[Nick77]

New listening room build, starting from scratch and the views aren't half bad either.





Size is 14x18, hoping to employ all the sound isolation basics. Staggered studs on adjoining walls, double drywall and GG.
Just picked up a ZeroSurge branch circuit for surge protection of all AV equipment.

Hope to get walls this week! WoooHoooo!! 

[Nick77]

One of the challenges will be a 4' wide sliding barn door as the entrance to the room. Has anyone successfully isolated a sliding barn door?

[WGH]

Is the barn door an exterior door or between rooms? Does it have glass for the view or solid?

My first idea is to ditch the barn door idea and go for a manufactured folding patio door, that way you don't have to re-invent weatherstripping and noise control details.

If you must have a sliding barn door then the next best option is to first determine what weatherstrip to use and then design the door and jamb, that is what I do in my day job - design and build custom doors.

I would start by looking at weatherseals from Conservation Technology, I have used their products for years. You can download their catalog under 'Documents'.
http://www.conservationtechnology.com/building.html

The next step is to determine the hardware, choices go from rustic wrought iron to modern. Below are some sliding door hardware options I put together for a client last year for a modern style door, this is the nice stuff.

Stainless Aero Flat Track with standard stainless wheels $838.00

Stainless Aero Flat Track with hush stainless wheels $918.00

Beyerle Flatec II Wood stainless track – top mount $1323.32

There are other more affordable options at: http://www.hangingdoorhardware.com/index.html

Wayne

[Nick77]

Great info, thank you! It will be the interior door entrance. More of the rustic nature like your affordable link.



The weather stripping and isolation is certainly the main concern, thanks for the link.

[WGH]

Sealing the door bottom will be the hardest part, a sweep will rub a line on the floor and may not be soundproof. Usually there is an alignment bracket on the floor that fits into a slot in the door bottom to keep the door from swinging. A bracket on both sides of the door would allow the use of an automatic door bottom. The door would take a little force to close and latch because of the spring in the door bottom but the weatherstrip would drop down and seal tight.

Making the door real heavy will keep if from lifting up when the bottom goes down.

http://pemko.com/index.cfm?startRow=6&event=products.productListing&searchName=Search+by+Category&openFilter=loadCategorySearch&ratingIds=&categoryId=894&productMaterialId=&subcategoryId=917&competitorId=&partCategoryIds=

Pemko has an extensive variety of automatic door bottoms, look for the noise icon in the description

Here is one example:

[mcgsxr]

Geez I don't know if this qualifies - a man cave afterall does infer subterranean and lacking a view after all!

I guess we'll have to let you go on it though, since you also said listening room.   

Looks like it will provide a lovely space for audio fun.

Will this be a 2 channel space, or an HT?  Subs involved in either case?  Do you like it loud, and do those that share your dwelling object?

All play into how far you need to take it, to achieve isolation.  A door like the one you are referencing - how thick are they?  Do they vibrate easily with airborne vibration from bass?

Thanks for this thread, I'll be all over this!

[Bob in St. Louis]

Neat!
Looking forward to watching it grow. 

[Nick77]

Thanks for the replies...........

          Sealing the door bottom will be the hardest part, a sweep will rub a line on the floor and may not be soundproof. Usually there is an alignment bracket on the floor that fits into a slot in the door bottom to keep the door from swinging. A bracket on both sides of the door would allow the use of an automatic door bottom. The door would take a little force to close and latch because of the spring in the door bottom but the weatherstrip would drop down and seal tight.                                                           

Thanks for the help, i am hoping the drop bottom seal will work. I hope i am not stuck sliding something in front of the door to seal each time i listen.
Ive envisioned some thick rubber weather stripping like on a sliding walk in freezer for the sides. I will check out the links you provided, thanks again.

     Geez I don't know if this qualifies - a man cave afterall does infer subterranean and lacking a view after all!

I guess we'll have to let you go on it though, since you also said listening room.   

Looks like it will provide a lovely space for audio fun.

Will this be a 2 channel space, or an HT?  Subs involved in either case?  Do you like it loud, and do those that share your dwelling object?

All play into how far you need to take it, to achieve isolation.  A door like the one you are referencing - how thick are they?  Do they vibrate easily with airborne vibration from bass?

Thanks for this thread, I'll be all over this!
                                                     

Haha no basements around here as we sit on solid limestone. Mostly 2 channel but will certainly wire for surround and potential projector install. I will have subs and hope i can tame most of the vibration, i may have to sacrifice some sub use based upon final results of isolation. I do like to have the occasional guys movie night with the latest action hit quite loud.
I will be building the door and thinking about sandwiching several sheets of mdf with GG. I guess maybe 2" think when all is said and should be heavy enough to hold its own, but certainly uncharted territory.

I hope to use Roxul insulation in wall and ceiling and the safe and sound for interior walls.

      Neat!
Looking forward to watching it grow.                                     

Thanks, ill try to keep up to date. 

[Bob in St. Louis]

Thanks, ill try to keep up to date. 

No pressure. 

[Nick77]

Ahhhh staggered studs on adjoining walls, aren't they beautiful.  

[Bob in St. Louis]

Off to a good start! 

[jimdgoulding]

What room dimensions are in your plans?.  FYI, I was at a friend's house on Sunday.  My friend has a separate listening house with a concrete foundation, double studded, offset beams in his walls, very thick interior paneling, reinforced everything, and the sound inside is fabulous.  Formerly, he had Sanders ELS speaks and all very uptown components.  He has downsized.  Listens with some VSA standmounts crossing over to a pair of Duke's subs at around 90Hz, I think.  Dunno what he is driving those with, but his VSA's are being driven by a JoLida integrated amp.  His new TT is a Rega 3 and the arm is a Rega 300, I believe, but with an optional counterweight, I think he said.  Superb finish on this table if anyone is interested.  Much nicer than several years ago.  His former TT was an Oracle is memory serves.  I was thrilled with the sound we were getting.  Viva Manitas de Plata!  The Jazz Crusaders, too.  And, a sweetheart of a recording on the Scandanavian label, ODIN, which features acoustic piano and female voice I had brought with the former two and they came alive!.

Back on point, his room dimensions are 14.5' wide, 19' long, and 9' high.  No acoustic treatment in the front half of his room, but there is some diffusion going on behind his chair due to record cabinets, like mine.  My room dimensions are smaller and I would swap dimensions with my friend's room dimensions in a New York minute.

Have you decided on what your room dimensions will be??  Are you consulting professionals?  Thanks and best wishes for your room.

[jimdgoulding]

Oh, I looked back and found 14' X 18' but no mention of ceiling height.

[Nick77]

Thanks Jim, ceiling height is 10'. Might talk to the pro's after room is built about treatments, but diy for now. Kinda hoping good construction will keep treatments to a minimum. 

[jimdgoulding]

Sounds like very positive results are in your future.  Your room will have almost the identitical cubic space as my friend's.  Love those doors, man!

[mcgsxr]

The staggered studs should assist with containing the music in that room, and isolating it better from outside it.

You may find it harder to insulate with Roxul now though, you'll have a lot of cuts to make to fit around the extra studs etc, but in my install in the basement, the Roxul was well worth the effort in ceiling and interior walls.

[studiotech]

Thanks Jim, ceiling height is 10'. Might talk to the pro's after room is built about treatments, but diy for now. Kinda hoping good construction will keep treatments to a minimum.

Remember, good construction keeps sound from getting in or out, but does little to the sound bouncing around inside, so keep planning the DIY treatments.  A good room can be great with well placed absorption and/or diffusion.

Greg

[JLM]

Can you add a regular/standard side hinged door in series with the barn door (that bottom seal looks good, but can't imagine how you'd seal the top rail and left/right edges without getting crazy).

Proper room dimensions (height/width/length ratio and bigger the better) is the key to how well the room behaves.  I followed Cardas for proportions and speaker/listener set up to great success and my absorption panels are useless/unneeded.

Also did staggered stud walls (both adjoining storage spaces).  It was one of those "while you're at it" things.  Used lined/insulated flexible duct for ventilation and can't hear the furnace 20 feet away.  Used insulated fiberglass exterior door with weather seals, works great.  Electrically clean (no old/big industry nearby, new house has it's own transformer, all 12 gauge/20 amp wiring, (3) 20 amp cryo'd hospital grade duplex convenience receptacles each on dedicated circuit and grounded together for audio), no power cleaners.  Mine is a basement mancave also on concrete slab  (no windows - this is serious business  ).

My mistake (part of hiring the wrong builder) was that he balked at using light gauge metal furring strips to connect ceiling drywall to floor trusses above, so I hear everything from above (in comparison to hearing nothing via walls).  Could be fixed with green glue and another layer of drywall, but the last kid goes to college in the fall and wifey is starting a midnight job shift this summer so it'd be just me and the cat during listening hours.

[bpape]

You may find it harder to insulate with Roxul now though, you'll have a lot of cuts to make to fit around the extra studs etc, but in my install in the basement, the Roxul was well worth the effort in ceiling and interior walls.

Not really, just use standard 3.5" R13 on each side. Yes -you have to insulate once on each side but shouldn't have to cut any more than normal.

Bryan

[Nick77]

Not really, just use standard 3.5" R13 on each side. Yes -you have to insulate once on each side but shouldn't have to cut any more than normal.

Bryan

Thanks Bryan, i was thinking about which product to use. The 3.5" on 16" center would be 7" of insulation in a 5.5" wall. Will Roxul safeNsound compress into the the cavity?

Edit: Quick google search reveals the safeNsound product is 3" thick, which is still over 5.5" for double wide. Anyone know if you can stuff 2 sheets back to back in a 6" wall? Hopefully the room will be well isolated.