Home Insulation for Your Private Recording Studio

Whether you're starting your own internet radio broadcast from your basement or a rock band in your garage, home insulation is a must to prevent the neighbors from complaining. Even if the area is already insulated, it is likely that the level required to adequately muffle interior sounds from outsiders. If you want to play your music in peace or engage in other noisy hobbies, taking the time to invest in quality home insulation is a must. 

The first thing to do is pick the optimal room for your studio. The garage is the best choice due to the higher roof and separation from the central area of the house. Basements may not be ideal due to the small space as well as a lack of fresh air. Extra rooms such as a den or a guest room can work, but should be placed well away from louder areas of the house so there is less noise interference. If you're serious about building the perfect recording or practice studio, it may be best to construct a small shed in the yard so you can make it to your exact specifications and needs. 

The first thing to do is seal off all gaps in the studio room. Knock out windows if possible and fill in with a slide wooden panel. Replace weak doors with solid ones that are outfitted with weather stripping. It should shut snugly with no gaps between the frame and wall. Check the entire surface of the room for any cracks and leaks (a flashlight or a candle can help you sniff out tiny areas). Fill these with some caulk. For the area where the walls touch the roof, use fiberglass to create a tight but not overly-packed border. 

Now you'll need to add the home insulation to help absorb the sound. Fiberglass works well, is versatile, and is fairly inexpensive. Choose thick batts, but not those that will have to be packed tightly into place. By squeezing it too much, it loses its ability to properly insulate the area. These should be fit first and then trimmed to size. Make sure that the batting fills in all corners. If there is an object within the pathway such as a wire or pipe, make room by cutting the fiberglass to half thickness and placing the batt around both the front and back of the item. 

Once the fiberglass home insulation is installed properly, completely any necessary wiring work and put up the drywall sheets. Some musicians like to add egg crate foam on the finished walls as an extra layer of protection, but how much and where to place it depends on the layout of the room and what music will be played. If you're not sure about other details, it's best to invest in a studio building book. To get the best sound quality possible while still blocking out outside noise is a science and may take some trial and error before you're able to get it just right.