If you explore the archive garden music room buildings we have written about over the years. You will quickly realise that there are varying levels of ‘soundproofing’ on offer throughout the market. Some companies will add a layer of acoustic plasterboard to their standard specification, while other companies will go as far as creating a decoupled structure – a room within a room.
Recent Miniature Manors customers quickly realised that the soundproof qualities of garden studios varies greatly throughout the market. They were looking to create a soundproof rehearsal room for their teenagers who play the drums and saxophone. They wanted to create a place in the garden where they could practice without disturbing the neighbours.
The family visited several soundproof garden studios by different companies. Some companies have show sites of buildings while others will arrange for you to visit one of their past customers who has a similar building. They travelled all over the show and tested how sound leaked from the structure.
The family were dissatisfied with what they saw. They liked some of the designs which featured bi-fold doors, but with all this glass the escaping sound was too high. They then contacted Miniature Manors who took them to visit a soundproof studio they had built for a music teacher in Portsmouth.
The family liked the simple design, but more importantly, they liked how little sound escaped from the room when testing. It far surpassed any of the other buildings they had seen. They went on to commission the Miniature Manors team to design and build a 3.6m x 4.7m soundproof studio.
Decoupled structure
Miniature Manors designed-in several features which combine to create the best soundproof structure possible. Generally, while it is fashionable to incorporate lots of floor to ceiling glazing in a garden room, with a soundproof garden studio, you want to minimise the doors and windows as these leak sound.
A small opening window was fitted for light and ventilation. This has been glazed with acoustic glass. A single solid door has also been installed rather than a large set of sliding or bi-fold doors as these would leak sound badly. In fact, there are two doors in this building. The exterior door opens up to reveal a second door.
This second door leads into what is effectively a room built within the room. This technique of decoupling the structure of the building is the best way of reducing the passage of sound out of the building.
With decoupling two frameworks are built for the garden studio, one inside the other. The two frames are not connected hence the decoupling term, and this technique breaks the passage of the sound waves.
As well as thermal insulation which will make the building comfortable to use all year round, acoustic insulation has been fitted within the structure. This will further reduce the transmission of sound, as will the plasterboarded and skimmed interior finish.
Putting the soundproofing to the test
So, how well does this specification perform? Take a look at this video which includes the sound outside the building being tested.
Miniature Manor’s client is justifiably pleased with their new rehearsal room:
Having spent many months searching for a soundproof garden room to accommodate our son’s drums and daughter’s saxophone playing we were relieved to find a company that could actually show us one they had built and we could hear how effective it was at reducing the sound. Richard and his team have been a pleasure to have around during the build – they were very professional, prompt, clean and tidy. Our resulting garden room is lovely to look at but more importantly for us and for our neighbours, very effective at blocking the music. Richard shows an impressive attention to detail and care and pride in his workmanship.
Miniature Manors Client
Learn more about creating a soundproof garden studio
Call the Miniature Manors team on 01403 610 619
