budget of about $30,000, which is totally out of the question for me at the moment.

Thanks!

 

[tcarcio]

This place has some diy kits and should save you a couple of bucks...http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=CT2-I-1dMSd7lCKOptgfe09QWuN6iVeD6hdsFtbKs2RMIABACKANQm_qfqANgyZaEiYSk7A-gAa6X-PcDyAEBqgQWT9BG1x_uMflrQ8kQ_wAMXaeFOchEvg&sig=AGiWqtzfpWLnK2pozrOlMSFBFKaIiGt9Hw&q=https://www.readyacoustics.com/index.php%3Fgo%3Dproducts.proddetails%26prod%3DRT422B Also here is some info on sound isolation that should help....http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/04/how-to-theater-or-studio-acoustic-treatments/

 

[Savant]

I think it might help if we had more details. Do you have sketch of the space you could post showing where the bedroom is located in relation to the HT? The wall construction, and possibly the door, will be one main concern. Just as important are other possible paths. The most common in the situation you've described is sound going over the wall via the space above acoustical tile ceilings. Consider constructing the wall so that it is flush with the floor above. If that's not feasible - probably because of joists - then a solid ceiling in one (or both) of the rooms should be considered. Other, lesser options are available, but the two I've mentioned here are going to yield the best results.

As far as budget, if the wall(s) (and ceiling(s)) is(are) constructed properly, you shouldn't need too much more money than what you'd be spending on a "normal" wall. You may need more layers and a little more structure (wood or steel studs) - not to mention a little more time - but otherwise, a good sound isolating wall can be built without having to invest in any special "treatments."

Finally, I would not set the expectation of complete isolation. It's very difficult (and expensive) to achieve total sound isolation in a situation such as yours. Building "beefier" wall(s) (and ceiling(s)) will get you better isolation, but not total isolation. If there is any way to negotiate with the occupant of the bedroom - limiting volume and/or hours of usage on the HT, for example - then that would be a much less expensive approach!

 

[bpape]

Just to follow up on what Jeff said...

If you build a good, solid wall, pay attention to a good, solid wood door, and address any penetrations (electrical boxes, HVAC, lighting, etc.) - you should be able to get a good amount of isolation.

Just be realistic in the expectations. This is one of those things where getting the last few % will cost you a ton.

Bryan