VOCOMOTION - A Cappella Studio - Construction Thread

[vocomotion]

It’s Electric!…boogie-woogie-woogie…

The rough electrical work is now complete. They put in all the outlet boxes, electrical conduit, low-voltage conduit, and switch boxes. Edward and his band of merry Russians did very nice, quick work!

Tomorrow morning, 120 sheets of drywall (!!) are being delivered at 7am, along with all the Ultratouch insulaton (recycled denim) that will go in the walls.

The framing and rough electrical inspection is scheduled for 10am tomorrow... then, assuming that goes okay, they will start to stuff and drywall the walls.

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

They’ll need a crane…they’ll need a crane…

They delivered the 120 sheets of drywall this morning. That’s a huge amount of drywall to be used in a such a small space! It’s current in the middle of the Control Room, broken up into two stacks. The electricians are actually using it as scaffolding to get up to the ceiling to run some conduit. HA!

The HVAC company sent over a couple guys this morning to cut that section of ductwork that was sticking through the wall between the Control Room and Iso-Booth. They show up and I asked if they were from Assurance and were here to cut the duct. The guy responded, “Well, it’d be easier if that friggin’ wall wasn’t there!” I’m like, “Uh, yeah. Can’t move the wall.” He said, “You guys should’ve called us immediately when you realized!” We didn’t realize it was going to be an issue until after the wall was framed. Don’t yell at me, dude. I’m the guy payin’ ya. Nice attitude.

After they started cutting, he asked if we had a fire extinguisher. I said, “Probably.” He yelled back, “You don’t have a fire extinguisher?! How can you not have a fire extinguisher!?” BTW, there are extinguishers all over the building. Then he was grumping the whole way through cutting the duct. Well, at least all the other contractors are nice…


--> freddie

[planet red]

When are you expecting to be done with the whole thing?

[vocomotion]

We're thinking they'll get the first layer of drywall done tomorrow. Then a couple weeks to get the ceiling done (it's on spring-hangers with three layers of drywall). Then I have to build the soffits and platforms, paint, get the finished-flooring installed, carpet the platforms, install the isolation-door, light fixtures, etc.

I'm thinking end of February, probably. We started design around 4th of July, finished around Sept 1st. Started construction around Jan 1st and will finish it all around March 1st...not bad.

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

The contractors are stuffing the walls and putting up the first layer of drywall. You might notice that the insulation they’re installing doesn’t look like Ultratouch (the recycled denim insulation)…it’s not. The exterior walls have to have ThermaFiber (rockwool), because of the thickness (or really thinness) of the wall construction. The Ultratouch doesn’t come in thin enough batts to use with the walls with just RC on it. Our delivery of Ultratouch will arrive Monday and they’ll use that in the newly constructed walls (back of the Control Room, IsoBooth/Closet, Exterior Wall.

After the first layer is drywall is up, they’ll put on the Mass Loaded Vinyl over it, then do the next layer of drywall. One little problem…the Mass Load Vinyl and ICW Spring Hangers (for ceiling) have been LOST IN TRANSIT. Apparently, UPS can’t find them. A new shipment was ordered and will be here next week (it better!!).

--> freddie

[gainreduction]

That seems to move on amazingly well. thumbsup

Hope you finish up in time, within budget and that the place will be all you dreamed of. (for reference, see: murphy´s law )

Keep up the good work, it will pay off.

[vocomotion]

So we got the Ultratouch in the space today and the guys started putting it in the walls, with their bare hands! It's pretty cool stuff, made from recycled denim (from jeans factories). It has better insulating properties than fiberglass and rockwool, safer to handle, and just generally safer to be around.

Some of our acoustic materials were lost in shipping and they're scrambling to get them to us in time. They've lost the ceiling spring hangers and the mass-loaded vinyl. We need the vinyl tomorrow so they can start putting it up over the first layer of drywall, and then hang the second layer. If we don't get that stuff soon, we're going to have to stop work for a couple of days (GRRRRR). They tell me it should be here by Wednesday, we'll see...

--> freddie

[xitfactory]

hey vocomotion! nice job!
what is your budget for construction?

[vocomotion]

Thanks! I'm not sure if I should say my exact budget here, but it's under $100k.

I wanted to thank everyone, so far, for following along with the thread. Being that I own the studio on my own, and my wife gets upset if she knows toooo much of what's going on with the construction (she's pregnant again and it's just too much info for her handle right now)...it really helps for me to be able to tell someone about what's going on. This is the second studio I've built and it's definitely not an easy process...but it is SO cool!

Thanks!

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

The shipping company delivering the rolls of mass-loaded vinyl had "misplaced" the shipment (all 1000lbs of it?!?). It all just arrived and BOY are those rolls heavy (about 330lbs each). It took four of us to just barely carry these things into the studio. They're finishing up the first layer of drywall today and will start hanging the vinyl tomorrow. Pics coming soon!

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

The guys have started laying on the mass-loaded vinyl over the walls. One problem they’re having is that it’s so heavy that it’s tearing itself down under its own weight. Next try, roofing nails…should do the trick!

Attached are some pics from the past week or so, sorry haven’t posted these sooner. I also ordered the custom racks/producer’s desk from a company in Nashville (Sound Construction & Supply).

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

The builders started putting the mass-loaded vinyl sheeting up on the walls today. Pretty interesting stuff. It’s realllly heavy, but not very strong. You can very easily rip it apart with your fingers. We got three 20yd rolls of the stuff and each roll weighs in at approx 350lbs! Now that it’s up on the walls, they’ve already started putting up the second layer of drywall over it.

They figure they’ll be completely done with the walls this week (including tape/mud). Then they’ll do the ceiling over the next two weeks, then the contractors are done with their part and I can start with the finishes.

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

The walls are pretty much up, at this point. They have some finishing to do tomorrow, then they’ll mud/tape it on Monday and move on to the ceiling. I took some pics of the Control Room as best I can and also one where you can see the layers on the walls (that’s an exterior wall, so it doesn’t have the IsoMax clips and resilient channel). I ordered the track lighting today too, very cool track heads too.

--> freddie

[judah]

Great job Freddie and glad to hear you sorted out all the issues. It is coming along very nice. Do you already have any idea about the interior design? Luminous? Dark? Wood? Metal? White? Red?

Let us know...and keep it up the good work!

[vocomotion]

I'm thinking a light grey for the walls (see attached color card, Raging Sea) and a dark blue for the fabric covered panels on the walls (Guilford of Maine Blue Plum). The ceiling will be painted black and the ceiling clouds will be a light grey (Guilford Silver Neutral).

The floors will be a light bamboo and the wood for the custom-built diffusor will be light maple. The custom rack/producer's desk will be black with maple trim, with a frosted glass top with stainless steel standoffs. The couch is black leather. The console desk for me is clear plexiglass.

I think that will look pretty cool. It's a bit hard to visualize it, but I think it'll be good.

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

Still don't know what color carpet to put on the platforms...I guess I could just do a commercial-grade grey carpet...lots of grey in the room...hmm...

--> freddie

[xitfactory]

Hi vocomotion!
Nice work!
BTW i am going to do grey (METALLIC) and black in my room too!
Check out my tread!

[vocomotion]

The 58 ceiling springs are going up right now. This will allow the ceiling to absorb more of the vibrations from the two large HVAC units on the roof (not ours). The guys are making quick work of it and should have them all up in another hour or so. Then they will put the steel channel up there to form a grid, and then hang the three layers of drywall from the grid.

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

They made some great progress today getting the threaded rods cut and put into all the springs and also put all of the C-channel up in the front of the Control Room. They thought leveling it would be difficult, but with their scaffolding in place, it was fairly quick to run back and forth, adjusting the level of the channel. Next, they have to criss-cross that C-channel with hat-channel, then hang drywall.

We ran into an issue today getting theRPG Modex Plates for the ceiling. We need three plates (two Type-2 and one Type-1) and they hang from the finished drywall ceiling. I just found out today that there is a 4-6 week lead-time in getting these plates. WHAT?? Great. So we’re looking to see if we can get them sooner (or if there’s a suitable replacement product). If not, I guess I’ll order them tomorrow and hope they come in closer to 4 weeks, rather than 6.

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

The ceiling supports are now done in the front of the CR. They also finished the second layer of mud on the drywall. Tomorrow they'll do the supports for the ceiling in the back of the CR and the Iso-Booth.

Found out today that the architect can get me the RPG Modex Plates faster than this other distributor (whom I won't name). WOO HOO!

--> freddie

[mikahanau]

Found out today that the architect can get me the RPG Modex Plates faster than this other distributor (whom I won't name). WOO HOO!

Nice to read information like this.
I follow your projekt since beginning, and i love it.
I wish you all the best.

cheers
Mika

[vocomotion]

Mika, thanks for following along!!

The contractors decided to test the strength of the ceiling supports this morning…by having one of the guys hang from it. He weighs about 200lbs and the ceiling seemed to hold him up just fine.

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

They finished the ceiling supports and started putting up the insulation on the ceiling. There’s a layer of 6″ denim insulation up there and it looks pretty tasty. Maybe we should just keep it like that! The blue ceiling looks so nice and fluffy (and non-carcinogenic!).

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

They stuffed the ceiling in the iso-booth with a huge amount of the denim insulation, then put up the three layers of drywall in there. The noise from that old duct that is up there has completely disappeared! It's amazing how quiet the booth is now! Once they caulk the edges of the ceiling and the put the big isolation-door on it, it's going to be awesome!

They’ll probably get the three layers of drywall up on the ceiling of the Control Room tomorrow and get everything taped by the end of the week. Then they’ll caulk and prime the walls early next week.

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

Things are really coming together and we’re finally able to see a “schedule” of sorts, for the opening of the new studio.

Feb 20 - Finish sanding the walls/ceiling
Feb 21 - Frame soffits and platforms
Feb 23 - Install doors for closet and exterior double-door. Prime the walls.
Feb 24 - Paint ceilings flat-black. Electrician do rough-in for soffits/platforms.
Feb 25 - Paint walls.
Feb 27 - Install bamboo hardwood flooring
Feb 28 - Close up soffits/platforms with plywood.
Mar 2 - Install Isolation-Door. Paint soffits.
Mar 3 - Racks/Producers Desk should arrive (approx).

There are more tasks than that…still need to figure out when we’ll do them…

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

BTW, we just calculated we have put in FIVE TONS of drywall into this studio! Holy crap!

--> freddie

[vocomotion]

Some pics of the room with the drywall tape/mud drying.

--> freddie

[judah]

Congrats Freddie, it is really coming together. Did you put two or three drywall layers?

[vocomotion]

On the outermost layer of the wall are two layers of drywall, with mass-loaded vinyl sheet between them. Beneath that is resilient channel and IsoMax clips. Beneath that are two layers of drywall. So on many of the walls are actually four layers of drywall!

--> freddie

[judah]

Originally Posted by vocomotion

On the outermost layer of the wall are two layers of drywall, with mass-loaded vinyl sheet between them. Beneath that is resilient channel and IsoMax clips. Beneath that are two layers of drywall. So on many of the walls are actually four layers of drywall!

--> freddie

Was the mass loaded vinyl part ofthe project? I read so many bad things about it. The expert here around says that it is pretty useless. Do you have any infos about that specific?