How to Make a Drum Booth for an Apartment

Framing the Booth

• 1

  Design the drum booth so it’s no more than 8 feet high, 8 feet wide and 10 feet long; this will give ample room for the drums without taking up too much space in the room. Lay an 8-foot by 10-foot solid wood panel on the floor and glue a layer of solid foam to the top of it. Apply glue to the top of the foam and lay a second 8-foot by 10-foot wood panel on top.

• 2

  Frame in the drum booth using 2-inch by 4-inch lumber, ensuring that the studs are on 16-inch centers, and framing in for a window space that’s 2 feet high by 3 feet wide, and a door space that’s 3 feet wide (this will allow easy installation or removal of the drum kit).

• 3

  Screw the frame to the floor you’ve made, and frame in joists for the ceiling of the drum booth.

Building the Booth

• 4

  Cut drywall panels and screw to the outside of the drum booth frame. Hang R 13 insulation inside the drywall, between the studs, being certain to fill all the gaps. Cut and screw in drywall panels on the inside walls of the drum booth (you can finish the drywall inside and out with tape, drywall mud and paint if you wish).

• 5

  Drill a hole through one of the walls, large enough to accept the PVC conduit. Measure the thickness of the wall and cut the PVC pipe to fit before pushing in place. Caulk where the pipe meets both the inside and outside walls; the pipe can be used to run cables for recording or extra power.

• 6

  Cut the plexiglass to size. Cut and nail dowel in the window space to form a bead around the frame. Push the plexiglass into the frame, up against the dowel, then nail dowel in place on the other side of the glass to hold it in place. Caulk around the dowel.

Completing the Booth

• 7

  Hang the solid core door in the doorway opening, making sure the hinges allow it to open and close smoothly. Stick weatherstripping in place all around the door.

• 8

  Lift solid wood panel in place to make the ceiling of the drum booth (obtain help for this). Screw into place through the joists. Place insulation between the joists and finish the ceiling by cutting and screwing panels of drywall to the underside of the joists.

• 9

  Nail carpet to the walls and ceiling of the drum booth to help cut out even more of the sound.