How will these construction changes affect my acoustics?

[scooter]

I am trying to get a rough idea for how these changes will affect the acoustics of my room. My room is currently 15.5'W x 15'D. It is far from ideal! I am in the process of enclosing a 11' deep porch that is directly behind my media room. I am removing the sliding door in the back of the media room that will leave a 7.5' opening to the new room. I wish I could take down the entire wall but a lot of structural work would be needed to do that.

I know that nobody has an exact answer but will my room's acoustics start to take on the behavior of the larger space? I hope that I will get better bass response and cut down on all of the room nodes that I am experiencing now.

[NorthStar]

Yes, it will. ...All for the better.

[GaryProtein]

Can you cut out the rest of the wall and put support posts where the sides of the door are/were? All you will need is a couple of four foot long headers to support the area left and right of the doors. That isn't a big job, and you will have fully opened up the space and made a very good improvement. A room fully 26 feet long--not merely having a hole opening up part of it, would be excellent.

[Glenn Kuras]

Basically it will make it a larger room at that point. You may find though you need to treat the other room a bit. Hard to say though without actually testing the room.

[scooter]

I wish it were that easy to remove that wall. Trust me when I say its not and it would be significant engineering work to remove it.

[NorthStar]

Take all your time; just do it!

[scooter]

Its not a time thing... Its a cost thing. I could get a pretty nice set of Magicos for what it would cost to remove that leftover wall (if it could be done at all).

[NorthStar]

Leave that wall there; get them Magicos!

Then later on get a better job (better pay) and remove that wall.

[CPP]

For starters, I say get yourself a copy of the Room EQ Wizard REW which is free and a mic and measure your room. Then after your construction is finished, measure it. Then start moving stuff around, like chairs, adding rugs, pillows, drapes simple stuff. Then see what might be required, like acoustic treatment.

As they say, 'starting blind will waste your dime'. :scholar:

[Katoomer]

I wish it were that easy to remove that wall. Trust me when I say its not and it would be significant engineering work to remove it.
What does that wall support above it? It may not be as hard as you think to remove it. I'm a carpenter with a lifetime of experience.
A microlam and a couple of posts to support it.

[scooter]

What does that wall support above it? It may not be as hard as you think to remove it. I'm a carpenter with a lifetime of experience.
A microlam and a couple of posts to support it.
Lets just say that the structural engineer that designed the house strongly suggested against even thinking about removing the wall. I could buy a nice pair of Magicos for what it would cost to remove the little wall and meet code here.

[Katoomer]

Structural engineers always over design everything. They sure know how to spoil a guys fun.

[Glenn Kuras]

For starters, I say get yourself a copy of the Room EQ Wizard REW which is free and a mic and measure your room. Then after your construction is finished, measure it. Then start moving stuff around, like chairs, adding rugs, pillows, drapes simple stuff. Then see what might be required, like acoustic treatment.

As they say, 'starting blind will waste your dime'. :scholar:

+1.. Here is a video on how to set up REW.
Room EQ Wizard Tutorial - GIK Acoustics (http://www.gikacoustics.com/room-eq-wizard-tutorial/)

[scooter]

Construction never seems to end! Now the next question... To hardwood or not to hardwood. The room is built on slab and I can either float an engineered hardwood floor over a thin foam pad, glue down an engineered hardwood floor, or carpet the whole thing with a thick wool carpet and a rubber pad. I am worried that the wool carpet will make it too dead but on the flipside the hardwood will make it too alive and echo.

[sharkmouth]

If you go too far, as in the carpet is the straw that broke the camels back, you're stuck with it or you foot a massive bill for nothing. Hardwood floors or any such hard surface will add life but can be tamed quite easily by a rug of your choice. Both ways imo have some great attributes, for me, the sound is the final denominator. What furnishings are to be added, what acoustical room treatments etc would dictate for me what the floor will be. In my listening room I have laminate on a concrete pad & some rugs, under the first rug which is also the first reflection I have a ribbed rubber mat because the air under the rug traps the sound on both sides & tames the room better.