Soundproofing On a Budget

Soundproofing your home does not have to cost a fortune. If you are under new construction we all know that money it tight. There are many common hardware store items that can be used for soundproofing that won't break the bank. Most people don't think of sand as a soundproofing material, but it actually a very good for soundproofing. If your walls are re-enforced, you can use sand in the stud cavities as a soundproofing material. You must be sure that your walls can withstand the weight of the sand. Always use refined or purified sand, not common beach sand that could cause mold or have other bacterial in it that will cause you problems down the line.

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Let's say you are in the middle of new construction on your new home and you know that one of the rooms is going to be your new home theater. You want that room soundproofed but you budget is already stretched to its limits. Did you know that you can use common rolled roofing material from Home Depot or Lowe's? Rolled roofing is what is generally used on buildings like chicken coops and other roofs where aesthetics is not an issue but stopping leaks is. Rolled roofing generally comes in 30' long rolls and is 3' wide. I hear the little wheels in your brain spinning at a hundred miles and hour. What am I going to do with all this rolled roofing material? Well, I'm glad you asked. One of the best soundproofing agents on the market today is mass loaded vinyl, (MLV for short) Mass loaded vinyl is a high grade vinyl material that is impregnated with barium salts and silica to give it the same soundproofing properties as lead sheeting without the hazards associated with lead.

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Now MLV can cost from .25 to .00 per sq ft and when you are building your new dream home that just might be beyond your budget. So now enters the rolled roofing material. I am suggesting that you stretch the rolled roofing material across the studs or the joists if you are soundproofing your ceiling. You will staple or nail the rolled roofing directly to the stud structure like a membrane across the face of the studs. The next section of rolled roofing should overlap the first piece by at least 1". It is essential to caulk the over lap with an acoustical caulk (hey you have to buy something from the soundproofing guy for giving you all this free advice, right?). The acoustical caulk can be purchased from any reputable soundproofing company like Acoustical Solutions, Sound Isolation Company, or Soundproofing America. Any of these companies will carry a good quality acoustical caulk and can ship it to you. Now back to our soundproofed walls. Once you have the rolled roofing in place and you have caulked the 1" over lap, you will also need to caulk around the entire perimeter of the newly installed rolled roofing membrane. There is a little saying we have in the soundproofing industry, "Caulk is cheap". I think you get the pun. The point is, use as much caulk as you need to seal every seam gap or crack in your soundproof membrane. You want this roofing material to be as sealed and air tight as possible. Now seeing as the rolled roofing does not have the same soundproofing horsepower as MLV, I would strongly suggest a second layer of the rolled roofing be applied to each wall and to the ceiling area that you that you are soundproofing. Stagger the seams wherever possible This is a small investment to have a soundproof room for your home theater or simply a quiet place to study.

Once you have your 2 layers of rolled roofing installed on your walls and ceiling and everything is caulked liberally, it is time for the finished layer of drywall. I would suggest installing a layer of 5/8" fire code drywall to finish off your soundproofing project. Don't forget to tape mud and paint the finished drywall.

Now finally I would like to say a little bit about the acoustical caulk. Acoustical caulk is a cheap commodity when compared to the cost of other soundproofing agents, but it is one of the most essential parts of any soundproofing endeavor. Buy a good acoustical caulk and not some cheap silicone caulk. We are already being frugal with the soundproofing material; lets not skimp on the caulk. A good acoustical caulk is OSI-175 SC caulk or Tremco Smoke and Sound caulk. Both of these caulking compounds possess superb acoustical properties. If you have questions about acoustical caulk call one of the online soundproofing companies, they will be glad to help you.

Once the drywall is up and the rolled roofing is completely covered, you will discover that you have a well-soundproofed room and you did it a half the cost of using the professional soundproofing agents. That being said, today's modern soundproofing products are extremely effective and I feel very reasonably priced compared to other specialized building materials. In this article I just wanted to show that there are other ways to soundproof a wall or ceiling with out using the more costly professional soundproofing agents. I hope this narrative has been informative; it was a pleasure writing it, as there is so little information out on the net about soundproofing. Once again, this is Dr. Bob...Out!

Soundproofing On a Budget

Dr. Bob O. Soundproofing America, Inc. Senior Technical Director Soundproofing Expert to The New York Times, The San Francisco Herald Examiner, The San Diego Union Tribune, and the Charlotte Observer Ph (877) 530-0139 Toll free Fax (347) 721-9079 E-mail: Dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com Website: http://www.soundproofingamerica.com

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Bathroom Vanities - Adding A Unique Touch To Your Bathroom Regardless Of Your Budget

A really simple way to update your bathroom without doing a full remodel, and without spending a lot of money, is to replace your bathroom vanity. Bathroom vanities can cost as little as 0 (depending on the size you need), up to a couple thousand depending on what your tastes and budget are. I am going to talk about several different options that are available for different budget levels to help you get the bathroom of your dreams.

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RTA Bathroom Vanities or Pre-assembled vanities are a great way to get a fresh look for your bathroom without spending a lot of money to do so. Most of the building supply stores will carry their own line of pre-assembled bathroom vanities that you can take right out of the box and stick in your bathroom. While they are starting to add more design details into the vanity, these bathroom vanities traditionally are your basic cabinet with some detailing on the door that come in a wide range of door styles and finishes. There are also hundreds of companies that are selling RTA bathroom vanities on the web. These are usually a little bit better quality than what you will find in Home Depot or Lowes and they are usually less expensive, since they don't have the huge overhead costs that the big stores have. The difference between the store bought vanities and the RTA vanities that you find on-line, is that you will have to assemble the RTA vanities yourself (which usually just requires a screwdriver). These are the same style cabinets that you will find in all newly built, mid-priced homes.

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If you are looking for something a little bit more modern, one of the hottest remodeling trends is the Euro Vanity. The euro vanity is identifiable by the protruding sink bowl in the front, and downward curving doors. Most vanities are sold as a kit with the sink bowl included. These can also be found as pre-assembled units in the store, or as rta bathroom vanities on-line. While cabinet itself is usually not as deep as your traditional vanities, it still offers storage space below the sink. Most companies will offer 3 basic finishes- white, oak, and cherry, but you can occasionally find some unique finishes if you search hard enough. If you are going for a more modern look in the rest of your house, this is a great way to bring the same design features into your bathroom

Something that has become more popular in recent years with people trying to create a more custom look in their bathroom is what they call a bathroom furniture vanity. It is called a furniture vanity, because people were literally taking antique furniture and retro-fitting them to accommodate plumbing and a sink. Because of the demand for this type of vanity, manufacturers finally started creating vanities that look like antique pieces of furniture. You will find this type of vanity in a lot of the higher end homes that want to keep the custom look of the house flowing into the bathroom. The possibilities are endless when it comes to furniture vanities, and the prices can range from a couple hundred up to a couple thousand. This is a great look if you have the big budget required to have your bathroom look as nice as the vanity does!

Finally, for the ultra custom look is the artistic or decorative bathroom vanity. This type of vanity is a cross between a furniture vanity and a piece of art. They offer the style and detailing of furniture, with the artistic touches of a piece of art. For the homeowner that truly wants to make a statement with their bathroom design, or even make it a centerpiece of the house, the artistic bathroom vanity is the ultimate choice. However, this type of high design comes at a price... with most vanities starting at ,000 and going up from there, this is no small investment. The really nice thing about the handful of companies that are selling them, is that they come as a complete kit with the vanity top, sink bowl, and matching mirror included. There are not a lot of manufacturers out there, so if you are looking for a decorative bathroom vanity, be prepared to surf the web.

Regardless of whether you are updating a powder room, or designing the bathroom for a multi-million dollar home, there are a wide range of options and price levels to meet your budget. Take the time to really shop around, both in the stores and on the web, and you will find exactly what you are looking for at a price you can afford.

Bathroom Vanities - Adding A Unique Touch To Your Bathroom Regardless Of Your Budget

I have been remodeling houses for over 15 years, and I have found a way to save hundreds on each bathroom that I remodel. If you are looking for a High End Bathroom Vanity, Euro Vanity, or RTA Bathroom Vanity check out one of these links to find out my secret.

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