Temporary wall ideas. Trying to create an enclosed room in rental house.

[gatestick]

I am wanting to create 2 walls to enclose my theater room without constructing things to the actual home. This needs to be removable without noticable damage to the existing space. I don't see myself moving any time soon, but you never know. I wondered about heavy curtains with a lattice structure to support them.

The rear of my theater space is the staging area for all projects or sale item storage. This back wall changes all the time. This affects the sound in the theater greatly. Sometimes it's much better (diffusion is my thought). Most times it's worse. Currently the back wall is empty and things sound thin and peaky. My thoughts are to create a wall of curtains directly behind the rear surround speakers. This would allow me to have a uniform surface that doesn't change monthly. We could still use the space behind the curtain for staging sale items and whatnot. I would then make a second curtain wall to enclose the theater area. It's open to the entire basement. That's a lot to pressurize. I realize the curtain won't stop bass from traveling, I'm just trying to make a makeshift room hoping for better acoustics. Or at least more consistent acoustics.

I can provide pictures, but I was hoping to get general ideas with pro's and con's of the different materials mentioned. I'm not looking for things that will only work for my situation. I can't imagine I am the only person who would like to create a room without constructing walls. Then again, maybe I am. Any and all recommendations appreciated.

 

[Chris A]

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https://diyversify.com/blogs/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-temporary-walls

https://homeguide.com/costs/cost-to-frame-a-wall

I don't believe that curtains will acoustically do what you intend to have functionally. Hard surfaces that can be constructed and then removed without marking existing structure is probably what you're looking at. Think about making temporary walls that can be taken apart in sections (vertically or horizontally).

Chris

 

[ddude003]

You might consider free standing gobos like this... https://www.gikacoustics.com/product/freestand-acoustic-panel-gobo/...

Or a asian style bamboo & rice paper shoji partition... https://www.roomdividers.com/materials-rice-paper.html...

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

I framed out my screen wall directly in front of the actual wall in the room. It's essentially a 2x4 across the ceiling, held in place with 3 screws into the joists of the ceiling. From there, I placed another 2x4 on the floor below from side wall to side wall. The vertical 2x4s are screwed into those two 2x4s and it's all held in place by the 3 screws in the ceiling and the pressure against the floor. You could do something like this and only have to putty in a few screw holes, maybe touch up paint.

Then drywall the back side of it where your staging area is - doesn't have to be pretty or fully mud+taped unless you want it to be, fill the theater side with standard unfaced insulation and then close that side off with an acoustically transparent layer of fabric. This would give you absorption and if you decide it's too much, simply remove some insulation, or add some drywall scraps in areas attached to the 2x4s and behind the fabric.

 

[gatestick]

Thanks everyone for the ideas.

 

[gatestick]

Update. I hung curtains with a heavy lined back. Goodwill special. I will make some diffusion/absorption panels to hang or floor stand. The curtains were enough to fool Audssey. Things sound much better now. Looks ugly as heck but I know it will work.

 

[gatestick]

I made these diffusion/absorption panels today. I will cover them with some fabric at some point. My work around is functioning. I know this all looks terrible. Just testing before I build the real thing with actual money.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Neat idea for testing. If it works, you might just cover it and use it.

 

[gatestick]

That's the plan. They work well (for the cost). If I keep with the ultra cheap idea, I think landscaping fabric would work. 48 of those 1 foot square panels were about $80.00. I had some rockwool left over from another project. I'll need more of that. Each DIY box diffusion/absorption pannel costs $20-$25. to build. If we do some more vehicle radiators or air conditioning condensers at work, I will have more boxes to use. I hate to wish bad luck for other people's cars, but I need more boxes.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

I would say that sonically, 99% of the effect you're getting is from the boxes filled with insulation. Those black foam squares don't do much of anything, and what they do affect is a very narrow frequency range. You could very well skip those, save a few bucks, and never hear a difference.

Landscape fabric has played a role in every iteration of both my theaters.

 

[gatestick]

I would say that sonically, 99% of the effect you're getting is from the boxes filled with insulation. Those black foam squares don't do much of anything, and what they do affect is a very narrow frequency range. You could very well skip those, save a few bucks, and never hear a difference.

Landscape fabric has played a role in every iteration of both my theaters.

I finally finished the temporary wall. I didn't count the number of boxes but it's a lot. Floor to ceiling for the entire rear area of the theater area. Many things have changed since I started this. New processor screen and speakers front and rear. With the clap test and memory of the beginning the hang time of the clap seems reduced by 1/2 or more.

Added benefit. The wife sees the room as a dedicated space now. She has quit putting random stuff in the room. The picture shows a lot of crap on the pool table. This will be cleaned up eventually.

I don't understand how to read the RT60 graph. My room has never sounded this good before.

I'm looking for inexpensive diffusers to hang in the ceiling and walls for first reflection points. Any suggestions? 1 will be on top of a bookshelf with carpet wall behind it. The other first reflection point is on a door to the utility room.

 

[ddude003]

You might look into Duvetyne Fabric, Commando Cloth, CAB and Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) for other ways to reduce/absorb room reflections...

It would be helpful if you would remind us what your room dimensions are...

RT60 Graph

 

[gatestick]

You might look into Duvetyne Fabric, Commando Cloth, CAB and Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) for other ways to reduce/absorb room reflections...

It would be helpful if you would remind us what your room dimensions are...

RT60 Graph

20 feet wide. (permanent walls) And 20 feet deep to the false wall, with an additional 6.5 feet behind the false wall. 7 feet 2 inches tall. Open to the rest of the basement. I'm including a very crude drawing of the basement layout. Yes I have terrible handwriting. (Sorry)

 

[ddude003]

For acoustic measurement purposes, a room with dimensions of 20 ft by 20 ft by 7 ft is generally considered a "small room". In acoustic terminology, "small" refers to rooms where low-frequency sound behavior is dominated by distinct room modes (standing waves), rather than a statistically random, diffuse sound field found in large concert halls.

Therefor you should be looking at the T30 measurement of the graph... 400ms to 700ms would be a good range for HT / stereo listening and a little tighter (300ms to 600ms) for better vocals in a mostly HT environment... Although it is really about what sounds best for you and your personal taste...