| In today's hurried world, most people don't have the | | | | directly to the stud structure. Attaching the MLV |
| time or money to waste taking the entire family to the | | | | directly to the studs or joists allows the vinyl to |
| movies (up to $50 to $60 per shot) so why not build | | | | resonate or move with the sound. If the MLV is able to |
| out a Home Theater in your garage, basement, or | | | | resonate, it will work to it's full potential and will give you |
| spare bedroom? The construction and soundproofing | | | | the sound blocking required for a well-soundproofed |
| of a Home Theater is much the same as building a | | | | theater. The MLV will be stapled (industrial air drive |
| soundproof music studio in your home. The only major | | | | stapler) or nailed (using roofing nails with the large |
| difference is that with a Home Theater, you are less | | | | plastic heads) to the studs or joists. If you are able to |
| concerned with sound coming into the Theater than | | | | over lap the seams that would be better, however, if |
| you would be if you were doing recording or | | | | that is not possible, you will want to butt the seams |
| voice-overs. The most effective method for building | | | | together tightly and caulk both the butted seams as |
| your Home Theater is to actually construct a room | | | | well as the entire perimeter of the newly installed MLV. |
| within a room. Basically this means framing out new | | | | You want the MLV to act as a soundproof membrane |
| walls within the existing room. This is a lot simpler than | | | | on your walls and ceilings. Caulking and taping the |
| it sounds. If you possess tool skills and are better with | | | | seams is essential for to seal the MLV membrane. |
| them than "Tim Taylor" on "Tool Time", then you most | | | | The caulked seams will also need to be taped with a |
| likely are qualified to undertake this project. You will | | | | quality MLV sealer tape before installing the new |
| want to frame out new walls within the existing room, | | | | drywall. I recommend installing 2 layers of ½" |
| this is pretty easy in a basement situation, where at | | | | drywall for all of the walls as well as the ceiling. Now if |
| least 2 of the walls are most likely poured concrete or | | | | this becomes too costly then a single layer of 5/8" fire |
| concrete block, and are generally Earthen backed. | | | | code drywall will be sufficient. This should complete the |
| They need no soundproofing whatsoever. By framing | | | | soundproofing portion of your home theater. Finally, if |
| out the room within a room, you are taking all of the | | | | you are installing 2 layers of drywall to your home |
| negatives in the room that were working against your | | | | theater walls, it is highly recommended that you apply |
| soundproofing endeavor, and now making them more | | | | at least 2 tubes of the Green Glue damping compound |
| friendly in the form of "dead air space". Dead air space | | | | to the second layer of drywall. Simply lay out the |
| (if it is sealed) is good soundproofer in itself, but you will | | | | second layer of drywall on saw horses and apply 2 |
| still need a little more soundproofing horsepower if you | | | | tubes of the Green Glue to the back of the drywall |
| plan to watch Star Wars or The Matrix (cranked up) in | | | | and then simply screw in your new layer of drywall to |
| your new Home Theater. Once the new walls are | | | | the existing drywall with the Green Glue sandwiched in |
| framed out, it is time to soundproof. We have found | | | | between. The Green Glue will dampen both layers of |
| that good batt insulation such as Roxul AFB or Roxul | | | | drywall and will also stop the sound of the home |
| Safe which are very effective when placed in the | | | | theater from flanking onto the walls. Once this is |
| stud or joist cavities. If you are unable to find the Roxul | | | | complete, you with then need to acoustically treat the |
| products, then use a good quality rock wool or mineral | | | | room to give it the look and the acoustical properties |
| wool to fill the cavities. The next step would be to | | | | of a real theater. We will discuss this in our next article. |
| adhere a layer of American Mass Loaded Vinyl | | | | More articles from this pro: W. |