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concrete slab vs/ wood floor - pros and cons

Audiogoners, given the choice, with sound quality being a top priority, which choice is usually better?

I have been given the green light from my wife, bless her heart, to convert our stand-alone 1935-era garage into a dedicated music/theater room - woo hoo!! The fact that it's a separate structure will be ideal for playing loud movies whenever without bothering anyone in the house. The space is roughly 11.5 x 17' and I think it will make a terrific intimate theater. It's completely unfinished inside and has a sturdy stucco exterior. It's a very solid structure. However, the concrete floor has some large cracks lengthwise due to settling so it is pretty crowned in the middle. If I keep the concrete, I will need to build a floor over the slab and shim it quite a bit to level it out enough to install the underlayment. Headroom is limited as the walls are just over 7 feet, although the roofline peaks at just over 10' in the center, enough height to hang my projector.

If I removed the concrete, then I could dig down and build a normal floor over wood joists with a nice hollow space underneath. My house is built over a crawlspace with hardwood floors and I like the quality of bass and overall sound I get in our living room. The downside is that it would be more difficult to convert the garage back later to use for parking a car if we move. I was thinking it might be cool to design this type of floor and then have space below for insulation, wiring, etc. without sacrificing any height. Maybe the floor could even be designed as a sort of bass trap to help with the sound. Any thoughts? -thanks, -jz


john_z
bigbucks5
184 posts
 
How about just pouring a little more concrete over the top...sufficient to add about 1" to the high spots and level the low spots?

Then you don't need to go adding a shimmed subfloor, maybe just plywood over the top, if desired.
sid42
301 posts
 
Gs5556 has given you some good advice. I'd stay with the concrete floor; there are many products on the market for leveling your existing floor (Ardex feather-finish is one I've used alot, and is a great product). If you are'nt able to do this, then find a contractor who can. Then I would just go ahead and carpet/pad over the concrete. My sound room in my basement has this arrangement, and the sound is great.
The thought about later selling your home and needing to convert this room back to a garage should be a strong consideration to stay with the concrete.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
No problems with concrete slab. Concrete slab and brick walls can be a bit much (excessively boomy) but (wood frame with thin stucco layer) should leak out enough bass energy that is does not matter. You should put thick carpet with underlay to deaden the highs and you are on your way!
imin2u
392 posts
 
I live on a slab. The audio is MUCH better then any other floor I've been on. Keep the cement. Place a good wall-to-wall or hardwood floor over it. You will never be happier.
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
After 60 years, the slab ain't goin' anywhere, but it most certainly wasn't waterproofed underneath (not in those days.) So what you want to do is cover the existing slab w/ construction grade polyethelyne sheet, the a layer of 2x2 or chicken wire mesh propped up on 4x4 squares if 3/4" thk plywood or fir, then call the concrete truck and tell them you need 2,5 yards of lightweight concrete topping layer (2" over the highest existing spot) and to notify you when they have extra from a job they're finishing. If you and the garage are ready when they call, you'll make out like a bandit because they hate having to dump that stuff!
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