Garden studios and music rooms: keeping the sound in

Keeping sound in

• Mass: double layers of acoustic plasterboard or dense boards on walls and ceiling, and a heavy floor rather than light decking-style boards.
• Decoupling: resilient bars, acoustic clips, double-stud walls or an inner stud wall that doesn't touch the outer frame.
• Absorption: acoustic mineral wool in the wall and ceiling cavities. Ordinary insulation is not the same.
• Floating floor: on acoustic underlay, not fixed rigidly to the walls.
• Airtightness: seal every gap, socket box and service entry. Sound escapes through any air path, including trickle vents.
• Doors and windows: a solid door with good seals, and laminated glass in panes of different thicknesses. For loud music, consider two doors with a small lobby.

Sound inside the room

Once the sound is contained, treat the inside so it sounds good: acoustic panels on the walls, bass traps in the corners, and soft furnishings. Square rooms can sound boomy, so a rectangle usually works better.

Layout and size

A 4 × 3 m studio, drawn to scale:

• Keep doors and glazing on the side facing away from neighbours.
• Limit large glazing on the loudest side of the room.
• Keep some distance from boundaries where you can.

Planning and neighbours

A music room or studio for your own use is a use connected with enjoying your home, so it's covered by the garden room exemption if it meets the usual rules. Teaching or recording paying clients there is a business use that may need planning permission. Whatever the planning position, excessive noise can still lead to complaints, so build for the volume you'll actually play at.