Tom and son completed the texturing and painting of the soundproof wall on Wednesday. It looks beautiful now. Though I think perhaps the texturing at the rounded edge is a bit much, could be smoother. But it is top quality workmanship for sure.
I noticed the missing outlet and light switch covers as they were leaving, and they fixed that. I didn't notice the missing trim...but that was part of the deal last week. They cut the price by taking off the re-trimming, since I'm going to be doing the trim when I do the hallway floor in the next month.
Tom agreed to do the new doors after I get them next month. He did say "they will be in your garage." It does seem like he doesn't like to pick things up.
I'm planning to order one of the two hallway doors from Jeld-Wen through their dealter Allen & Allen who is likely better prepared for custom orders than Home Depot or Lowes. I originally thought A&A was a door dealer who might even install the door normally. But it turns out they are a high end home center where you (and contractors) buy stuff, not unlike Home Depot in function, but carrying the good stuff, often made in USA.
Along with the hallway door to the Queen's room, I will order a solid core bifold closet door. The hall door should be solid core and 60 minute fire rated to get the top Jeld-Wen STC rating. It would be nice, also, if I could get it with seals as if it were an exterior door. But I will get the solid core interior in any case. It will not have sweep or threshold. The door bottom gap is the one deliberate concession to allowing the occupant to hear outside (and not feel shut in) and hear her own pets when outside the room. OK, it's also required because it would be extremely difficult and expensive to add the HVAC return to do otherwise. My friend who plans to live in the Queen's Room (though date uncertain, it could be years away) says she doesn't need soundproofing (and didn't want me to spend money on it); because she has one bad ear she can always roll over in bed to muffle the sound. But I believe sound control is one of the most important aspects of home design, especially for audio nuts like me hoping to live with someone else, so I am doing the sound control anyway. But knowing her preference, I'm also more comfortable with not making it 100% for her room. What I've already done, with the soundproof wall, eliminates the worst aspect of the Queen's Room acoustic, a booming and rattling bass in the room when I play the living room stereo at moderate levels. The soundproof wall is on the axis of both 1000 watt subwoofers and right at a hugely modal room corner if you consider the entry way and hall to be an extension of the living room (sound waves don't know the difference). What leaks through the existing hallway door now is much less unpleasant. The level of bass is already 18dB down.
As for the King's room, however, it is a suite unto itself and needs no microphone to the front (excepting the future wireless multiport intercom camera system). So it will get the real soundproof door, with door sweep but no threshold (I don't like the idea of walking over threshold constantly in bare feet). My friend has dog and cat and works different hours. With soundproof door, I am hoping, we can live together in greater harmony as I can sleep through the process of her getting up and going to work, and animals whining afterwards. I really hope so anyway.
I continue to like the 230 pound Isodoor from Sound Isolation Store because it has good performance AND is otherwise just like an ordinary wood door. Sound blocking doors from other companies are thicker, heavier, and more like industrial doors which have been prettified slightly with wood covering to cover the metal. And they are heavier and may assume 2x6 or staggered stud framing. On the other hand, these other doors do have higher soundproofing ratings. But I want my home to be a well conceived luxury home, not an industrial facility. And I worry that these other doors in addition to costing more will cost much more to install.
I'm finding that while I can control my new patio light with the X10 control module in the kitchen, it is not operable by the X10 timer and macro module in the lab. Also, with the new Insteon switch right next to the kitchen X10 light switch for the kitchen, the X10 switch can no longer be controlled by the X10 timer either. I have ordered an Insteon home control module. Unlike the old X10 unit, it does not hook to computer through serial or USB port. Instead, it connects to Ethernet, and can be controlled by any computer on the LAN, and by mobile phones. This unit will be placed in the kitchen itself. I'm now hoping that from that vantage point, it will be able to control both the X10 and the Insteon switch in the kitchen. I may need to replace the X10 dimmer switch with an insteon equivalent.
I noticed the missing outlet and light switch covers as they were leaving, and they fixed that. I didn't notice the missing trim...but that was part of the deal last week. They cut the price by taking off the re-trimming, since I'm going to be doing the trim when I do the hallway floor in the next month.
Tom agreed to do the new doors after I get them next month. He did say "they will be in your garage." It does seem like he doesn't like to pick things up.
I'm planning to order one of the two hallway doors from Jeld-Wen through their dealter Allen & Allen who is likely better prepared for custom orders than Home Depot or Lowes. I originally thought A&A was a door dealer who might even install the door normally. But it turns out they are a high end home center where you (and contractors) buy stuff, not unlike Home Depot in function, but carrying the good stuff, often made in USA.
Along with the hallway door to the Queen's room, I will order a solid core bifold closet door. The hall door should be solid core and 60 minute fire rated to get the top Jeld-Wen STC rating. It would be nice, also, if I could get it with seals as if it were an exterior door. But I will get the solid core interior in any case. It will not have sweep or threshold. The door bottom gap is the one deliberate concession to allowing the occupant to hear outside (and not feel shut in) and hear her own pets when outside the room. OK, it's also required because it would be extremely difficult and expensive to add the HVAC return to do otherwise. My friend who plans to live in the Queen's Room (though date uncertain, it could be years away) says she doesn't need soundproofing (and didn't want me to spend money on it); because she has one bad ear she can always roll over in bed to muffle the sound. But I believe sound control is one of the most important aspects of home design, especially for audio nuts like me hoping to live with someone else, so I am doing the sound control anyway. But knowing her preference, I'm also more comfortable with not making it 100% for her room. What I've already done, with the soundproof wall, eliminates the worst aspect of the Queen's Room acoustic, a booming and rattling bass in the room when I play the living room stereo at moderate levels. The soundproof wall is on the axis of both 1000 watt subwoofers and right at a hugely modal room corner if you consider the entry way and hall to be an extension of the living room (sound waves don't know the difference). What leaks through the existing hallway door now is much less unpleasant. The level of bass is already 18dB down.
As for the King's room, however, it is a suite unto itself and needs no microphone to the front (excepting the future wireless multiport intercom camera system). So it will get the real soundproof door, with door sweep but no threshold (I don't like the idea of walking over threshold constantly in bare feet). My friend has dog and cat and works different hours. With soundproof door, I am hoping, we can live together in greater harmony as I can sleep through the process of her getting up and going to work, and animals whining afterwards. I really hope so anyway.
I continue to like the 230 pound Isodoor from Sound Isolation Store because it has good performance AND is otherwise just like an ordinary wood door. Sound blocking doors from other companies are thicker, heavier, and more like industrial doors which have been prettified slightly with wood covering to cover the metal. And they are heavier and may assume 2x6 or staggered stud framing. On the other hand, these other doors do have higher soundproofing ratings. But I want my home to be a well conceived luxury home, not an industrial facility. And I worry that these other doors in addition to costing more will cost much more to install.
I'm finding that while I can control my new patio light with the X10 control module in the kitchen, it is not operable by the X10 timer and macro module in the lab. Also, with the new Insteon switch right next to the kitchen X10 light switch for the kitchen, the X10 switch can no longer be controlled by the X10 timer either. I have ordered an Insteon home control module. Unlike the old X10 unit, it does not hook to computer through serial or USB port. Instead, it connects to Ethernet, and can be controlled by any computer on the LAN, and by mobile phones. This unit will be placed in the kitchen itself. I'm now hoping that from that vantage point, it will be able to control both the X10 and the Insteon switch in the kitchen. I may need to replace the X10 dimmer switch with an insteon equivalent.
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