Garage Listing room

Nice! Glad to hear your are making progress and improvements 👍🏼

Use 5/8" sheetrock, it blocks like twice the sound of 1/2" for almost no additional cost.

That just isn’t true, sorry.

An STC (sound transmission) rating for a ’standard’ wall with 1/2" drywall on both sides is about a 33 STC rating, an insulated wall with *two layers* of 1/2" drywall *on both sides* is about 44, a wall with 5/8" on one side and *two* 5/8" layers on the opposite is about 55. We still have not achieved ’twice’ the stc rating, and we are well beyond what an existing 1/2" on the existing interior wall, and a new 5/8" layer on the garage would achieve, but it wouldn’t be as effective as two layers of 1/2" on both sides, an increase of only 11 STC points.

Can you achieve twice a standard 2x4 with 1/2" drywall 33 STC rating? Yep, you can get to 50-60, but not with a single layer of 5/8". Would it help? Yep, but not in reducing the transmission by 1/2.

that is because when you build it you will notice about half the sound getting through

And once again MC, that simply isn’t true. You might believe it to be true, but the numbers arrived via testing of the assembly’s don’t agree with you. It is not ’snotty’ to have an understanding of these numbers/construction assemblies. I’m in the architectural design biz, by code I must adhere to them at times, for wall separations of apartments as example (along with fire separation ratings). That is part of my job responsibility. And these various assembly’s are documented and tested (in a strict testing facility) so that they can be referenced to in conforming to various STC code requirements as necessary with the governing building authorities.

Just stating facts MC.

I love Frank Lloyd. He was one of the best. As you noted, Falling Waters needed millions to restore and reinforce its structure, or else it would have literally fallen apart and into the river below it. Same thing happened to one of his houses here in the Cleveland area. I knew personally the Architect (now deceased) who’s job was to save that one too. Interesting fact, in most municipalities back then, obtaining building permits and the review of structural and the overall integrity of residential homes was almost non-existent. Not so today. Much more is required from permitting and conformance.

Yes, it is interesting that fire rated walls and STC conforming walls actually combine in doing the same but different jobs. For example, it would also be more wise to use Type X Drywall for sound, as it is more dense. Why? Because Type X is a fire rated drywall/ gypsum board. But it can benefit sound separation as well.

When I said 5/8" cuts sound in half compared to 1/2", that is correct. In fact, it is conservative.

No it isn’t. It is absolutely false, and there have been tests to confirm it is false. And STC ratings are absolutely related to the db's that will be created, mitigated, etc.

@hiend2 You can do as you wish, but please do not believe the false claims MC keeps making. You have other issues, and drywall is only one.

Sure you can make your garage into a listening room, but based on where you live, and the various code requirements to make your garage a habitable space, legally, should be brought up with an Architect or a qualified builder to help guide you. or, perhaps you want to maintain it as a ’non habital’ garage that you will simply listen to music in, and whenever you move, it’s just a garage again. If the former, design and permitting will be required for a variety of code issue vs a ’garage bay’. To many details to consider and explain within a forum post.

@arch2 

Since you will still be using the space as your garage and/or shop you may consider putting some drywall at selected locations on the walls to help reduce the amount of absorption in the space. 

I was thinking the exact same thing. Perhaps 2' drywall strips (spaced 2' apart), and add more as necessary. Yep, needs reflection.

I would also consider plywood or OSB, but as you say, it's still costing a fortune compared to gyp board.