sound proofing system

[icefame]

Hi guys

Any suggestions to the above? Anyone? I,ve received lots of complaint from my neighbours lately.
My shop location is 8' by 12'
Thanks in advance.

[MadMark]

There are several solutions to this. None perfect.

I assume you're getting complaints from the neighbors to the side nearest the shop.

First put some insulation in your walls. This will prevent them from acting as a sound board and echoing to the outside world.

Next, put some styrofoam against the interior walls. This will absorb the sound before it couples to the walls.

Third put something between you and the neighbors. A good fence will deflect the sound and some shrubs will help muffle things.

Lastly, have some consideration for the neighbors. Call 'em and ask when is a good time for you to run the loudest tools. Don't work at 3AM, etc. Just common sense. You can grease the neighbors by making them something. Same way you limit complaints to a loud party - you invite them over! (grin)

M

[icefame]

Thanks Mark for the input.
First of all, I'm staying in a terrace house,(you know those houses that are in a row joining together) so one side of my shop wall is also my neighbour's wall. Therefore, I asume your third
suggestion will not work. Can you explain a bit on the insulation
and styrofoam you mentioned.

[Richard]

There is some great information in the book "Setting Up Shop". It talks about using sound board and other techniques to decrease noise. Good Luck. If the people next door work, try doing your woodworking while they are away.

[MadMark]

You can get styrofoam insulation in 2" thick 4'x8' sheets. Glue this to the common wall and it'll absorb the sounds. You might also want to put down anti fatigue mats on the concrete floor. This will absorb the sound headed down and prevent it from bouncing.

M

[Mike]

Here are some tips that I hope will help you in your quest to become a woodworker on good terms with your neighbours:

1) Insulate your shop with soundproofing fiberglas batt insulation (a special type available just about anywhere. It's less expensive than styrofoam and much easier to install.) If the walls are just 2 x 2s, add a layer of strapping over top to increase the insulating space.

2) Drywall your shop walls. 1/2 inch drywall is a pretty good sound muffler. Even better, laminate a 2nd layer over the first.

3) If there are exterior windows, glue 4 inches of beadboard on a plywood backer frame sized to fit the window opening. Suspend by nails for easy install/removal. Or, again, just hang a thick layer of carpet over the window. (I just KNEW shag carpet still had uses!)

4) Thoroughly weatherstrip any exterior door. Ideally, the door should be a foam-filled metal unit. Attach deep pile carpeting to the inside face of the door.

5) When purchasing equipment, check the noise level (db ratings). The lower the number, the quieter the machine. Remember one thing about db ratings, though. An increase of 3db DOUBLES the perceived noise level. In other words, a thickness planer rated at 92 db is TWICE AS LOUD as a unit rated at 89 db, and FOUR TIMES AS LOUD as a unit rated at 86 db.

6) Build sound-deadening enclosures for your portable shop vac (a plywood box on castors - lined inside with pile carpeting) will produce amazing results. Ditto for an undertable-mounted router. Not much you can do about a planer or jointer. Cabinet saws are inherently quieter than contractor saws.

7) Sharpen up on those hand skills! A hand plane edges a board a lot quieter than a jointer or router.

Good luck! If it's any consolation, my workshop is in our basement, and I use all of the above techniques. It works. You know why?

I did this 5 years ago...and I'm still married!

Cheers!

[John]

I've been a woodworker and musician for most of my life. I have a recording studio in my house. My suggestion might seem extreme, but short of paying $200/sq. ft. for the real stuff, it's the best way.

Garbage pick about 15-20 king size mattresses. Stop laughing, I'm serious. Staple em' to the wall, and throw a couple in the attic if possible. Build cloth covered frames out of 1x2 to cover em' for aesthetics and you're set.

Also, make sure none of your tools sit directly on the floor. Build 2x4 frame bases for them. About half of what your neighbors are probably hearing is from their feet, whether they realize it our not.

John

[fecund]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-28-00 AT 09:09PM (CDT)[p]LAST EDITED ON Dec-28-00 AT 09:08*PM (CDT)

Slapping up some dry wall will only do you so much good. What you want to build is resonant panel absorber. How you construct this depends on the frequencies you want to block. But the basic design is quite simple:


----------------------
| | F --> |W
| | i |A
| | b |L
| | e |L
| Air | r --> |
| | g |W
| | l |A
| | a --> |L
| | s |L
----------------------
^
|
|-Plywood