Guitar overdub garage in Nashville, TN

[olectric]

Well, since construction is about to get under way within the next week, I thought I would start a photo diary of my studio build. I have a free-standing, one-car garage in my backyard that I am going to turn into a one-room studio for recording acoustic and electric guitars (and the occasional vocal demo). The garage is constructed on a concrete slab; its walls are cinder blocks, and the roof is a standard wood truss design.



Standing in the front aluminum door looking to the back right (that workbench has been ripped out already):


Looking to the rear left:


Here is a shot of the roof from the inside, looking back toward the aluminum door:


I have different sized trusses; some are made of three 2x4s nailed together:


...and some are just one 2x4:

[olectric]

Before we begin construction, there are a few things that need to be addressed. Tomorrow, I am having a mason come out and give me a quote for sealing up all three windows with cinder blocks, and extending the wall in the front where the aluminum door is with blocks. I will need a gap left for a standard exterior door, since the front part of the garage will need to be a small shed area to keep my lawnmower and yard tools. There are also some gaps in the brick that need to be fixed:



...as well as a hole in the wall that someone tried (very poorly) to repair with some mortar mix:


In addition to the parts of the block wall that need to be filled, there are gaps around the eaves of the building. I'm still not totally sure how to address these. Would acoustic caulk or butyl rubber work for these? Some of these gaps are 0.5" or more:

[olectric]

Here is a rough sketch I made in Sketchup.

The interior dimensions of the garage are 15' x 19' with 93.5" height from the concrete slab to the bottom of the rafters.

I have enclosed a shed area 31" wide at the front of the garage. With 8" walls enclosing the studio portion of the garage, that leaves me with 15' 1" x 13' 8" x 7' 9.5" for the studio. (or 181" x 164" x 93.5")

[LaLaFaV]

With a space of 15'x19' you could do something along these lines.
Have you designed a layout yet?

[olectric]

Originally Posted by LaLaFaV

With a space of 15'x19' you could do something along these lines.
Have you designed a layout yet?

Lance--

that looks like an awesome layout, but I don't have the full 19' to use for studio space. I have to have a shed area accessible from the outside to put my lawnmower and tools in. Plus, the side door location is fixed. see my sketch above. Any other ideas given those constraints?

Thanks!
Justin

[LaLaFaV]

I didn't fully read that last sentence with the final interior measurements.
I assumed you were going to add the wings (externally to the main structure)with the concrete blocks and put a little separate roof over the shed area. I'd make the shed roof lower, sloping in the opposite direction. That's what I'd do, anyway. Just put some bricks down for the floor in the "shed" part since you won't have the slab there.
I say that because at 15'-1" x 13'-8", it's getting even tighter in there and also closer to a square, which is a horrible "acoustic" shape.

[olectric]

Originally Posted by LaLaFaV

I didn't fully read that last sentence with the final interior measurements.
I assumed you were going to add the wings (externally to the main structure)with the concrete blocks and put a little separate roof over the shed area. I'd make the shed roof lower, sloping in the opposite direction. That's what I'd do, anyway. Just put some bricks down for the floor in the "shed" part since you won't have the slab there.
I say that because at 15'-1" x 13'-8", it's getting even tighter in there and also closer to a square, which is a horrible "acoustic" shape.

You know, I keep thinking about it, and I think I may do that instead: add a small side building for storage and utilize the full 15' x 19' garage for the studio. your design is really, really awesome, but it doesn't currently work for where my side door is located. that side door's position is positively fixed...I can't move it anywhere else on the garage....

[LaLaFaV]

Since you'll need to fill in the big garage door, put a door in the new block wall that will fill in the big garage door "hole". I'd say it can fit it in the bottom right hand corner and still work with my layout. You'll just need to fill in the old door with blocks.

[LaLaFaV]

Just in case this can help anyone, I'll post this with dimensions.
Edit: I added an alternate plan w/ door placement allowing for a bigger storage area / mic locker / computer iso room.