| It's kind of nice being in the "do it yourself kind of | | | | American Impact Standard would also be effective |
| business" like soundproofing. In today's world taking | | | | under the carpet and pad, but is more suited for |
| the family out on a Friday night for dinner and a | | | | hardwood and ceramic tile floors due to its sheer |
| movie might cost you more than your monthly | | | | mass. Other concerns that you might have with your |
| mortgage payment. That is why many families are | | | | home theater would be doors and windows. Let's talk |
| opting for their very own home Theater. If you have | | | | about doors for a minute; if you are trying to keep |
| a spare room or an empty space in your basement | | | | the movie in the home theater, then a hollow core |
| or attic, you have a potential Home Theater. It used | | | | door could be your worst enemy. Most modern |
| to be that the best way to build a home theater or | | | | bedroom doors are hollow core and do little in the |
| a home studio was to construct new wall within the | | | | way of soundproofing. Your best bet would be to go |
| existing room and then build what we call a "Room | | | | to Home Depot or Lowe's and purchase a solid core |
| within a room." Though this method of soundproofing | | | | MDF or solid wood door. You could ad an automatic |
| is still quite effective, it is costly and eats up a lot of | | | | drop down transom seal to the bottom of the door |
| wall space in your already cramped theater room. A | | | | and also a door perimeter seal kit to seals around the |
| better suggestion is to work with your existing walls | | | | door where it closes into the jam. A real soundproof |
| by applying a new layer of drywall to the existing | | | | door could cost thousands, with a little time and |
| walls and ceiling but applying a layer of a product | | | | careful planning; you can get the same results at |
| called Green Glue on the new drywall and sandwich it | | | | ¼ the cost. The last thing we need to talk |
| in between the existing wall and the new drywall. If | | | | about are the windows in your home theater. If |
| you do this to all the walls and the ceiling you are well | | | | neighbors are a concern, then I would suggest |
| on your way to a great soundproof home theater. | | | | building window plugs with the 2" America Mat closed |
| Now if your home theater is on a second floor, the | | | | cell vinyl nitrile foam mat. For example, if your |
| ceiling now becomes less of a concern and now the | | | | window were 3' X 3', you would cut the foam to 3'1" |
| floors become more of an issue. Floors can be | | | | X 3' 1" thus giving the window plug and extra |
| soundproofed in many different ways depending on | | | | ½" around it's entire perimeter. This extra |
| what the finished floor is going to be installed. If you | | | | ½" will help to hold the window plug tightly into |
| are planning on having carpet and pad for the finished | | | | the window frame much like a cork in a bottle. If the |
| floor in your theater, then a soundproof floor | | | | window is 4' or more on either dimension, it is |
| underlay would be in order. Something like American | | | | suggested that the window plug be glued to a |
| Impactless soundproof floor underlay or American | | | | backer board, something like wood paneling or Luaan. |
| Impact Standard underlay. These are both recycled | | | | These wood panels can be found at home Depot or |
| rubber products that would lie atop of the wood or | | | | Lowe's. Well, I think we have covered every aspect |
| concrete sub floor to stop the airborne sounds of | | | | of building your very own home theater; next time |
| the home theater from traveling down to the people | | | | we will discuss acoustical treatments for your |
| below. The Impactless is a less dense rubber underlay | | | | theater, until then, Dr. Bob.... Out!!! |
| and would be perfect for under carpet and pad. The | | | | |