Table of Contents
The Goal
This homeowner wanted to play guitar as loud as they wanted, whenever they wanted, without the neighbours hearing a thing. The space was a single brick garage in a built-up residential area, which sounds straightforward but comes with its own set of challenges.
A brick garage is actually a great starting point for a music studio. The mass is already in the walls. But the roof, the floor, the ventilation, and the doors all need serious attention to bring the whole space up to the same standard. Miss any one of them and it becomes the weakest point, and the noise will find it.
This is an overview of what Quietco did, why each area mattered, and what the result sounded like at full amp volume. For the full step by step detail, watch the video at the bottom of this page or visit Quietco’s studio soundproofing page.
Why the Roof Comes First
Most people focus on the walls when they think about soundproofing a studio. The roof is actually the most important element in a garage conversion and the one most commonly underestimated.
The existing roof had far less mass and isolation than the double brick walls. Until it was brought up to the same acoustic spec, the roof would always be the path of least resistance for sound to escape. The approach Quietco used here involved multiple decoupled layers working together, not just adding thickness. The difference that makes is significant and it is one of those things that is hard to appreciate until you hear the before and after.
One important thing to check before starting any studio roof project is whether you have a warm roof or a cold roof system. Getting this wrong can cause serious condensation problems further down the line. Learn more about the difference here before touching any insulation.
The Walls
Because the garage was double brick, the walls were already doing a lot of the work. The focus here was on decoupling the finished wall surface from the structure so that vibration from the amplifier and instruments could not travel directly into the brickwork and out the other side.
The walls also went off square and level, which ruled out certain approaches and required a tailored solution to get the best result in the available space. This is one of the reasons a studio build benefits from an experienced team. What looks straightforward on paper often requires on-site problem solving that no off-the-shelf system accounts for. More on wall soundproofing here.
Not sure what your garage walls would need? Fill out the contact form to book your FREE noise diagnosis call and Jim will advise on the right approach for your build.
The Floating Floor
The floating floor is the last thing that goes into a studio build, not the first. This surprises a lot of people but the reasoning is straightforward: if the floor goes in before the walls are finished, the walls end up connected to it and every impact from the kit or amp vibrates straight through that connection and into the concrete slab.
Getting the sequencing right on a studio build is just as important as getting the materials right. The floor in this project was designed specifically to absorb the energy from amplifiers and subwoofers before it could reach the structure below. More on floor soundproofing here.
Ventilation
An airtight soundproofed room needs ventilation. Without it, the space becomes uncomfortable within around 40 minutes and potentially unsafe over a longer playing session as CO2 builds up.
The ventilation system on this project was designed so that fresh air could enter and stale air could leave without creating a clear acoustic path for sound to escape through. It is one of those elements that gets overlooked until it is too late, and retrofitting it after the room is finished is far more disruptive than planning it in from the start.
Doors
The door is consistently one of the weakest points in any studio. A standard door, even a heavy one, lets through far more sound than most people expect.
On this project a double door system was used, with both doors treated on the studio-facing side. The air gap between the two doors plays a big role in the result. Sound absorption between the doors is also essential. Leave that space empty and it becomes an echo chamber that works against you. The approach taken here achieves results comparable to purpose-built acoustic doors at significantly less cost.
Sound Absorption
Soundproofing is about stopping noise leaving the room. Sound absorption is about controlling what happens to the noise inside it. Both matter and neither replaces the other.
Once the studio was complete, absorption panels were installed to the ceiling as standard. The walls were left for the homeowner to customise depending on how they wanted the room to sound. Guitarists and vocalists tend to prefer a slightly livelier acoustic environment than drummers, and the right balance is different for every player and every space. Visit Quietco’s studio soundproofing page to see more examples of completed builds.
The Result and What It Costs
Watch the full installation and hear the guitar test at full amp volume here:
With the guitar running through a full amp stack at high volume, the reduction outside the garage was clear and significant. The space loss to achieve this was 95mm to the walls and around 200mm to the ceiling, which for a single garage is well within a workable range.
A full professional installation like this one, including all structural work, doors, carpentry, air conditioning, and decoration, came in at £35,000 to £40,000 at the time of filming. For a builder or experienced DIYer, the soundproof studio course covers the methodology in full.
Ready to talk through what your studio project would involve? Fill out the contact form to book your FREE noise diagnosis call and Jim will help you plan the right approach for your space.
FAQ
Can a brick garage be converted into a soundproof music studio?
Yes, and a brick garage is actually one of the better starting points for a studio build because the wall mass is already there. The main investment goes into the roof, floor, ventilation, and doors, which all need careful treatment to match the performance of the walls.
Is a professional installation necessary for a guitar studio?
It depends on your experience level and the complexity of the space. A garage that goes off square and level, has an existing roof system that needs careful treatment, and requires bespoke door solutions is a challenging project. Quietco offers both professional installations and consultations for those taking the DIY route.
What is the difference between soundproofing and sound absorption?
Soundproofing stops noise leaving or entering a room. Sound absorption controls the acoustic environment inside it, reducing echo and reverberation. A good studio needs both. Soundproofing without absorption can leave a room sounding harsh and uncomfortable to play in.
How much space do you lose when soundproofing a garage studio?
On this project the space loss was around 95mm to each wall and 200mm to the ceiling. For a single UK garage that is manageable, though it does need to be factored into the layout planning from the start.
Can this type of installation work for acoustic drums?
For electric guitar and amplified instruments, the decoupled system used here works very well. For acoustic drums, the low frequency impact noise requires a higher level of isolation and a full floating room within a room is strongly recommended.
