How Hush Converted a Garage into a Music Studio
Posts by Russell on in Residential
How many of you budding musicians dream about having your own recording studio in your back garden?
Whether you are creating a space for you to play your music without complaints from your family or neighbours or you want to take it to the next level and make a professional area to produce the next big hit, Hush Acoustics can make your dream become a reality.
One of our clients came to us, desperate to turn his garage into a musical haven and in order to make this possible for him, we needed to take few things into consideration.
Firstly, garages are usually built with a brick or block single skin solid wall. Due to this, they tend to create a lot of airborne noise and also a lot of vibration. Here are the key factors to effectively address this issue:
- For the soundproofing to be effective, the walls, ceiling and floor should be acoustically treated. With special attention paid to any areas where the sound may escape e.g. windows or air vents, to ensure the sound does not find a way out.
- Airborne sound, for example; voices, music etc is only blocked by mass. Therefore, in order to stop this, it is important to add as much mass as possible. For example, the heavier and denser a material is, the more mass it creates.
- When sound hits surfaces, it creates vibrations, which in turn can move through solid walls quite easily. In order to maximise the results, we need to absorb the vibrations and stop them transferring around the structure of the building. To do this, we use the ‘room within a room’ technique to create the optimal solution.
After an initial visit and discussing ideas with our client, we decided that several of our acoustic products were needed to ensure maximum acoustic impact for his studio vision.
Work was started on building a timber frame within the garage, acting on the ‘room within a room’. This was then filled with our Hush Slab 100 which is our high-density mineral wool. Developed to reduce airborne noise, this product gives the mass that is needed to reduce airborne noise, whilst utilising renewable energy and being a sustainable source of raw material.
Once the timber frame had been filled with the mineral wool, the Hush Enhanced Clip and Bar system was installed to the frame. By separating the internal lining with the Clip and Bar system, the acoustic performance is increased.
We also used a Hush Multi Panel; our innovative acoustic multi-purpose board which contains high levels of mass and has been specifically designed to guarantee excellent acoustic performance. The Multi-Panel was used as part of the de-coupling system on the Clip and Bar. Multi-Panel is extremely long-lasting and effective at reducing sound transfer. Finishing the works with a 15mm fire rated plasterboard ensures a one-hour fire rating.
After the walls were completed, attention was paid to the floor of the garage. Our Hush Mat 15 acoustic floor system is made from rubber and contains high amounts of mass that significantly reduces the airborne sound. This was laid directly on the concrete floor of the garage. The boundaries were then sealed using the Hush Perimeter seal and the client’s chosen floor finish was laid over the top.
We were able to deliver the client’s specifications by adding Hush Absorber panels to the ceiling and walls; ensuring the garage was acoustically fit for purpose.
All Hush products meet Building Regulations Part E (England and Wales), Section 5 (Scotland) and Part G (Northern Ireland).
If you would like to speak to us about your ideas, please do so on 0151 933 2026 or alternatively drop us an email at [email protected]