Tips for DIY room treatment

Love4sound

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Dear Fm’s

I need guidance on treating my front stage for SBIR issues. Please find the images below my LCR are installed closed to a 65 inch tv below a slab. The highlighted part is where I can install 2-3 inches panels. Behind the tv also there is a 4-5 inches gap so I can install 2-3 inches panels. And also I want to install something on the bottom part of the slab as highlighted. Please advise what will be effective for SBIR. I don’t think regular foam panel is going to help
 

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Dear Fm’s

For months I have been planning for room treatment. Was discussing with various professionals and dealers for months. Mine is just a 110 sqft room and the quote I am getting is 60k-1L which is not affordable to me. So for weeks I have been looking in the DIY section in hifivision and other forums which made me realise that if i buy the materials directly from distributors and hire a carpenter it will cost much less. I got quote of 8800 for a single 1.8x6 feet panel. I think with a carpenter I can make 6-8 panels at that cost. I need some tips on the products and accessories to be used. I will be getting wooden pallet stripes or plywood for making the frame. Needless to say I will be buying rockwool. Now what are the safe and efficient accessories I need for installing the panels in the ceiling. I have a slab on top of the TV and planning to install two 1.5x3 panels which will be hanging above the TV. So all suggestions and ideas are welcome. So below is the list of products I will be shopping but missed few items required to complete the panel. Please add your suggestions on the accessories for mounting and the products required for making the panels

1.Rockwool
2.Wooden pallet stripes or plywood
3.Aluminium L shaped frame for corner bass traps
 
@ mods please merge this thread with the below

 
Hi @Love4sound

I had gone DIY route too, and trust me it is super cheap. Overall build costed less than 7k for 6 panels.
- 3.6k for 100 dense roxul rockwool
- 1.6k Muslin breathable fabric
- 2-3k for the frame by the carpenter, i did have some materials lying at home.

Would suggest go step by step don't load the room with too many room absorbing materials, it can sound dead. You may not be able to sit in a quite room.
Build few absorbing panels first and then go for bass traps.

The roxul comes in at 2inchs thickness, try to build a frame with air gap of 1 inch or more. For the fabric you can go with any breathable fabric of your choice.
One pro tip, when wrapping frames with fabric make sure the corners are smoothened out else they tear the fabric

You can check my thread out.
 
Hi @Love4sound

I had gone DIY route too, and trust me it is super cheap. Overall build costed less than 7k for 6 panels.
- 3.6k for 100 dense roxul rockwool
- 1.6k Muslin breathable fabric
- 2-3k for the frame by the carpenter, i did have some materials lying at home.

You can check my thread out.
Thanks. 3.6k for how many panels and also the dimensions please. And for frame you used plywood? Before wrapping the frame with the final layer did you wrap to seal the rockwool?
 
Thanks. 3.6k for how many panels and also the dimensions please. And for frame you used plywood? Before wrapping the frame with the final layer did you wrap to seal the rockwool?

3.6k for 6 panels from auralexchange - 100kgm

https://www.auralexchange.com/product/roxul-rockwool-safe-n-silent-pro-acoustic-insulation-boards/

Used plywood for frame. Covered only the back part with a cloth which I had laying at home. It can be anything, you can get cheapest of cheapest cloth.

I used muslin only on the front part, it is very breathable but too thin. Better not cover too much as they wouldn't absorb and rather would reflect :p

This is how my front looks now.
20210902_214403_resize_28.jpg
 
Dear Fm’s

For months I have been planning for room treatment. Was discussing with various professionals and dealers for months. Mine is just a 110 sqft room and the quote I am getting is 60k-1L which is not affordable to me. So for weeks I have been looking in the DIY section in hifivision and other forums which made me realise that if i buy the materials directly from distributors and hire a carpenter it will cost much less. I got quote of 8800 for a single 1.8x6 feet panel. I think with a carpenter I can make 6-8 panels at that cost. I need some tips on the products and accessories to be used. I will be getting wooden pallet stripes or plywood for making the frame. Needless to say I will be buying rockwool. Now what are the safe and efficient accessories I need for installing the panels in the ceiling. I have a slab on top of the TV and planning to install two 1.5x3 panels which will be hanging above the TV. So all suggestions and ideas are welcome. So below is the list of products I will be shopping but missed few items required to complete the panel. Please add your suggestions on the accessories for mounting and the products required for making the panels

1.Rockwool
2.Wooden pallet stripes or plywood
3.Aluminium L shaped frame for corner bass traps
Hi L4S,
A novice myself and looking to achieve the same treatment requirements as you in my room while I proof it.
Have a few doubts:
1. Will you be fastening them to the walls? Or do you want them to be detachable?
2. What material are you looking at for the final (room-facing) layer - fabric or something harder?
3. Any advantages in choosing aluminum frames over wood for the bass trap frame?
Regards
 
Ok I am aware of aural exchange as the foam panels I have installed where purchased from them. I still believe we can get it for much lesser cost then 3.6k from distributors directly. Also if I am going for corner bass traps I will be needing a lot more then one box.
Hi L4S,
A novice myself and looking to achieve the same treatment requirements as you in my room while I proof it.
Have a few doubts:
1. Will you be fastening them to the walls? Or do you want them to be detachable?
2. What material are you looking at for the final (room-facing) layer - fabric or something harder?
3. Any advantages in choosing aluminum frames over wood for the bass trap frame?
Regards
I myself wondering what to do and how to do the room correction correctly. Just going blindly seeing other fm threads. I followed the method below for corner bass traps. Now that you have mentioned why not wood I am thinking to use wood and make a corner bass trap in box shape instead of triangle as seen in the below thread. I will be hanging panels in the first point reflections. Also going to install few behind the tv and above to control SBIR.

 
Ok I am aware of aural exchange as the foam panels I have installed where purchased from them. I still believe we can get it for much lesser cost then 3.6k from distributors directly. Also if I am going for corner bass traps I will be needing a lot more then one box.

I myself wondering what to do and how to do the room correction correctly. Just going blindly seeing other fm threads. I followed the method below for corner bass traps. Now that you have mentioned why not wood I am thinking to use wood and make a corner bass trap in box shape instead of triangle as seen in the below thread. I will be hanging panels in the first point reflections. Also going to install few behind the tv and above to control SBIR.

Sounds good.
My only doubt is about aluminum frames for bass traps, and whether it will absorb LFs enough or end up merely reflecting them. That's why I asked if wood would not be a better frame.

Shape also, I have seen some mass market cylindrical corner traps being popular in other forums/acoustic sites.
I'd suggest reading up a bit more on the pros and cons of triangle vs square vs cylinder... depending on your space... (Have myself not gone too much into this in my reading)

Wishing you the best in the endeavour.
Will be keenly watching the thread to cull more tips... :D
 
Aluminium will ring more than wood IME.

A good test is to clap your hands loudly in a quiet room and listen for echo.
Sounds good.
My only doubt is about aluminum frames for bass traps, and whether it will absorb LFs enough or end up merely reflecting them. That's why I asked if wood would not be a better frame.

Shape also, I have seen some mass market cylindrical corner traps being popular in other forums/acoustic sites.
I'd suggest reading up a bit more on the pros and cons of triangle vs square vs cylinder... depending on your space... (Have myself not gone too much into this in my reading)

Wishing you the best in the endeavour.
Will be keenly watching the thread to cull more tips... :D
I have tried clapping and yes there is mild echoes.These images are from the other thread. I thought i will try these corner bass traps. For panels I am going wood and not aluminium. Now I am also thinking of using wood and making corner bass trap in square shape.
 

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Ideally you want a wood frame or something inert, also it is preferable to make the corner "rounded" as in concave so that your edge is neither pointed or flat but a curve. These details matter more as you go up in SPL.
 
Ideally you want a wood frame or something inert, also it is preferable to make the corner "rounded" as in concave so that your edge is neither pointed or flat but a curve. These details matter more as you go up in SPL.
Will be very difficult to find a carpenter skilled enough to make rounded corner bass trap. Triangular and square should be easy for any carpenter. I am making 5 corner bass traps with each being 3.5 feet tall. Will stack one over the other making it a 7 feet tall corner bass trap which will be installed in the front right and rear right corner of the room. Left front corner I can’t since there is a door and rear left corner I can only keep a 3.5 feet bass trap in the bottom
 
While more would be bettter, we must work within practical constraints. Try to make it floor to ceiling and concave if at all possible.
 
Will be very difficult to find a carpenter skilled enough to make rounded corner bass trap. Triangular and square should be easy for any carpenter. I am making 5 corner bass traps with each being 3.5 feet tall. Will stack one over the other making it a 7 feet tall corner bass trap which will be installed in the front right and rear right corner of the room. Left front corner I can’t since there is a door and rear left corner I can only keep a 3.5 feet bass trap in the bottom
Hi L4S:
Please pardon my questions if they are stupid/intrusive.

1. Wouldn't floor-to-ceiling traps tackle LF issues better? From limited experience, while the meeting points of two walls are as such horrible places, the meeting points of walls+floor and walls+ceiling are the bigger culprits, IMO. (I may be totally wrong, though)

2. Again, this point also comes not from practical/technical knowledge, so take it with a shovel of salt. Putting it out here nonetheless:
The carpentry issue could be solved by having a circular wooden base and top board, with four equally spaced wooden frames running up the diameter, filled with a proper cut of the stuffing.

Just a thought. Throwing all this out there, especially since you have not started on final dimensions...
Regards
 
While more would be bettter, we must work within practical constraints. Try to make it floor to ceiling and concave if at all possible.
Hi L4S:
Please pardon my questions if they are stupid/intrusive.

1. Wouldn't floor-to-ceiling traps tackle LF issues better? From limited experience, while the meeting points of two walls are as such horrible places, the meeting points of walls+floor and walls+ceiling are the bigger culprits, IMO. (I may be totally wrong, though)
Both front and rear right have slab in between the floor and the ceiling. So from floor to slab it’s about 7 feet and hence I am planning for corner bass traps of 3.5 feet tall which I can stack one another and make it floor to slab bass traps. Front left has the main door and rear left has surround speakers so no option for bass traps in the left. For more understanding I’ll share image

1st image Front right
2nd Rear right
3rd rear left
DFF33D4C-7FFB-4A21-8999-361D62003BBC.jpeg210C946F-8E09-4A8E-B657-C478DD97A494.jpegFEA6E690-BEA2-4260-8DFF-4222FD9CE893.jpeg
 
Both front and rear right have slab in between the floor and the ceiling. So from floor to slab it’s about 7 feet and hence I am planning for corner bass traps of 3.5 feet tall which I can stack one another and make it floor to slab bass traps. Front left has the main door and rear left has surround speakers so no option for bass traps in the left. For more understanding I’ll share image

1st image Front right
2nd Rear right
3rd rear left
View attachment 63562View attachment 63564View attachment 63565
This gives a much better idea, bro.
Now I understand there is not much options to do proper floor to ceiling traps. Got it.
I don't know if you have tried these before, but just one last punt - if you don't mind; cos, again, no expert, but just saying - before you invest in material:
1. Thick, absorbent drapes for all the bare windows.
2. I think the panels on the rear wall (pic 3: '3rd rear left') should have already given you good results. If so, try thick drapes in front of the almirah also (or similar panels on the almirah doors).
3. Are your left rear and right rear aligned? If at all possible, can you align them to match and toe them in a bit towards MLP? This should help *a little bit, after* you have covered the bureau with a thick drape.

Try these and run audyssey once before you finally decide on treatment?
Regards
 
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The spaces in the slabs that has some stuff but other wise empty (seems to be), would it be possible to fill them up with rockwool? This is what I'd do if it were my room and the slabs could not be removed.
 
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