Detached garage noise abatement

[Speedy!]

Construction on our detached 24x34 garage is about to start. I'm trying to finish up the last few details so I can inform the builder. One thing I've been pondering is noise abatement. I live in a close subdivision and the garage will be about 30 feet from the neighbor's bedroom. I want to try to sound proof it as much as possible without going nuts on cost.

I'm already planning to get a Quincy 60 gallon 2 stage compressor and will have it in a 3' x 4' room in the right rear corner. I plan to use QuietRock around that specifically for noise control and will likely also get one of the good intake mufflers I see recommended here.

The contract calls for 2x6 walls as it will have a 12' ceiling. However the builder is already asking if they can make the block come up higher to avoid using 2x6 and go with 2x4. I'm thinking the 2x6 would be better to deaden noise?

What about 1/2 vs. 5/8 drywall? The garage will be totally finished and I don't think it's much more for 5/8 sheetrock if that would help.

Any other things I need to consider that would be no brainers as part of the build to keep noise down for the subdivision? I run air tools and cut off wheels and impacts and stuff like that quite a bit.

I tried searching the forum and couldn't really find threads on this specifically.

 

[soob]

Insulated doors would be a big one.

If you are really worried about noise, you can do a double wall with two layers of drywall.

Personally I think you will be fine with insulated 2x4 walls. Compressors and air tools aren't that loud.

 

[buddyboy]

2x6 walls filled with fiberglass bats and TWO layers of 5/8" drywall

fiberglass to fill the void

drywall for mass

that's probably the best you can do without getting diminishing returns

 

[soob]

If you do two layers of drywall you have to put a furring strip between them to get the best benefit. I think a 2x4 wall with two layers of drywall is a much better sound insulator than a 2x6 wall with one, though. But remember the neighbor has a wall, too, so he gets that effect anyway.

 

[Speedy!]

Garage door will be insulated as well. Forgot to mention that. No windows on the sides of the garage, but a double window in the rear wall.

They may eat me alive on cost to put in two sheets of drywall. I'll ask and see. My attached garage has 2x4s and insulated doors. Tools aren't "that" loud from outside, but you can hear them. I'd really like to be able to work on things at night if needed.

Current next door neighbor is a bit of a PITA so I'm trying to get ahead of any potential issues.

 

[buddyboy]

If you do two layers of drywall you have to put a furring strip between them to get the best benefit.

why is that? everything I have read on soundproofing says to eliminate air spaces, none is best. theory is that each air space allows a different freq to resonate through the wall.

by putting a layer of drywall and then making a space before the next layer you are allowing any freq of a certain length to vibrate the second piece of drywall.

i'm no expert but the 2 rules I know are MASS and NO AIR SPACES

 

[sberry]

The whole building is a muffler, 2/6 is easier to heat.

 

[PhantomEB]

My 220v compressor I am gonna try to figure out a way to run a timer on it so it never turns on between 9pm and 9am. And it will be placed as far away from the houses as possible.

 

[soob]

why is that? everything I have read on soundproofing says to eliminate air spaces, none is best. theory is that each air space allows a different freq to resonate through the wall.

My understanding is that the furring strips (which, IIRC, are supposed to be run perpendicular to the studs) provide a physical disconnect from the wall framing to prevent sound from having a solid path through the studs (which are a poor sound insulator). I guess this is more oriented toward interior walls than exterior.

But I am no expert to be sure.

 

[zmotorsports]

I have a similar situation. My 34x34 shop is about 30' off my back door of my house and about 40' from my neighbor's bedroom window. I have my Quincy 60-gallon 5hp compressor in a 3'x3' enclosure/closet that is insulated as well for noise. Not only for the neighbors but for my own sanity as well.

With the doors closed it is barely audible when standing at my back doorstep but even then I choose to not run any air tools or make any noise past about 9:00pm even though our noise ordinace is stated 10:00pm. When I know I have noisy work to do I push to get it done before 9:00pm and the few times I work later than that, I make sure it is something quiet or machining with the mill and/or lathe where the noise is low. That is just my personal choice but I am sure if I ran my air compressor it would be fine with the doors closed. Open is another story.

Mike.

 

[CNGsaves]

Don't let "builder/contractor" boondoggle you into 2x4 walls instead of 2x6 walls . . . no way in hell !!! You'll want 2x6 for insulation purposes that also will serve as soundproofing.

If you're going to extra trouble of putting compressor in it's own 3' x 4' room with further sound proofing, then you'll be golden.

Don't let builder sucker you into subpar construction. Stay with 2x6 walls and if you want row of block on slab, then go with block that fits 2x6 walls and Do It Right the First Time !!

 

[Brick_Smart]

My vote would be for doubling up drywall if you are really concerned. The added mass will go a long way in reducing the high frequency noise generated by die grinders and other air tools. The air compressor, housed in a seperate closet, will be relatively easy to silence further if needed.

You could also look into staggered 2x4"s for the same width as 2x6" but even more isolation, that changes strength and load capacity though.

I'm assuming the cost to go from finished => double drywall is less than the cost of unfinished => finished.

 

[bczygan]

Absorb Sound
Absorption dampens sound waves by converting them into weaker energy. Fiberglass batt insulation inside interior partitions actually converts sound to heat. Carpets, upholstered furniture, and acoustical ceilings also help with sound absorption in large open areas.

Block Sound
Blocking sound requires a barrier with enough mass to stop the air movement caused by airborne sound waves. You can block noise by using acoustical caulk in all gaps, double drywall, concrete walls and even lead sheeting.

Break Sound
Breaking the path of the sound means removing the point of contact between the inside and outside so sound doesn’t reverberate through the structure.

Isolate Sound
Acoustic wall studs or a layer of foam under flooring allow the inner surface to float and isolate the noise. Even if you’re not building a recording studio in your garage, there are lots of reasons to consider noise control.

 

[Speedy!]

I have a similar situation. My 34x34 shop is about 30' off my back door of my house and about 40' from my neighbor's bedroom window. I have my Quincy 60-gallon 5hp compressor in a 3'x3' enclosure/closet that is insulated as well for noise. Not only for the neighbors but for my own sanity as well.

With the doors closed it is barely audible when standing at my back doorstep but even then I choose to not run any air tools or make any noise past about 9:00pm even though our noise ordinace is stated 10:00pm. When I know I have noisy work to do I push to get it done before 9:00pm and the few times I work later than that, I make sure it is something quiet or machining with the mill and/or lathe where the noise is low. That is just my personal choice but I am sure if I ran my air compressor it would be fine with the doors closed. Open is another story.

Mike.

How does the compressor handle the heat generated in that closet? Did you vent it? I have a separate thread on that question as that's something else the builder and I have been discussing.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=296534

Looks like 2x6 wall studs it will be. Will also do a row or two of block so I can just wash out the garage when needed. It'll have a floor drain.

I will ask about the double sheet rock to see what the charge will be, but I'm betting a couple thousand bucks at least.

Meeting with the builder tomorrow to discuss details.

 

[zmotorsports]

How does the compressor handle the heat generated in that closet? Did you vent it? I have a separate thread on that question as that's something else the builder and I have been discussing.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=296534

No issues whatsoever. Shop was built in 1995 so 20 years this year. I do have it vented into the shop for air flow but not to the outside. Some noise will travel through the vent but it is minimal. I also service my compressor once a year but again, no issues after 20 years now. I would do it again the same way. I also have the top of the "compressor room" covered in plywood to act as storage so there was no wasted space.

Mike.

 

[stihlntime]

When I build my home I used 2x6 walls with blown in cellulose insulation with 5/8" sheet rock on inside walls on the outside 1" foam board covered by 1/2 waferboard and brick on front and both ends metal on back wall. No sound escapes. I would use similar construction on your compressor room. My shop connects to my house with a 5hp 60 gal 2 stage compressor sitting within 10' of my den wall. I cannot hear it run setting in the den.

 

[CNGsaves]

^ ^ ^ This. Wow, that's how SHOULD be built !!

OP might get cheaper deal using more popular 1/2" sheetrock just use the lightweight stuff and double up with staggered joints from the first layer to second layer (also glued and screwed for both layers).

 

[crewchief888]

My 220v compressor I am gonna try to figure out a way to run a timer on it so it never turns on between 9pm and 9am. And it will be placed as far away from the houses as possible.

it's called shutting it off when you're done for the evening....


you mention a PITA neighbor,

i've had them before, there's nothing you can do, or not do, to satisfy them

 

[Nexussian]

Foam and another layer (siding, stucco, etc) are bound to help, but will add to cost.

I have been contemplating having the walls sprayed with foam (internally) to seal / insulate / deaden sound on my dream shop, and fill whatever space remains with blown in insulation.

If you are truly worried about it, double plate the exterior, that's required here in some areas, but for other reasons (high wind, poor ground, seismic instability, etc).

For a shop I would double the drywall anyway, but I plan on having a fire suppression system, probably sprinklers, but Halotron or CO2 would be easier to clean up, if I could afford them.

 

[Nexussian]

From Speedy's other thread.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4976473&postcount=3

Sound deadening exterior cladding made me curious and I did some searching, this product may do in place of the spray foam in my plan.

http://www.quietrock.com/quietcoat

Their line of sound deadening sheetrock, and ancillary products look interesting.

I wonder what they cost.

 

[bazzateer]

My walls are 4x2 and filled with insulation then covered with vapour barrier and OSB, doors & ceiling as well. When my (noisey) compressor is running and the doors are closed all than can be heard is a quiet humming noise. Quieter than other neighbours' lawn-mowers etc.

 

[Speedy!]

Thanks for all the suggestions and information. True, that troublesome neighbors likely won't be satisfied no matter what, but I did want to try to make a good effort, even if just so show the HOA I had should there ever be a noise complaint

The compressor noise isn't my main concern as that will be in an isolated closet with the QuietRock as mentioned. It's mainly the cut off wheel, angle grinder, impact, etc.

Glad to know several of you guys have compressors in small closets with just some passive venting and they're doing A OK.

One of my neighbors had his house insulated with a spray foam product called Epiphanyfoam (www.epiphanyfoam.com). I was in his attic a couple of weeks ago when it was mid 90s temps and I swear his attic was the same temp as his house AMAZING stuff. No dust or anything either and it does deaden noise. They can actually use their whole attic as a large closet due to the temperature not being crazy.

I'm going to ask about that for the garage but I'm betting it's quite expensive. I wanna say he told me it was $7000 more for this spray foam insulation throughout the house over what standard roll or blown insulation would be. They did everything though, interior walls, attic, and all.

 

[Kaizen]

Speedy I'm not in the sound deadening business but consider myself a pro. I have a 2 family house that was converted from a single. so zero insulation between the floors.
my first attempt was to put up a ceiling with 2x6 fiberglass and beadboard. thought that would put it to an ok level. didn't even make a dent.
next attempt in another room I REALLY wanted no noise so I had open cell spray foam sprayed then hung two layers of 5/8 inch......whatever the fire rated size is. put them right on top of each other and mudded and taped both layers perfectly while staggering the joints. keeps heat in great but only cut down on noise by maybe half. still can clearly hear a slightly elevated conversation. that was very expensive and sucked as that drywall is heavy. do not put a space between drywall. it doesn't isolate sound it amplifies it. look it up something about the sound waves getting through the first layer echo or something.
My last and best attempt was the cheapest. I used roxsul safe and sound insulation. http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1
make sure it says safe and sound. they had it at my local lumber yard on the shelf. I only had a 2x4 wall I was doing so I used 3inch thick. used a can of spray foamed all the penetrations like outlets and wire holes. then used one layer of normal drywall. the plan was to put that up and if it wasn't good enough to use a tube of green goo and a layer of the expensive sound proof drywall. here it is

it acts kind of like a rubber sound deadener. but I never had to do that last step as the 3inch and one layer was awesome. if you do a 6 inch wall I think you'll be super. I'm cheap/poor so I was not going to go do any more expensive options.
brother learn from my mistakes and google around on sound deadening drywall. lots of pages of information on how sound travels. and I don't know what air tools you all use but man in my neighborhood even an impact will wake the dead. not to mention a body saw or da at ten pm.

 

[YukonXL04]

Look into mass loaded vinyl, they use it in cars and media rooms. I know how to use it in a vehicle, and it works really well. But it derived from home theater usage so look into proper installation of it in walls. Helps block the noise really well. Can make a Honda as quiet as a top line mercedes...

 

[zmotorsports]

it's called shutting it off when you're done for the evening....


you mention a PITA neighbor,

i've had them before, there's nothing you can do, or not do, to satisfy them

Mine doesn't run after I am done, I have a ball valve on the outlet of the 60-gallon tank that I close and dump the air from my water separator when I close up at night. It has just turned into a habit, close ball valve, dump air and turn lights off as I am walking out. The system is tight with no leaks in the tank or fittings/connections so the compressor doesn't run once I walk out.

As far as pesty neighbors, I try to put myself in their shoes and if I would be satisfied as I know I am more **** than any of them. If I can't hear it standing on my back patio there is no way they are going to hear it. If they want to ***** just to ***** then let them. I wouldn't do anything to provoke them but I also wouldn't be a doormat either.

My one neighbor is a real *** hat as far as keeping his yard maintained and barking dogs but he has been fine with my shop and my working in it. But again, I don't make noise past 9:00pm so as to not provoke any issues.

Mike.

 

[chops101]

So I take it your compressor is the loudest component in your shop?
As others have said, limit the noisy work after 9pm, and turn off the compressor after hours.

Only thing I can add, is put some Auralex panels on the walls/ceiling of your compressor room. It will kill any echo and make it a 'dry' sounding room. I use this for my drum room and neighbors don't complain. Drums have a habit of being loud.

http://www.auralex.com/products/absorption/studiofoam-absorption-panels/

 

[Falcon67]

There is one sheet of Quiet Brace with two vents in it, one 2x4 insulated wall and about 30' between the back porch and the shop. When the compressor kicks on, you can just barely hear it. The other side of the compressor closet is 1 1/2" thick wall (2x4s on end to save space), a little fiberglass insulation, one layer of Quiet Brace and one layer of 7/16 OSB. That really cuts the noise on that side. You can have a phone conversation easily standing 10' from the compressor closet wall. On the other side where there is only one layer of Qbrace as a door, it's fairly loud but not overbearing.

All that to say IMHO that if your compressor closet uses insulated 2x4 walls with quiet brace and drywall, then your outside walls are 2x6 with normal exterior cladding the noise level should be minimal, if not less. On the neighbor side of the closet - or maybe all around inside - use two layers of Qbrace with minimal 1x2 strapping to space them apart. The air space in between will really kill the sound.

 

[99LeCouch]

Put some sound-deadening panels onto the ceiling. Those are cheap and effective. A 4x4 panel is about $120 or so. They'll make the sound echo and reverberate a lot less inside the space. Less echoing in the space means there's less sound energy to escape outside.

http://www.audimutesoundproofing.com/ is a company my work ordered a sample panel from. The thing is built like a tank.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Stick with the 2x6 walls. Use 6" QuietRock on the wall closest to the neighbor's house.

If you want super quiet, you need to build TWO 2x4 walls with a 4" dead air space in between them. QuietRock on both of those walls.

Make sure you have plenty of ventilation for the compressor. Heat goes up, so make certain there is a way for heat to exit out the top and a for fresh air to enter near the bottom.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

For sound reduction locations we frame walls with 2x6 plates & offset 2x4 studs. Both sides of the wall has 2x4s on 16" centers, but they are offset 8" from the opposite side. So looking at the open framing it looks like the studs are on 8" centers, but only every other one is faced to the close side. Yes, it uses double studs. No blocking is installed, since blocks would touch both groups of studs. Insulation is installed in bays from both sides. Only the top & bottom plates touch both sheets of drywall, so there is less direct sound transfer from solid to solid thru the studs. Insulation overlaps so there is no open air space between drywall sheets. We think it works pretty well.

Different frequencies are filtered out by different materials, so if one side is covered with stucco & the other with sheetrock, it will cut out more frequencies than if both sides are covered with a single material. A layer of plywood shear underneath will also reduce a portion of the sound, but not so much as the other materials. The plywood layer also helps in place of the missing blocking.

We did one job for an acoustic guy who specified Quiet Rock instead of normal sheetrock. We didn't run any scientific tests, but I'll bet he did. It seemed like good stuff.

Something done to the room to reduce echo would help too. A bare room with crisp plaster walls & ceiling can reflect sound like being inside a drum. Open the door & it might act like a megaphone. Sound deadening panels, soft materials, wood bench, cloth banners, a big thick flag, etc. could all reduce the ring.

 

[Keel]

How does the compressor handle the heat generated in that closet? Did you vent it? I have a separate thread on that question as that's something else the builder and I have been discussing.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=296534

Looks like 2x6 wall studs it will be. Will also do a row or two of block so I can just wash out the garage when needed. It'll have a floor drain.

I will ask about the double sheet rock to see what the charge will be, but I'm betting a couple thousand bucks at least.

Meeting with the builder tomorrow to discuss details.

I'd skip the cost of double dry wall, you can get better gains..
with different thinking.. if you've ever had a room with a carpet, then removed it..
or walked through a house for sale that is empty and talked and then bought it, and put drapes and cloth seats/etc in it..
you'll know where I'm going with this.. you'd be amazed what a few yard sale area rugs can do to the sharp tin type noise most air tool cause.. it is night and day difference.. as most garages have zero soft items in them..
sure they will collect dust and you'll have to vacuum them every so offen,, I put one on the garage door, and my door is wood, not the fiberglass or sheet metal with insulation in it.. it made a huge difference , I have another hanging from the peak on a bike lift cable set up.. might be an option..

 

[strnge]

Absolutely use 2X6 wells!

This worked for me for sound proofing my bathroom. Goes between 2 sheets of sheetrock.

http://www.greengluecompany.com/products/noiseproofing-compound