Hi Everyone,

I figured two years lurking was enough and I'd make my first post (hi Dan!) to the forum something interesting.

Has anyone designed, built and/or worked in studios or even isolation booths built using SIPs?

Pondering my next move for the unfinished basement.

Thanks!

Andrew.

...I take it from the deafening silence that the answer is no. Well, since my needs are non-professional I'm going to give it a shot. At the very least, there's a Make Magazine article and/or Instructables how-to buried in the act.

I'll model the shell of it on the dimensions of either the "5 Carat" or "10 Carat" VocalBooth
and I've found a source for Thermapan SIPs at $4/sf (Canadian).

I could have swore I responded to this. Oh well. My first thought is that that kind of styrofoam is closed cell so it won't absorb like regular insulation. If it is easy to install and fairly inexpensive I'd say go for it. There are always things you can do on the inside that can improve the sound. Since it is the basement you won't have to worry about isolation issues so you're safe there. I'll have to ask some people about the properties of styrofoam but it might not resonate as much as a regular wall which would help with room modes. You could probably use this stuff and build a nice studio. The main thing is design and deminsions.

Nick Fournier

Thanks for the reply, Nick. Only one way to find out what the acoustic isolation properties are like, eh?

Andrew.

Keep us posted Andrew,

I have been curious how styrofoam would affect acoustics and why it had not been brougt up before especially employed as a "sandwich" layer.

quote:

why it had not been brougt up before

Because it don't work .

Naw, I'd like to know too, seems kind of an interesting idea. I'm really not sure how much it would help though, styrofoam's more for thermal insulation than sound; it's not got much mass at all.

My ideas regarding the styrofoam were more of as backing on some wall treatments (fiberglass, plywood or drywall) that might decrease resonance but still leave some air space behind the treatment and another wall.

If the styrofoam was thoroughly bonded to the back of something else more dense like the fiberglass or drywall it seems like it would considerably dampen sympathetic vibrations while adding little weight.

I am pretty sure it would not meet fire code as a permanent instalation but might work as a panel treatment.

My main reason for looking at SIPs is because of the potential extra isolation benefit for a room-in-room construction. Because fewer studs are required, the theory goes that there will be less noise conducted through the studs. If I plan it right, I may not need any studs directly connecting the inner surface to the outer surface at the edges; the whole room would be floating in a cushion of foam. The double-doors and window(s) would be the only empty-air space.

A big unknown will be how much 4'x8' foam-mounted panels act like damped diaphrams. I'll still have to stiffen up the inner surfaces with plasterboard and add some resilient channel mounted board on the outside to help battle the lower frequencies.

I have some business travel coming up so I don't expect I'll start building anything until mid to late March.

Andrew.

Here in Oklahoma the "Tornado Capital of the World" we don't hardly have basements due to high water table blah, blah...

Some people are putting in ground level "safe rooms" that feature an interior room surrounded by cylinder (sp?) block construction to protect from room cave in and flying debris. If we ever custom build a home I thought of having one of these built and treated sonically for a studio that could double as home theater is selling the house and all my valuable collection of guitars, reamps etc stay in the safe room.

Heh, one bizarre idea I had was cinder (sp!) block walls, but use some sort of semi-rigid silicone putty instead of the usual cement mortar.

One big jelly wall... Wouldn't want that wobbling on walking bass lines in my general direction!

I've never used SIPs for this purpose...but they don't seem particularly non-resonant and are large/bulky to get around in small spaces (basements), as well they present some challenges from a construction standpoint so they wouldn't be a natural choice but who knows?
On the cinder block thing, because of their mass they're a really good choice with standard mortar (aside from surface treatment) as is. Not as easy a solution as standard framing (2x6), insulation, and 5/8" sheetrock (more mass than standard 1/2") though.

-john

quote:

Heh, one bizarre idea I had was cinder (sp!) block walls, but use some sort of semi-rigid silicone putty instead of the usual cement mortar.

One big jelly wall... Wouldn't want that wobbling on walking bass lines in my general direction!

How about ballistics gel?

You can mix it yourself, molds well and stops bullets! [:0

I don't know about the life expectancy before it breaks down.....