[myraid]

Hello all-

I need your advice.

The contractors are at the stage where they have double-drywalled the room and have built a soffit around the HVAC unit as well as a matching soffit on the opposite side wall.

I am wondering if this space within the inside of the soffit should be insulated or should it just be left hollow? As well, the soffit around the HVAC unit has room where I could add more insulation around two sides of it. It has already been wrapped once with insulation so I am not too sure if this is overkill.

If you think pictures may help, please let me know and I will post some tonight on this link.

Thank you.

 

[eameres]

I think it's common practice to stuff the insides with insulation to act as bass absorbers rather than as a big drum. I did stuff mine.

 

[Sime]

I did not stuff my 7ft deep x 1ft high x 20ft long soffit and I have had no problems whatsoever with any kind of resonance, boom or rattle. I am running an Infiniti HPS-1000 (1000 w 15") sub.


If it helps you to know, I used steel studs in my theater, including the soffit, and single layer 1/2" drywall all around. Now, I am not saying that some residual sound from the theater doen't get to other parts of the house - mostly bass (that's not an issue for me), but at least there are no unwanted side affects such as boom or rattle.


I also expect that once I put up my acoustic treatments, the sound transfer will minimise and the room will also sound better too.


Cheers,

 

[myraid]

Thanks for your quick responses.

Hopefully I will get a few more recommendations before the end of the day. I will need to make a decision tonight on whether i need to make another trip to HD for more Roxul Safe'N'Sound.

 

[beatles1]

I stuffed all gaps with the Roxul Safe N Sound before the drywall went up, I figured - better be safe than sorry. Now when I crank the HT up I don't hear any resonance from the heating duct.


I don't know if it would have made any difference if I hadn't put the Roxul, but again it would be a pain in the @ss after the drywall was up if I was very dissapointed with the outcome if I didn't put the stuff in.

 

[chs4]

FWIW, my soffits will be stuffed with insulation per the advice of my theater designer. I've tried not to deviate from the plans too much and haven't been steered wrong yet.

 

[Frank D]

Fellow Torontonian you should fill all such spaces with insulation to reduce sound transferring to other rooms and also to avoid experiencing the drum effect. Much easier now than later. Roxul safe n sound is a very good choice.


Cheers

 

[myraid]

Thank you all for your responses once again.

I spent a few hours last night packing the soffits with insulation (3 bags of Roxul Safe'N'Sound), as well as other little crevices that I could find.

I must say after doing that, the 'clap' test produces less echo.

Thanks again.