[mgalusha]

The room described in this thread has finally begun.

While I can't incorporate all of the ideas offered up I am going to implement as many as budget and domestic tranquility will allow.

RSIC-1/hat channel to mount ceiling drywall
No can lights, using wall sconces
Double drywall with Green Glue between sheets
R30 fiberglass insulation in ceiling joists
R13 fiberglass in all walls
Sub floor with either DriCore or Barricade. More for warmth than sound control since the slab is decoupled from the walls
Partition wall will have solid core wood door with full seals
MDF boxes around all outlet boxes, including sconce mountings
New electrical panel wired with 2GA and fed by 100A breaker
2 20A circuits for equipment with 10GA wire for lower voltage drop
Finished dimensions will be approximately 20' 3" x 14' 4" x 8' 7"

Local code requires the walls float above the slab and this precludes the use of the DC-04 clips to isolate the walls. As can be seen in the photos the walls sit 3" above the footers, which are pressure treated lumber. The RSIC-1 clips and hat channel are also installed and the electrician is going to start Thursday and should be finished by Friday. The new panel is already in place so the wiring of the room won't take long. I also pulled in phone, ethernet and two coax runs to the front and side walls for connectivity. The 20A circuits will be on the front and left side walls and will have 2 duplex outlets for each. When the electrician was installing the new panel for the basement I had him put in another panel in the garage so I could have some 240V available for my new (old) table saw. It's supposed to warm up the next few days and be in the upper 40's this weekend, so I should have no trouble knocking up some boxes to enclose all the electrical.

The photos show the room after the first day of framing. Framing has since been completed along with ceiling prep, the RSIC-1 clips.

I'll add more photos as things progress. Big thanks to Bryan Pape and everyone else who offered suggestions and tips. I have a bunch of GIK Acoustics treatments I picked up at RMAF '06 from Glenn for a great price (love those show specials), so once it's complete I can enjoy it almost right away.

Mike



What will be the front wall



Another front wall shot



Entry hall and doorway framing



Another view of the partition wall/entry hall

[PeteG]

Mike

Great news, I hope there's no problems. a 8'7" ceiling is pretty good for a basement 

[Bill Baker]

Looks like it's going to be on heck of a room there Mike. So, will it be done with pictures available by this weekend 

[zybar]

Good luck.

I am sure it will turn out great.

I'll have to check it out when I visit next.

George

[satfrat]

Mike, will you be setting up your loudspeakers on the long wall or the short wall? I'll belooking forward to more pictures. 


Cheers,
Robin

[jimdgoulding]

Mike-  I believe that I am blessed with a good room dimensionally so I'll share some of my findings over a period of years that have proven reliable and rewarding to me.  The dimensions you have chosen or were given should do you right.  They are nearly the same as mine except that my room is smaller in overall scale.  I use narrow MTM 2 way self amplified stand mounted monitors.  These replaced flat panel speakers and monoblock amps which overwhelmed the room visually and in the lowest frequencies.  I place my speakers well away from my room boundaries almost, but not quite, in an equidistant triangle with my listening position, more towards equilateral but not by much is what I'm trying to say.  The front center point of each speaker is placed 53" out from the short unbroken wall behind it and 34" from each side wall and 76" apart.  They are toed in about half way.  In addition to my chair, only a narrow open secretary occupies a place along the short wall behind me with a cafe chair.  One open legged table sits next to my listening chair on the opposing side and even my rack is open legged.  On my rack is only what I need to listen to music.  I even remove my turntable and stand to the rear of my room if I'm listening to compact disc.  On the wall behind my speakers is a single small painting (lit from overhead my two recessed canisters).  To the right of my chair is a large window with plantation shutters to inhibit reflection.  When the music starts, my stage is so convincingly real to me regardless of what is being played usually that I'm confident I have arrived.  Thirty years later.  Sometimes I am even enveloped at my position in the space on the disc (and this with 2 channel stereo).  I think my room has a lot to do with this (along with the thing I do which can't not be mentioned because of its relevance) and count my lucky stars.  Happy trails, Mike.  Jim

Ps-  My wife and daughter had my room painted a dark tone color for my last birthday.  All I can say is damn . . that's some good paint!  It was formerly white.

[mgalusha]

Mike, will you be setting up your loudspeakers on the long wall or the short wall? I'll belooking forward to more pictures. 

Robin,

Most likely along the short wall but I'm having the electrician put dedicated 20A circuits on both the long and short walls should I decide to rearrange.

[satfrat]

Mike, will you be setting up your loudspeakers on the long wall or the short wall? I'll belooking forward to more pictures. 

Robin,

Most likely along the short wall but I'm having the electrician put dedicated 20A circuits on both the long and short walls should I decide to rearrange.

That's what I'd do myself, I was just curious what you had in mind. Don't forget to take pictures Mike. 

Cheers,
Robin

[jimdgoulding]

Oh, and Mike . . you know yer gonna get some outstanding bass impact with a concrete shell. 

[MaxCast]

Mike, what is the codes reason for having to float the walls?

Are you adding any moisture insulation/barrier to your walls?

Thanks

[zybar]

Mike, what is the codes reason for having to float the walls?

Are you adding any moisture insulation/barrier to your walls?

Thanks

Moisture in Colorado?   

George

[MaxCast]

You're right George.
I should have asked, what type of moisture barrier are you going to use? 

[mgalusha]

Mike, what is the codes reason for having to float the walls?

Are you adding any moisture insulation/barrier to your walls?

Rich,

Colorado has a lot of expansive soil and building code requires the walls to float above the slab. It's not to protect the walls but the structure above. The ground can move enough to raise the house off the foundation if solid walls are used. Certainly not a pleasant thought.

One of Bryan's suggestions was to put down DriCore and build the walls on top of it, supporting the top with DC-04 clips. Unfortunately that's not possible and still meet code. Older homes are built with the walls on the slab and they have plenty of problems, no doubt the reason for the code changes. My mother's house was built in 1962 and it has moved as long as I can remember. My father and I had the yearly task of repairing all the cracked walls.

I'm not using a moisture barrier. I talked with four contractors about it and all were sure it's not needed were we're at. As George mentioned, it's pretty dry here and we've never had a hint of moisture in the basement except for the big storm last year when the snow came in.  That was through a gap the builder let, which has since been repaired.

Mike

[bpape]

Slotting the DC-04's would have allowed approx 2.5" of movement.  Guess that wasn't enough to satisfy the inspectors.   

Bryan

[mgalusha]

Slotting the DC-04's would have allowed approx 2.5" of movement.  Guess that wasn't enough to satisfy the inspectors.   

The problem is that the code says the walls have to float above the slab so even though slotting them and building the walls on the slab would accomplish the same thing it doesn't meet the definition of the code even though the end result is the same.

[TomW16]

I hadn't heard about these DC-04 clips and having just read how they can isolate the whole stud seems like an ideal solution and saves space by not having to use hat channel.  When it comes time to finish my basement, I'm definitely going that route.

Mike, your room(s) is coming along nicely.  You're about six months ahead of me.  Let me know what you would do differently if you had to do it over.  I'm still struggling with how to maintain room isolation without creating soffits for the HVAC into and out of the room.  Currently the HVAC vents are between the ceiling joists, which is where I'd like to keep them.

Cheers,
Tom

[richidoo]

While moisture barrier is not essential when the surrounding ground is not saturated, it is still useful on interior concrete. Moisture in the room will condense onto the always cooler concrete and keep it slightly damp. Then mold begins to grow on the surface of the concrete, giving that basement smell. I don't know what the little buggers eat, but maybe they don't need much. A coat of drylok makes the whole place feel dry and fresh, with no "basement smell." Prevents condensate from soaking into the concrete which allows growth. Moisture will dry quickly from the painted surface instead. It is a strong latex smell when you paint it though, so you need lots of ventilation. And it's pretty expensive, and hard work to apply, since it has grit in it so it won't spray. Pros and cons. Maybe regular paint would work as well. Dunno.

Looks like a nice size room Mike.

[mgalusha]

Well, it's finally done. Now I have to get it to sound good. I'm getting there but still have plenty of work to do, including getting the acoustic panels off the floor.





Album: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=1306

[lonewolfny42]

Looking good Mike....enjoy !!!!

              Chris

[AB]

One of the best looking basements I've seen. Well done.

How high is the ceiling?