Man cave ideas please!

DefaultM

We've got a baby coming in December so I'm having to move all my stuff out of the spare bedroom and in to the garage.
The garage is alarmed and has a few locks, and I'll have everything inside insured so I'm not too worried from that end, but I'm looking for good ideas of things to put in there.

I'm already getting a carpet, and I've got someone coming out to quote for double glazing. I've got all the paint ready obviously.

https://i.imgur.com/e77kijP.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4hrTLYz.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nY34AnL.jpg

What could I put in there to help soundproof if anything?

TheMarlin

Sound will bounce around in the corners, particularly bass tones.  Look into some sound deadening. 

Jalapeno

I'd put a frost laminate on those windows or put some bars up.

No point half-soundproofing IMHO, all the way or don't bother.  @Clarky uses headphones in his cave (well he did when I went there).

ToneControl

how far are the neighbours, what do you plan to play in it? 50w amps?

digitalscream

If you're looking at soundproofing, I suspect the room-in-a-room approach is going to be your best bet. In terms of sound treatment...you're going to want curtains or a blind on the windows, and bass traps.

Incidentally, all the locks in the world are unlikely to keep people out with those single-glazed windows. I'd imagine condensation might be a bit of an issue, too.

TheMarlin

I destroyed a good portion of my record collection because of condensation.  Had them stacked below a single glazed window in a room over a warm kitchen. 

I didn't spot the condensation until a large number of rare records had their sleeves turned to wet mush. 

Utterly gutted. 

DefaultM

I'm going to be playing my axe fx through studio monitors, so not too loud. I'd like to be able to play through my amp in there but I don't think that's realistic. 

The windows only overlook the garden so don't really need to obscure the view. I'm getting toughened glass though.

digitalscream

DefaultM said:

I'm going to be playing my axe fx through studio monitors, so not too loud. I'd like to be able to play through my amp in there but I don't think that's realistic. 

The windows only overlook the garden so don't really need to obscure the view. I'm getting toughened glass though.

The reason for getting blinds isn't because the windows are transparent - it's because they're shiny and hard, and will reflect the sound.

Clarky

Jalapeno said:

I'd put a frost laminate on those windows or put some bars up.

No point half-soundproofing IMHO, all the way or don't bother.  @Clarky uses headphones in his cave (well he did when I went there).

I still do for practice, programming and composition
I use the studio monitors for mixing so I choose specific times of the day for those tasks..

I also use the monitors for teaching now because you don't exactly need high volume for that

xsheq

Go here - http://gikacoustics.co.uk/

Spend money.

Be happy.

BigMonka

Before decorating get a load of extra sockets put in - you can never have too many and the more you have the tidier you can make the cables to each bit of gear.

sweepy

I fitted a seperate ring main to mine, saved a lot of crackles and switch noise from appliances etc 

WezV

is it insulated?
if not I would board the walls out with some insulation behind... The right stuff may also help with soundproofing

boogieman

I think @Danny1969 is your man for advice. Seem to remember he converted his garage into a studio?

DefaultM

How would I tell if it was insulated? It looks like a normal garage from the outside, but then when you get inside the previous owner has put up plasterboard and has wired it all up to the mains.
The greenhouse seems to get power from the garage also.

sweepy

Stud the wall with minimum of 25mm x 25mm batten and lay rock wool between the plasterboard and wall ,  double up the double glazed window and fit a second door. Lay solid rock wool block on the floor, top off with 18mm flooring chipboard. With the floor, make sure that the chipboard doesn't butt up to the wall, use a rubber strip to isolate the floor from the wall.

Danny1969

Yes I converted mine and  I converted a friends a couple of years ago as well. With a bit of thought you can pretty much soundproof a garage down to around 90Hz . Stopping frequencies lower than that gets increasingly difficult the lower you go but luckily normal guitar has very little content below 100Hz ish

To treat the walls batten them and line them with RW3 Rockwool, then a vapour barrier then 2 layers of 12mm plasterboard. Stagger the starting points so you don't get joints in the same place. All plasterboard joints should be taped and  filled and joints to the wall \ ceiling filled with acoustic \ fire caulking

Don't flush mount plug sockets or light switchs ... you don't want anything cut into the plasterboard. Surface mount sockets and switchs on top of the plasterboard

Replace any windows and doors with UVPC, measure yourself and fit yourself as normal builders will just under measure and fill the gaps after with foam and mastic because it's quicker and easier ....  which will mean the windows and doors will under perform acoustically.  Normal UVPC window sills and door sills are hollow and pass sound easily. Fill them with sand before fitting . Any gaps down the side or top should be filled with cement. Only use mastic as a water seal, there should be no gaps without the mastic. 

To help a window stop sound better buy another equal sized double glazed unit and mount in around 8 inchs further inside. Bare double glazed glass units are cheap, around £40 for a typical sized window.  Likewise the door, preferably build another one inside 

My roof was shit originally at stopping sound so I built another false roof below it using 18mm MDF boards hiding more rockwool and plasterboard. As the original rafters wouldn't support that I built the roof entirely self supporting on it's own legs. 

I used record very late at nigh at pretty deafening volumes and didn't get any complaints

capo4th

Good detailed post Danny you have covered most aspects the 15mm high density soundproof board is very good and can be bought for very cheap if you know where to look ;-) avoid Wickes etc 

DefaultM

Great post but don't think I have the skills or money to do that at the minute.  

@sweepy when you say use rubber to isolate the floor from the wall what do you mean?
At the minute the plasterboard has a few inch gap to the floor. I was thinking of getting skirting boards. Bad idea? Fill the gap with rubber instead?

sweepy

You can used rubber or neoprene strips to decouple the transmission line from wall to floor, basically acting like a rubber gasket 

DefaultM

It seems to have a loft space. I could go up in to there and fill with this rock wool stuff and that would help to insulate?