Posted by Rick Mathis on August 17, 2000 at 12:58:15:
In Reply to: Kleenex and Spit posted by Rick Denney on August 17, 2000 at 11:49:25:
100' away and they can still hear you!? What kind of BAT are you playing?!?!? What about the thumper cars?
I've seen a couple of things done on the cheap --
- Put something over the basement windows or vents like cardboard or plywood with egg crate foam on the room side to deaden any sound getting out that way.
- If the insulation doesn't go to the bottom of the floor joists, add a little more and cover it with ceiling tiles or sheet rock -- something solid to reflect the sound back down. That fiberglass dust stuff is pretty tough on the lungs... almost as bad as asbestos. Don't cover the fiberglass with plastic or you will have a build up of moisture and be dealing with mold... which is almost as bad as the fiberglass.
- Get some foam acoustic panels and run them from the ceiling down below the ground level all around the room. You can also use some of the thicker (1.5 - 2") egg crate foam to do this. If you are looking for something more permenant and decorative you can put 2x2s along the walls about 24" apart, put the foam in between and cover the whole thing with decorative fabric. Look for a foam outlet in your hometown before raiding Wal-Mart, it may be cheaper there.
- Put some weather stripping along all the doors and openings to seal the room.
I think just getting some hard material accross the ceiling to reflect the sound down and the foam to get anything out the sides will do it... If not, take the foam to the floor and get some thicker carpet on the floor. Solid core doors also help but then you are looking at some serious change.
I've seen people carpet the walls, but that's expensive and not as effective as the foam.
If none of this works, consider a large secluded brick home.
Rick "My Neighbors Like Tuba" Mathis