Stain-grade door install & sound proof
A couple questions regarding door installation for a piano studio that has seen much sound proofing efforts –
The foyer/studio door has a ~10″ stained jamb, and the hall/foyer is ~8″. The jambs don’t have a door stop to remove and they’re SYP (I believe) with a Sikkens mahogany stain. The casing is 1×3 MDF. I haven’t installed too many stain grade jambs, so I’m curious about people’s various preferences for fastening them – single casing nails in the field with long screw replacements in the hinges? Countersunk and plugged screw holes? Anyone ever drill plugs out of the backside of the jambs?
Further, these two doors are going to be the weak link in the soundproofing scheme in my opinion. Is this a definate spray foam situation? Any other techniques with fasteners, sealants, sheet foam etc.?
Replies
When we built sound booths for a radio station, the jambs on all doors (double doors, open in / out) were split with a flexible gasket in between. Same goes with windows, split jamb with thick float glass (2panes) angled down on both sides, gasket in between.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Were doing a home theater right now and the HOers want it to be pretty sound tight. As your deal the doors are the weak link.
As Calvin already mentioned, we are using a smoke strip, sorta like weather striping, around the doors and a tight threashold. You can only do so much.
Doug
In our tiny ranch style house, where people need to sleep late/wake up early, and where the thundering hooves of two to five kids can be heard, we've had great success with two things:
1. Firedoors - as others have mentioned, those smoke strip gaskets around the jamb that in combination with a heavy thick door. Actually, I just bought the fire door jamb and combined it with a 1 3/4" solid core door hat had the same hinge cutout at HD. Cheap and easy, but it made a hell of a difference.
2. Initial sound block - I think of sound reduction as a layered system. The other addition in our home was a door that closes off the hallway to the bedrooms from the living room. With that door closed, you can still hear kids screaming in the hallway but has been reduced enough that each bedroom is quiet as a tomb. If you can have another layer besides that door, you will be golden. Perhaps a sliding panel outside that could cover the door when sound deadeing was critical. Can be drywall and plywood on a slider.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
We do have several layers here as well. New doors at studio/foyer and foyer/hallway, pocket door at hallway/stair landing, then a 4th at the top of the stairs (which has no stripping or threshold - could be a place to detail later).
My concern has arised because when the HO is playing the keys upstairs, I can hear him perfectly well in the new 'soundproof' studio (QuietRoc, high-mass vinyl, double wall system, etc.. That was with only the top existing door in. There'll be three more to go, and the piano will move down to the new room. I'll look into the smoke strip (there is already a gasket in the rabbet), but are there any other known techniques for treating the RO side of the jambs and threshold? Thanks - I'm not the GC on this, just like to leave anything I touch in the best possible shape.
The only other thing I would think of is using the "Window and Door" style foam that cures flexible. This will seal up any gaps in the framing at your opening, and help slow down any vibrations trying to pass through.
Is there any carpet in this equasion? Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Bamboo in the studio and foyer, carpet in the hall and up the stairs. Not sure what type, though.
I think with two gasketed doors and two non-gasketed (one which could be), any noise shouldn't be at TOO high of a level.