siding on old garage

[cporro]

i'm repairing an old garage/stable house and making it into a studio. the roof and foundation seem good but the siding is shot. its old wood siding approx 6"x1". all the framing is 2x4, 24 on center. the plan is to reside it and possibly do some sistering on the frame.

for soundproofing there are a few consideration. a good seal is essential. mass is also important. i believe i will add at least one (possibly 2) layers of 5/8th drywall to the interior. the highest wall is 11ft.

most of the homes around me (northern california) have wood siding so a wood look is preferable. and yes i want it to look good in 10 years but i don't mind doing some painting.

lastly is cost of installation and materials. this isn't a dream home. its a garage/studio. total sq/ft is about 800. i have a 15k budget for the whole studio, interior drywall, installing 3 windows, one door, new lighting, electrical...

any ideas? i started looking at siding sheets. cdx and osd plywood..then at Hardie Siding.

[benick]

15k budget for all that???? Boy are you in for a surprise...Hope you plan on doing ALOT yourself....Good luck....

[aemeijers]

Worry about the frame first, before you worry about the wrapping. If you have not done so already, get a professional opinion about the condition of the entire structure (from footings to ridge), and a blessing from whatever the local inspection authorities are. I've seen people go whole-hog remodeling broken down shacks, only to be badly surprised when it comes time to get inspected and something major flunks, like the foundation or basic framing structure. In the instant case, I'd be surprised if the inspector will sign off on 24 OC studs, even doubled, for anything other than a storage shed. Drywall makes it 'finished space', and different rules can apply. If the siding is shot, odds are at least some of the studs are iffy. I think you are looking at more work needed than you think. Also note that 2 layers of 5/8 drywall isn't light- you need a good solid wall structure to hold that, and it needs screws more than 24" OC. A cheap first step would be a bunch of digital photos, printed out, and a diagram on graph paper, and go have coffee with the building inspector on a slow day. He can tell you what is and isn't safe, and what will fly in your county. I know people diss inspectors on here all the time, but I have found that most would much rather answer questions in advance before problems come up, and they are forced to be the bad guy.

Now, having said that- if the neighbors won't complain, they sell a plastic-coated faux T1-11 that would probably work well for you. Comes in 4x8 sheets, and is very DIY friendly. Hardly ever needs painting, and gives a much tighter seal than lap siding, or vinyl over most sheathings. Probably want to skin the place in foam board under the siding.

-- aem sends...

[tbasc]

I second aem's admonition to get the structure right and to get an understanding of the local code requirements. Please pay attention to drainage and to flashing. All that unseen detail will come back to haunt you. Professional help in planning the job can save time, money and tears.

T

[cporro]

the plan was to put the drywall between the studs. so the fasteners shouldn't be as much of an issue. i'm going for what they call a 2 leaf design in studio construction. so from the outside it would be siding, drywall, insulation.....and something to keep the insulation in place. later, in phase 2, i'd build a "room within a room". the idea is to have the walls/ceiling decoupled so its mass space mass. thus the shifting of drywall mass to the exterior.

what i think i need is someone with studio construction experience. but i have no idea how to find that person and i'm scared of the cost.

i was planning on doing some of this work myself but it looks like a lot of it is a 2 person job. drywalling, siding....

[Blattus Slafaly]

Cover it with Owens-Corning fanfold insulation and caulk the seems then hang standard Home Depot wood grain vinyl siding. Save big if you do it yourself. Never paint again. You can put vinyl coated aluminum wood grain looking flashing on the trim. I hate paint.

[BobK207]

Better be careful.......I'm getting the feeling you have some lofty concepts but not a lot of real world experience.

What's with this decoupling concept? What is that supposed to buy you? And why two layers of 5/8 drywall? Why drywall between the suds?

Your lateral capacity will come from plywood & hold downs attached to your foundation.

btw a garage / stable house might not have much more than a slab, no perimeter footing.

If you budget is 15k better plan on doing a lot (not some) of the work yourself.

In the older codes studs at 24" oc was allowed i'm not sure about IBC

but i have no idea how to find that person and i'm scared of the cost.

[SteveBell]

I've seen the type of construction you're describing taken to obscene lengths in secure facilities to prevent spying: two walls with six-inch studs, multiple layers of foil-covered wallboard to block EMF, speakers playing music inside the walls.... It's not cheap.

If you want, I can refer you to someone who's a studio consultant. He's in Dallas, but I'm sure he could refer you to someone else if you want. It would be money well spent to avoid having to redo something. You can always ask prices, then say no if it's too expensive.

I've done drywall by myself. I don't like it, but it's possible. You can buy jigs that allow you to put up siding by yourself.

[cporro]

the lofty ideas i have aren't really that lofty. not compared to real studio construction. i have a pretty well regarded book by a guy who has done studio construction for over 30 years. what i'm describing is very different from standard construction but old hat for studio construction.

the basic concept is we are setting up a mass,spring, mass system. outer drywall, air, inner drywall. if you had something like 24" cement not much sound would make it through. if its sealed right that is. so more mass = more sound isolation. so the sound has to move the interior wall then cause the air pocket to compress (like a spring) which then moves the exterior wall. this is a very efficient way to lower transmission. its not big secret in studio construction.

i couldn't agree more about doing it right. and being cautious. that's why i've read a few books and am taking come construction classes. the last thing i want to do is do it wrong.

i don't think i'm trying to take this to obscene lengths. my area has pretty quiet ambient levels on a A weight scale, under 60db. so if i could get an STC of 50 that would be great. that's obtainable with what i'm doing. EMF interference isn't a goal.

i'm reading though the permit process in my area to see what i'm in for. at some point i'll probably look at building code.

i'm in san francisco.

sure i'll take the referral, thanks.

[BobK207]

My apologies.

What I meant by "lofty" .....

is that your theoretical understanding of the problem, budget, construction & design experience don't all match up with the successful creation of your studio.......

....... without a lot more study and preferably the help of an experienced designer and builder (could be the same guy)

I fully understand the theoretical underpinnings of the "mass, spring, mass" concept and have a lot of design & construction experience.

But I wouldn't take on my first studio design / build without some real experienced help.

I have a former student (now a structural engineer), an avid guitar enthusiast, years of design & construction plus he's designed & built a couple low cost studios.......unfortunately he now lives in AZ.

Email me privately & I give you his contact info (if you would like it).

He consults all over the southern US & comes to California quite often. If he cannot help you personally, I sure he would have additional leads.

cheers Bob