Before & Beyond Drywall
Recording Studio Build Page Two
The Right Approach, Perspective,
Planning, Research, The Q Team
Welcome to Page Two of the build of Quintessence Studio - The Workplace of Higher Being. Follow along as we go - meeting goals with planning and research, facing challenges, solving problems and doing our cooperative best to transform this residential garage to a project recording studio that will offer high resolution recording and DSD format production. Meet the team I've put together to help me see this dream come into being on pages one and three.
For decades I have been a solo artist, composer, singer-songwriter, arranger and producer, I am also a teacher and mentor. I create the kind of sound and music that penetrates and captivates, to bring back the felt experience of sound, beyond what our ears receive.
As a creative growth specialist, my process asks for and welcomes the deepest best from the soul. I welcome what is in you, at any age and stage where you're at, we can bring your project to life, from conception through to completion. Work with me to let your dreams and voice be both heard and felt by listeners. I can guide you without judgment to express yourself without fear, if you might be nervous in a recording studio, if you need to tell your story, if you want to sound authentically yourself, or to learn how to produce your own project. I provide vocal expression lessons unique to Quintessence Studio, of the Italian-Swedish lineage of voice training that promotes clarity, power, ease and agility for how you naturally sing.
Watch the creation of a solo creative artist's professional music studio unfold, to become an intimate, warm, comfortable place that can accommodate a small group. Surrounded by quiet nature, Quintessence Studio sits on sacred Mohawk meadow land bordering Lake Ontario. CONTACT ME
The Build
Structural First !
October 2024
Here's Gord Moore (pictured right) as all of us from Hyndman Team get hands-on in on the multi-tasks at hand. Note the laser level at the bottom of the picture - that common wall in the garage is actually fairly straight (unlike most in the house) and only misaligns back in the vestibule corner. This common wall already is double stud framed, now to prep for our triple stud 2x6 to get us an extra insulating/soundproofing to R44 (up from R40 requirement) and STC 65.
Captain Bill is coordinating everything in- and up-coming based on his order of operations. The new support LVL and lumber has arrived, up first is framing for overhead squat storage room and vestibule, new elevation for pre-ordered patio door and casement window, both of which are ready for install.
Most of my prep work of materials and methods for recording studio application and build is handed over to Bill with a flood of emails, printed documents and diagrams, all my trust is given to him now, knowing each stage will be addressed as we go. All the while, I continue to consult with esteemed experts in studio architecture/acoustics and experienced peers and colleagues in Audio Engineering Society, so that any insight, revelations, AHA moments can replace anxiety, wonder and uncertainty.
The plan is to share our experience thus far in studio building (and from a musical artist's perspective) at AES Toronto Meeting on Oct 22. I had a fabulous long talk with one of Canada's pre-eminent studio architects, Terry Medwedyk of Group One, whose fingerprint is on all the studios, cultural and concert halls across Canada including my home university in Halifax - Dalhousie Arts Centre and Salter Street Studios. He has created many of Toronto's top studios, and for CBC, plus private studios (including in-home) for all of our top recording/performing artists such as the guys from Rush, Tom Cochrane and more...
Terry Medwedyk believes our taking the homestyle, incremental approach to building, working with what you've got is the smartest way to go! Below in our Research section, I featured what materials we intend to go forward with to achieve the heat loss assessment ratings, we already know we are going to better those values by working with existing structure. Calculations show staggered wood stud wall at 24oc on single 2x6 with FR 5/8" drywall provides the STC we're looking to reach compared to studs at 16oc or with 1/2" drywall. Because existing studs are already placed 16oc, a fuller, fitted mineral wool fill will be achieved when staggering a second wall of studs at 16oc = full fill, no gaps, with overlap throughout.
Pictured: Sill plate over a sill gasket to prevent direct contact with concrete slab (moisture protection). Note how it does not touch the perimeter wall to its exterior. Studs are lined up in staggered fashion to the existing studs.
Insulation plan: first on outermost wall will come low VOC sprayfoam insulation to the existing 2x6 framing to seal all air gaps , then mineral wool fill between existing 16 oc studs (and get us R22 minimum) to the new inframed 2x6 with studs staggered at 16oc, also mineral wool filled, we can create infill thickness to 11.5 in (now R44, which exceeds R40 and achieves greater than STC 50 minimum requirement for garage perimeter walls), add resilient channel and mount drywall to studio interior. Essentially, all walls become a DOUBLE 2x6 stud wall assembly that, when vibrationally isolated from the outer structure/superstructures, creates an isolated acoustic chamber (room within a room).
The common wall to the house already has one 2x6 stud wall with electrical and copper plumbing throughout, and the garage, added later, provided another 2x6 wall with more plumbing and electrical. All old copper pipes, which sweat, will be changed out, plumbing locations adjusted, together with electrical, will come through the third 2x6 pictured. Everything that needs to be acoustically sealed (receptacle boxes in drywall etc...) will be. Double FR 5/8 drywall on resilient channel on this now TRIPLE stud common wall gets us to STC 65. The plan will be to float the floor inside all the inframing. Now to research low expansion foam (that can fill all errant gaps).
Once all the inframing is done, the new studio face will be ready to receive triple pane casement window and patio door; this south-southwest elevation bears the brunt of prevailing breezes but is protected from road noise by the rest of the house.
Also converging onsite in the very near future, plumbing changeouts, electrical prewiring and a new panel, and prepping for spray foam insulation. So it's time to get the squat room attic framing finished up. And I have to get my electrical diagrams all done.
Remember that sad sagging built-up beam destined to go? It will be replaced by the LVL lined up to cutaway mounted to the joists, supported by two posts at either end, one at vestibule and the other in south elevation framing. So, you may ask, why did The Captain cut back the joists so soon, to have temp framing built to keep everything supported, only to attach the LVL to this more precarious scenario? When the LVL could have just been installed while the existing beam held the load as was, etc...?
I have learned so much from him about Practical Architecture (it should be a university course) in these recent years, The Captain always has his reasons, the more obscure, the better. The hint was in the sad sag. Bill detached the subfloor from the old beam because it sagged 3 inches in the center and that floor wasn't level. Disconnecting got rid of the strain, and he cut back joists to prep room for rim joists that will take the LVL. The temp framing levels the subfloor, and the new LVL will keep it that way. For now, the original beam stays in place until enough of the inframing is built to take over structural reinforcement of the whole shell. Recall the squat room floor used to hold this "house of cards" together.
The convergence on site of our subtrades fast approaches; plumbing and central vac needs to be relocated, sprayfoam to the primary stud layer, then getting the inframing done will allow prewiring of ethernet and electrical work to begin. The last entry for this chapter shows us what happens when you try to take a house of cards apart from the inside, having removed an essential "tie-in" layer (the squat room floor). Bill shows us how the horizontal rim that held the squat floor now becomes a hinge point for upper section breakaway: tipping, falling and bending are only part of the risk. There is also increased weight bearing now: this 22 x 6ft upper wall is driving the weight of the roof down to that hinge point, look closely you'll see the 1-1/2" (lighter colour) plate supporting it all (!!!).
Structural reinforcement for the perimeter walls, this largest one 22 x 15ft in particular, will come from coupling the interior stud layer to the exterior one with a solid "bridge" of carefully positioned cleats (above and below the hinge point) that tie two walls together, now double thick. The plan for the tall walls involves 16 foot long 2x6 studs, full continuity from top to bottom (no more hinge points). Studs this long allow us to position at the hinge point height, to stabilize outward from there. Note, the common wall to the main house is where we are looking to maximize vibration isolation. Additionally, walls will be decoupled from the floor. No more house of cards. Once new drywall is up you'd never know.
The new support LVL is in place with posts at either end becomes is our "interior" reference (@level) now (existing beam still there). The header of the new studio entry door is built level to this reference. Because this space was a 2 car garage, the concrete slab floor is on a slope, for drainage. Mikey will make all the sill adjustments at threshold so the door/frame will be level when installed, while the whole studio floor (like most basements) can remain on a gentle, relatively unnoticeable gradient.
The old beam has come down. And so our work continues and as we await our subtrades; Bill and I fully expect to find further opportunities to test brilliance in meeting challenges unique to this build as we continue Behind the Drywall.
Before the Build
Teardown Reveal
TEARDOWN (Sept 30, 2024):
Build permit came active last week of September. The room within a room cannot be started until we identify the sketchy issues the very scary teardown revealed behind the garage drywall, and create a plan to rectify them. When we closed in 2020, the main house came with no architectural plans, there was nothing in County records to work off of, we don't even know when the house was built. "Mid 90s" said our real estate agent, mid 80s says anyone who knows decor trends of the vintage era, if that's any indicator. The original builder reused materials, paid no attention to architectural code; our Captain builder (Bill) is quite certain inspections were not a part of the process. Following a return visit of structural engineer Peter Yee, see what concerns us the most. It quickly became a game of "What is supporting what are supposed to be these supports?" and from my observation of the process, contractor Mike Vance won that game.
Teardown Post Mortem Team (L to R) Mike Vance,
Peter Yee and Captain Bill. Like they just flew in from Hollywood...just for me, yeah, imma lucky girl.
Bill's comments: Forensic analysis suggests the garage and squat room were added later to original house. Left: the 2x12 joists notched out to line up with support beam that tried its best to support the squat room above. Joist hangers are for 2x8s, they should be for 2x12s. 2x8 joist hangers even on the 2x10s. Right: single oversize header for two slit windows (one pictured) is reclaimed lumber and hollow. This will diminish intended Rvalue. The sill/plates to support the upper level are half what they should be.
Above left: The floor above sagged in the middle, down about 3 inches due to the old sagging built-up beam made of reclaimed, unstamped lumber that should be SPF, coming apart due to incorrect nailing pattern - to be replaced with new LVL (laminated veneer lumber); 2x12 joists were set at common wall sill with a bearing of only 0.75in while the 2x10s toward the window are seated at correct bearing of 3in at exterior wall sill.
Above right: the steps up to squat room need to be rebuilt, unequal rise, the opening framed incorrectly (no double header), no rim joists, and no joist hangers anywhere, wrong wood used entirely. Creative solution required as these steps impinge on recording studio lounge area ceiling and require same soundproofing as the surrounding wall and ceiling. So I've come up with a creative solution for later on...stay tuned.
ABA comments: Below: the only thing that was done right (enough), the headers for the garage doors - all which are leaving anyway. There's more than what I've shown here. Looked ok when drywall was there. Long story short, architectural and building codes matter, don't skip these steps if you're doing a conversion from a previous build. Thanks to subcontracted Linton team for the actual teardown and gutting.
The attic above (at 15ft) will have improved insulation, but there are no plans to decouple the roof superstructure from the rest of the mothership. The exterior shell will be sprayfoam insulated to seal all air gaps before beginning the studio build inside. This is the first major contribution toward meeting goal STC.
FLOORING (planned):
The garage floor is concrete slab and flooring will be floating and isolated from inframed walls. We've decided on Dricore panels over concrete (for insulating, moisture controlling and cushioning) as the first layer to build up to finish flooring, WPC hybrid wood/vinyl with rubber underlay, then floor reflections are tamed with area rugs throughout the studio space.
CHOOSING A DOOR:
Quintessence Studio main entry door is inside a vestibule (~9'x6'x9'h) to be inset in the 6' wall, which will be 2x6 staggered stud, mineral wool filled, with drywall to STC50. The vestibule is the best air gap to common wall you could ask for. The main entry door will likely be the weakest link for sound leakage if we scrimped and went with a standard interior solid core door in a standard unsealed frame. My math showed this studio doesn't require an industry STC rated door, but I knew a stock exterior door from home depot wasn't going to be good enough either. I need to aim for STC 35. Going deeper into Ambico's and Penner's construction of acoustic doors, we wanted to see what does the lion's share of
soundproofing beyond a dense, solid core inside the door itself. Ambico provides 1-3/4" thick doors from STC 33 to STC 53 and Penner Doors are similar and their webpage shows the following are required for sound sealing, beyond just the door itself:
1. Wood face veneer (push side)
2. Acoustic core
3. Vertical stiffeners
4. Door sweep seal assembly
5. All edges to be solid hardwood,
including matching edges at stiles
6. 1/4" high flat acoustic threshold
7. Finished floor
Learn more about STC for doors at PennerDoors.com
The most important thing about STC ratings of various materials and assemblies is that they're only tested down to about 150Hz, so vibration isolation/decoupling is still crucial beyond soundproofing, it's the beefy bass that escapes the ratings game. Here is the summary of my research of STC rated acoustical doors for commercial studio use (I don't qualify), the best quality residential exterior doors that come with weather seals and doorsweeps, and then specialty research on what exists in between those two choices, looking at thickness and mass together.
Home supply stock doors for exterior 4-season are typically steel or fibreglass shell with about STC22 with an R6 rating if filled with styrofoam sheets that leave air gaps; heavier at STC 27 with an R8 rating if injection filled with polyurethane. Weather seals and doorsweeps are basic. Average cost $1K for a quality door, 6 weeks to order
Media Industry rated STC 40 to 56 doors are heavy, thick and expensive. They are solid core laminated wood product sandwiched with damping mastic, sometimes along with steel sheets, like Iso Door or Penner. Soundproof glass is per control rooms. Doors vary from $2.5 to 10K+ USD, made to order and lead times can be anywhere from 2 to 6 months.
Two sliding glass patio doors (airgap between) works well if you have the space. Other options include JeldWen ProCore interior doors STC 29 to 36, together with Pemko STC seal kit, fire-rated doors (mineral wool filled), commercial soundproof doors used in schools, hotels etc...are available but typically not sold one-off, and if so, lead time again is very long and $$$.
Following Bill's intuition of "look higher R value", I deep dove the market, googling "High Performance Exterior Doors" and wow, very little of distinguishing construction came up to choose from. Given that I'm in Canada, I knew there had to be some advantage, I began looking for thicker than standard doors for our "extreme winters" to see if any were mass loaded, or came anywhere closer to STC 35 I was looking for. Lo and Behold, I found NovaTech High Performance (NHP). I will test the STC of the door myself once I get it and let you know what I find.
Working with Kingston Doors & Windows, they got me more information from the company and we decided to go with their 2-1/4" thicker insulated high performance door that is made with 30% more steel. Fully framed, prehung, heavy duty hinges, better quality seals and compression at threshold...it came in on budget at 3K CAD with delivery - should be here in 6 weeks from Quebec, painted with heat reflexive Coastal Blue, a stock colour they offered that was an exact match with my logo.
CONSIDERING WALL ASSEMBLIES:
Up next, electrical & ethernet prewiring needs to be planned at the same time as in-framed wall construction to meet STC goals, because wiring will be secured in the air gap between existing shell and new in-framing. Airtight cases for receptacles will be mounted in the new 2x6 wall assemblies, so the position of studs 24in OC (staggered front to back) will determine where those receptacles will be accessible from inside the studio. We need stud placements to come as close to the plugpoint intended locations.
I will upload all the resources and calculators I've used to help me determine how best to create these floating wall systems, following all the best practices that textbooks, videos, specialty acoustic material/supply companies and consultants all agree upon. If I document this thoroughly, it may save the next studio builder loads of time and frustration in planning. Keeping it simple, we'll generally be using wood 2x6 sills & plates and 2x4 studs (possibly metal studs, haven't decided yet until we price everything out), rockwool R22, resilient channel for mounting 5/8in FR and 1/2in drywall (single or double layer or combo depending on STC to meet for that wall location), latex caulking and low expansion foam for joining and filling. None of these walls are load-bearing, and I don't think we'll be using green glue, it's too complicated here in Canada. Stay tuned!