Baffle wall with built-in speakers in the basement, stud wall or lightweight concrete?
I am in the process of building a home theater room in a basement. The idea is to build a thin (about 10-15 cm deep) baffle wall for recessed speakers.
The house is from 1950, but the basement floor has been newly cast with insulation and underfloor heating. Before this was done, there were some issues with moisture through the floor, but there haven't been any since the renovation.
The wall behind the baffle wall is an interior wall, without any moisture problems.
My consideration is whether I should build the baffle wall in the "usual" way. That is, framing and drywalling. (The recommendation I've received from home theater experts is two layers of drywall and an outer layer of MDF). Or if I should continue to avoid organic materials as much as possible and instead build a wall in lightweight concrete, like with the multiplattan (https://www.hplush.se/h-h-multiplattan). Something that I have no experience with, so no idea how easy/difficult it will be.
I was thinking, whether I build with studs and drywall or lightweight concrete, to place a seal between the floor and wall construction just to be safe.
Anyone have any opinions/thoughts?
Thanks!
The house is from 1950, but the basement floor has been newly cast with insulation and underfloor heating. Before this was done, there were some issues with moisture through the floor, but there haven't been any since the renovation.
The wall behind the baffle wall is an interior wall, without any moisture problems.
My consideration is whether I should build the baffle wall in the "usual" way. That is, framing and drywalling. (The recommendation I've received from home theater experts is two layers of drywall and an outer layer of MDF). Or if I should continue to avoid organic materials as much as possible and instead build a wall in lightweight concrete, like with the multiplattan (https://www.hplush.se/h-h-multiplattan). Something that I have no experience with, so no idea how easy/difficult it will be.
I was thinking, whether I build with studs and drywall or lightweight concrete, to place a seal between the floor and wall construction just to be safe.
Anyone have any opinions/thoughts?
Thanks!
If you're afraid of moisture, you can build a base of lecablock at the bottom. Then construct a framed wall on top of that with sill paper in between, etc.
It is significantly easier to router cut holes for speakers in MDF than to do it in any form of concrete.
Have you calculated the speaker construction with elements/volume/tuning, etc., or are you just going to approximate something?
Gypsum is mostly to make the construction less resonant. You can also solve this with internal braces. In that case, you build a framework that is preferably bolted to the wall at the back, then it’s enough to clad the front in MDF, 19 or 22mm. I think it would be better, actually
That is, studs both at the back and front, with noggings in between.
It is significantly easier to router cut holes for speakers in MDF than to do it in any form of concrete.
Have you calculated the speaker construction with elements/volume/tuning, etc., or are you just going to approximate something?
Gypsum is mostly to make the construction less resonant. You can also solve this with internal braces. In that case, you build a framework that is preferably bolted to the wall at the back, then it’s enough to clad the front in MDF, 19 or 22mm. I think it would be better, actually
That is, studs both at the back and front, with noggings in between.
Well, a footing of leca might not be a bad idea.
Then I'm a bit keen to try with aerated concrete, since I haven't worked with it before, but I'm afraid it will take me 100 times longer and cause a lot of swearing.
The speakers are a closed construction, so there should just be adequately sized "holes" in the wall to place them there. If I go with aerated concrete, it's more about building an opening for them; the wall itself won't be a speaker cabinet (as I think you assumed?)
Picture of the speakers to be embedded:
So the whole wall only needs to be about 15 cm thick (from the front edge of the MDF to the old wall). So for example, 95-stud + 2 gypsum x13mm + 1 MDF. Do you think your framework suggestion would be better anyway?
Then I'm a bit keen to try with aerated concrete, since I haven't worked with it before, but I'm afraid it will take me 100 times longer and cause a lot of swearing.
The speakers are a closed construction, so there should just be adequately sized "holes" in the wall to place them there. If I go with aerated concrete, it's more about building an opening for them; the wall itself won't be a speaker cabinet (as I think you assumed?)
Picture of the speakers to be embedded:
So the whole wall only needs to be about 15 cm thick (from the front edge of the MDF to the old wall). So for example, 95-stud + 2 gypsum x13mm + 1 MDF. Do you think your framework suggestion would be better anyway?
I had placed them with foam between the speakers and the wall to "decouple" them. Then ignored mdf. Single layer of plasterboard - only. There's no reason to make a super-stiff baffle if you're not going to attach the speakers to it... mechanically, that is.
Instead, set a rule to "stand" them on.
Instead, set a rule to "stand" them on.