Help me Soundproof my basement?

[Nadj]

Hello all of you experts,

I am a drummer setting up a jam space in my basement. I would do occasional recording in it but I'm not looking for a pro sound out of it. My main concern is not disturbing the neighbors to the right, left, front and back of my house. I live in Boston so houses are really close together (maybe 10-15 years from one another). I am also considering soundproofing the ceiling of the basement to keep my little family happy when I play.

The basement is thick concrete apart from 5 small windows, but here is where it gets complicated: Half of my basement is a 2 car garage which I am keeping as is, the soon to be jam space and car garage are seperated by a thin sheet rock wall and a door. The 2 car garage has 2 sliding doors.

I am currently building a wall on the concrete, framing it with 3.5" wood lumber, and doing the same on the thin sheet rock wall seperating jam space and garage.

So now comes decision time in terms of what soudproofing material to use inside the frames and what soundproofing board to use instead or in addition to regular shee rock. Also does the same apply for use on treating ceilings..

I've looked at what home depot has for soundproofing and all they have is the 440 soundbarrier which doesn't get very good ratings I hear...

Anyone of you lads could help me with the choice of materials on a budget?

I will post some pictures as I go so you guys can follow the work

Cheers

[M.Brane]

The best soundproofing comes from 2 dense layers that are physically isolated from one another, and airtight. Anything else is a compromise.

A room-within-a-room design is the way to go. This could prove challenging in a basement though as the ceiling height is usually pretty low to start.

Don't confuse soundproofing, and acoustical treatment. What works well for one is usually ineffective or detrimental to the other. Ideally you need both.

[Brien]

Sheetrock, in the US, is all the rage. It has density, flexibility, holds paint well and is fun to look at!

440 soundbarrier [homosote] has many usable applications in building a residential structure...but not specifically a recording environment or sound isolated type space as you have mentioned.

So sheetrock is your friend in this area. You could use a layer of OSB, on the frame first then install the rock. This would help you in a few ways, make it possible to hang future treatments without hunt and pecking a stud and it will also give the wall some structural integrity.

But it may not be in your future. Sheetrock is.

I just read your topic heading more clearly. Insulation isn't a sound isolator by itself. Mass is what you want to stop or control sound. Insulation is often part of the wall assembly AND part of the treatment of the interior of rooms.

But it is not mass and has no density to speak of for your first point of concern, that is, containing sound. But you would still want to install it into the open framing members to damp the sheetrock panels.