Plugging up an archway

[jessejamietig]

I need help in deciding what to do with the archway that links my daughters room with the living room/mix room. Here are some links of the pictures I've taken:

http://www.transmediasf.com/insidewall.jpg
http://www.transmediasf.com/wallwidth.jpg
http://www.transmediasf.com/studioside.jpg

I know a quick solution to the problem would be frame it and sheetrock it closed. The only problem with that is I rent the place, and the landlord won't allow that.

What I need is a non invasive way of blocking some sound transmission between the rooms. I'd like to be able to mix or edit while my daughter is in her room listening to music,playing her bass, or talking to her friends on the phone. The archway is about 9 inches thick if that helps matters any.
Does anyone have any thoughts?

Much appreciated in advance.

-Jesse

[redear]

Little hard to see those first two photos. They are sideways.

Anyway, matress or futon up against the door? Kida getto but hey!

[JWL]

Hmmm. That's interesting.

What you need to stop sound is mass, and airtightness.

Toward that end, I would probably do something like: build a frame out for the archway, that is as close as you can get to the actual size of the archway. Fill it with insulation. Your framing lumber may have to be 2x6, depending on how thick the alcove walls are. But you want the frame to be the exact same width as the archway.

Then, cut two sheets of MDF (or plywood or something), that is the same shape as, but about 2-3" bigger than, the archway, all the way around the archway (except the floor, which will have to be flush).

Then, get some removeable weatherstripping, and put it all the way around the arch, so that the MDF will compress it when it is screwed tightly. Use it on both sides.

Then, assemble everything. Screw the MDF into the new frame you built, on each side, such that it compresses the the weatherstripping to form something like an airtight seal. Everything should fit very snugly and tightly so that it will begin to get you some airtightness.

Kind of a PITA, and kinda ghetto looking, but that should perform reasonably well given your constraints.

[JWL]

OK, I had antoher thought, and amendment to the above.

I'd build the frame out of 2x4, then use layers of sheetrock on each side of it until it is the same thickness as the archway.

Then, cut the MDF for the "outer layer" of your mass sandwich a bit bigger than the archway to get the airtightness you need.

Also, I'm assuming that you don't actually need this archway to be useful as like, you know, a door or anything..... LOL.

Remember, DO NOT seal your daughter in her room so that she cannot escape.

[jessejamietig]

Thanks for the info. By the way, there is a door out of the room through the kitchen(we converted the dining room into a bedroom).

I thought about the futon thing a few years ago, then I saw Great White burn up in Rhode Island, and I didn't know how good that would be.

I think the frame with the sheetrock & MDF sound pretty good.

Should I fill the inside with rockwool or 703 or something?

[JWL]

You could use 703 or rockwool, but for insulating framing the pink fluffy stuff works almost the same, and it's much cheaper. If you frame with 2x4s, I'd probably go with R19 and compress it a bit inside your frames.

[ThunderFaceWizardHead]

If you got a nine inch thick opening, I'd think about building a single 2x8 or double 2x4. That will leave room for 2 layers of sheetrock on eachside and a layer of mdf to cap it off.
No need to go to crazy on massing the wall. After a certain point you'll be outdoing the existing wall and it will just be overkill.

[kayagum]

Umm.... if you're renting, find another place?

[jessejamietig]

kayagum.

I know you were trying to be funny, but you've obviously never lived in San Francisco or New York. I've been living in this same one bedroom apartment for 12 years and it's rent controlled. I couldn't afford to move to the Tenderloin or Bayview in a studio for what I'm paying in rent now. We live in a good neighborhood, and I've never been afraid of my daughter or wife walking out of the building at night by themselves. We've turned the dininng room into a bedroom for my daughter, because when you have kids you have to make due with what you have. I'd love to move into a nice 3 bedroom house with a garage, but I can't afford to pay $3000 a month. It's simply a matter of economics.

Again I know you don't mean anything by it, but I'm a little sensitive about this situation.

-Jesse