How to Build a Professional Garage Music Studio at Home
Garages aren’t just for cars. If you’re a musician, you’ve probably always dreamed of having your own space for playing and recording music. What if we told you that you’re only a few steps away from creating a garage music studio right at home?
All good things require hard work—and this is one of them—but building a garage recording studio is certainly something that you can accomplish if you have the budget and are willing to put in the time and energy. Here’s how.
Prepare the Space
Unless you have a brand new garage, chances are the first step you’ll need to take before you even get started with your garage music studio is clearing out your space. Garages tend to accumulate items over time—everything from sporting goods to outdoor power equipment to basic tools. Begin thinking about which items you’re going to purge, and which items you’ll need to store elsewhere. A basement is a good alternative storage space, but if you don’t have one, you may want to consider renting a storage unit. Depending on where you live, you should be able to find a storage facility nearby that offers reasonable rates.
In addition to clearing out your garage, you’ll probably want to dedicate some time to cleaning it, since garages tend to become dusty and dirty over the years.
Plan the Layout
Once your garage is cleared out and you can visualize the space you have to work with, the next step for your garage music studio is creating a floor plan. The size and shape of the garage are key factors here. For the best acoustics, your garage music studio shouldn’t be perfectly square or rectangle, and should have minimal design curves to avoid unwanted distortion.
List all the equipment you’re going to need, and use a piece of paper to sketch a rough layout so you know that everything will fit in a functional way before you make any big purchases.
Soundproof Your Garage
Soundproofing your garage not only blocks outside noise from interfering with the quality of your recordings, but also ensures that you’re being a considerate neighbor and that you won’t be on the receiving end of any noise complaints.
The first step in soundproofing your garage is to make improvements to what’s already there by sealing windows and doors tightly, replacing old weatherstripping and making sure that your garage door shuts all the way. Then, you’ll likely want to insulate the walls and doors with a material like cellulose, wooden cleats or Audimute.
Optimize Airflow and Ventilation
It’s important to be able to breathe when you’re in there enjoying your garage music studio! While you’re working on insulating your garage and sealing all those cracks, don’t forget to account for proper airflow and ventilation. This is especially essential during the summer when it can get really hot and stuffy inside a garage. A ventilation system isn’t just for your own comfort, it’s also for the sake of your investment. Stale air can lead to moisture and humidity, which can cause irreparable damage to expensive recording equipment.
By following the steps outlined above, you’ll have the garage music room you’ve always wanted in no time. Just think of how convenient it will be to record music without ever having to leave your property!
At Champion Overhead Door, we love seeing our customers use their garages in creative and innovative ways. If you’re in search of the perfect garage door for your garage music studio, we’d be more than happy to work with you and get you just what you need. Contact us today to learn more, and don’t forget to send us pictures of your completed garage music studio!