Hello, my name is Alex, and I’d like to share my drum room build. But first, a little background: I started playing drums when I was 15 years old (inspired by an older brother who played), but stopped after a couple of years. Since that time, I picked it back up every 5 or so years. I’d play for a few months, or maybe even a year, then quit again. This pattern continued for decades. Then 4 years ago, I decided to start back up…..again. But this time, I told myself it would be different. I wasn’t going to quit this time. I found a good drum teacher, and started working on the fundamentals, plus a few songs. I got inspired by the lessons, especially because my teacher also played guitar, and was able to accompany me. When Covid hit, I stopped the lessons, but I continued on my own with several great books (Stick Control, Master Studies, and Funky Primer). I also decided to work on a few Rush songs (Tom Sawyer, Xanadu, and Subdivisions). I knew at the time they were way over my head, and would be extremely difficult to learn. But I also knew I needed to stay motivated. Neil Peart was, and still is my inspiration,. I’m also a huge fan of Gavin Harrison. Drumming has become an important creative outlet for me. It’s also meditative, and helps me relax. As of this writing, I’m 61 years old. I’m writing this introduction and posting these photos, because I’m hoping to encourage some of you to keep going with your instrument, no matter your age. Or, pick it back up, if you can. And, to encourage some of you to build a practice room of your own, if possible. I’ve learned quite a bit, and have been inspired by reading this forum. I also read “Build it Like the Pros” by Rod Gervais. There’s a lot I didn’t understand, but tried to utilize as much information as I could. I felt it was time to share my project, which I was able to build from the ground up. For this project, I spent several months (late 2021) using Sketchup to help me visualize everything, and to get all the dimensions correct. I started the build on Jan. 1, 2022 and completed it in mid-June of 2022.

The 1st photo here shows the subfloor I installed years ago to level out the concrete in our garage. I put down 2 layers of thick plastic as a vapor barrier, and used pressure treated 2 x 4’s for the floor frame. I shimmed the 2 x 4’s with pressure treated blocks and plastic shims to get it all uniform and level. 2nd photo is the rubber flooring I installed to convert the space into a home gym. The floor is 3/8” recycled rubber which came in 2’ x 2’ interlocking squares. In the 3rd photo I laid out the drum room dimensions with blue painters tape. Finished Inside dimensions: 8’ 4” x 10’ x 6’ 6” (L x W x H). I used one of the room ratios described in Rod’s book.

I was able to take the first week off in January to do most of the framing. I had picked up most of the framing materials the week before. The first wall I built was the back wall, which I needed to drywall and tape before standing it up. Because the space between the garage wall and drum room wall was only 8”, this was the only way to install the sheetrock. I know this isn’t a two leaf system which Rod recommends in his book. This is because the existing space needs to serve several different functions (washer/dryer, water heater, gym, small workbench area). The pink strip on the bottom of the walls is sill sealer. I also started to add wiring for the receptacles and switches.

I made the ceiling out of 8 separate frames. This allowed me to drywall each section before installation. Just like the back wall, there wasn’t any other way to do this, because of space limitation between existing ceiling and drum room ceiling. After each frame was installed, I added tape and drywall compound to each seam (no way to get to it later). I also caulked between each ceiling frame where the 2 x 4’s met using Big Stretch caulking (the brand Rod recommends for sealing gaps).

I began installing the R-15 insulation just prior to the drywall. Instead of renting a drywall lift I decided to make this T-brace for support. Along with a temporary ledger to hold up the other end, it worked out pretty well.

I attached 5/8” plywood as my first layer for the interior walls. This was for shear support since we live in earthquake country. It also provided a screwing surface for anything I’d attach to the walls later, especially the absorption panels. The two small openings at the top of the right wall are for ventilation (one intake, one exhaust). The metal boxes are for the wall sconces. After installing the first layer of drywall on the ceiling, and the plywood sheathing, I caulked all the joints with Big Stretch.

Wiring: 1st photo shows the back of the switch box. One switch for the fan, and the other for the wall sconces. Because I decided to add the sconces after building and closing the back wall, I needed a way to get a wire to the sconce on the left side of the doorway. So, I ran it right along the threshold, and added strips of wood plus a metal plate on top. I rabbeted the edges of the wood so the plate would sit flush. Since the wood is 3/4” thick, and the plate is only 1/8” thick, the metal is well above the romex wire (which is well insulated on its own). I added these clay putty pads around all of the outlet boxes to seal them. Then I added drywall for added insurance against any air leaks.

Interior & Exterior Drywall: Drywall added to sheathing, piece by piece. 1st coat of tape and compound (2 more coats after it dried). I decided to move one of the vents over a couple of inches. Since I’ll be adding a framed vent cover later on, I felt it was too close to the inside corner. A picture of mixed drywall compound: I added some water and used a drywall paddle hooked up to my drill to get a consistent mix (as suggested by some of the professionals I found online). I don’t do drywall professionally, but I’ve done it enough times to know what a difference this tip makes. If the compound is used right out of the container, it’s too thick, dries quickly, and difficult to spread out.

Sanding Drywall Compound: There’s really no way to put this, except sanding is a necessary evil. And when you sand this stuff, the dust is so fine it gets everywhere (wear a good mask). I tried a cheap sanding attachment for my shop vac, but that didn’t work out well at all. I know there are professional sanding units designed for this, but too expensive. So, I did it the old fashioned way, by hand. I did use foam sanding blocks, which worked out quite well. One tip: use a raking light (basically holding a handheld light or flashlight at a sharp angle to the wall). This will show more imperfections than you realize. Of course, you don’t need to be that picky. You’d certainly save yourself time. I knew it wouldn’t change the sound, but I just wanted it to look as nice as possible

Primer & Paint: I used PVA primer for the bare drywall (seals well, and is less expensive than regular primer). I picked a neutral color for the walls and ceiling. In the photo where I cut in the corners, it looks very yellow up against the white primer. In the next photo, after painting the entire room, it looks subtler…calmer.

Subfloor: Here I’m laying out the 3/4” plywood subfloor. I made the all the cuts with 1/8” gaps between plywood pieces, and 1/4” - 3/8” gap at the wall. Then I removed the plywood. I installed 2” rigid foam insulation and the plywood simultaneously, so I wouldn’t step on the insulation. Once the plywood was down, it distributed my weight more evenly. This first layer is just floating. Then I cut and screwed down a second layer of plywood at 90 degrees to the first layer (making sure all of the seams were offset). Once done, it was time to caulk the seams. The last picture is of the stained threshold.

Fixtures & Covers: Brass outlet covers & light fixture covers, and some old fashioned wall sconces (all from Amazon, reasonably priced). Also, I painted the inside of the vent openings black, so that once the framed grills are on with the baffle boxes installed, the inside wouldn’t be visible. It may have not been visible anyway, but I didn’t want to take a chance. Plus, it was easier to paint at this point, rather than later.

Flooring: This part of the project came as a complete surprise, in the best way possible. Originally, I was just going to buy some cheap flooring to slap down, or maybe even paint the plywood. I figured the drums would cover most of it, so who’s going to notice. But one evening I was doing some research, and came across this amazing looking floor. Something I’d never seen before. It literally looked like it was on fire! I wasn’t far off. The floor I saw, was actually burned with a torch. I believe it’s called Shou Sugi Ban (doing a google search will show many examples, and explain the details of this technique). It was so striking, I knew this had to be the floor. To save money, instead of using hardwood, I ripped 5/8” plywood strips (4 3/4” wide) on a table saw. I sanded each piece with an orbital sander, and then chamfered all the top edges. This gives the wood a finished look once installed. Plus, plywood is extremely sharp, and the edges can give you nasty splinters. To do the actual burning, I bought a torch attachment for the propane tank I use for our BBQ. After a little practice on some scraps, it worked out very well. After the torching, I spread out the strips and lightly misted them with water. The sharp contrast on the plywood is due to the softer wood darkening more, when torched, relative to the harder wood. Once they were cool, I lightly sanded them by hand with a foam sanding block. They were now ready for installation.

Floor Finishing: I was going to use water based polyurethane because it dries faster, and doesn’t smell nearly as bad as oil based. However, I love the look of oil based poly, because it gives an amber hue (water based dries clear). So, I wore a respirator and started the process. Through more research, I read that it’s best to thin the poly with mineral spirits. There are different ratios recommended, but I found mixing 75% poly with 25% mineral spirits worked out well for my application. Speaking of application, I tried several methods —brush, roller, rag, and finally a foam applicator made for hardwood flooring. Because of my experimenting, and trying to get a smooth, bubble free result, I did lots of sanding between coats. I ended up putting 10 coats of finish, before I was satisfied (you’d probably only need 3-4 coats). Obviously, this was unnecessary, but I was obsessed with this floor. I’m very happy with the results, but once again, it was very labor intensive.

Grills: I made these grill frames from for 1/2” baltic birch plywood (stronger and more stable than regular plywood, and no voids in the veneers). After sanding, I sprayed them matte black. I attached this screen to the back, before screwing the frames to the wall. This clover leaf screen material was purchased at home depot. You can see light coming through the back because I hadn’t installed the baffle boxes yet.

Corner Bass Trap Base: These are the frames I made for 3 corners for the bass traps. The plywood top is removable, so I could later add fabric (to match the bass traps) more easily. I wanted them to sit flush with the top of the baseboard molding. I thought this would look cleaner and more finished.

Baseboard & Crown Molding: I made the baseboard and exterior crown from a sheet of 3/4” MDF. I used a router to create the profiles on the edge. I’m happy with the results, but it was a lot of work, and a lot of dust (routing MDF creates an inordinate amount of fine dust, very much like drywall compound). It probably would have been wiser to buy prefabbed moldings, which is what I did with the door casing.

Baffle Boxes, Inline Fan + Filter: I made these from 3/4” plywood and lined them with JM Linacoustic R-300 (2” thick). This is what Rod recommends in his book. This insulation has a special sealer on the face that keeps the fiberglass from becoming airborne. Ordering this material online can be expensive due to delivery costs, so I decided to call the manufacturer (Johns Manville). They were kind enough to give me a couple of local distributors that carry their product. I also purchased edge sealer spray (called Dyn-O-Coat) to insure none of the cut edges would be an issue. Next, I needed to decide how to affix the cut pieces to the baffle box. I decided against spray adhesive since it would only adhere to the surface. I wanted a mechanical connection that would be more secure. I found these cabinet screws at home depot that were ideal, except the heads weren’t quite wide enough. While shopping for washers, I saw these plastic cap nails which looked like a great size. I just removed the plastic caps and transferred them to the screws. They held the insulation very well. To attach the baffle boxes to the outside wall, I set them on a ledger strip, and screwed through the back of the box into the wall studs. Then I screwed the Linacoustic pieces to the back of the box. For the front cover, I screwed pieces up to layout lines that represented the inside of the insulated box. Both baffle boxes were also covered with 5/8” drywall. The box furthest away (with the round opening) is the intake. The box in front is for exhaust. The inline fan is a Fantech FR 110 (4” duct opening, 160 cfm). The full setup includes a homemade filter at the bottom that I put together with 3 furnace filters and some stiff cardboard (not my invention—another solution found online).

Electrical Power: The fan is plugged into an outlet on the outside of the drum room. That outlet is wired to a wall switch on the inside next to the door. The other wire you see (thicker one), plugs into the wall (right), and the other end plugs into the drum room wall (left). For this particular outlet I used a flanged inlet generator plug which has a recessed male end. This is so my extension (electrical supply) cord would have a male end and a female end. The male end plugs into the garage outlet that supplies power. The female end (locking female plug connector) plugs into the inlet generator plug. This is for safety. You never want an extension cord with two male ends. That means once you plug one end into any outlet, the other male end becomes a shock hazard. Some electricians call this a suicide plug. Avoid it at all costs, especially since there’s a simple and safe solution.

Ceiling Cloud: Ceiling cloud matches the shape of ceiling, but roughly 24” smaller all the way around, except at the back, which is 26 1/2”. It sits right above the drum set. I filled it with OC 703 (2” thick). The bottom is covered with a red polyester fabric made to look like velvet (found it on Amazon). I just loved the look of it. The other side is covered with a thin muslin fabric to keep the fiberglass from becoming airborne. The frame has eye hooks screwed into it, to accept the J-hooks in the ceiling. I propped the frame up against the ceiling, then drilled holes in the cross braces, right through the drywall into the ceiling joists. This insured the holes were perfectly aligned. I did all this so the cloud would hang down a few inches, and there would be no visible hardware.

Corner Bass Traps: I wanted the bass traps to straddle the corners, but decided to eliminate the sharp edges. I wanted the distance the exposed side protrudes from the wall (3 7/8”), to match the distance the wall panels protrude from the wall (3” thick panel + 7/8” spacing). The center depth of the bass traps are 5 1/2”, so I added 2 layers of OC 703 (total thickness = 4”). I wanted the bass traps to be easily removable, so I used rare earth magnets (1” diameter) + a metal screw in the wall that it would stick to. By loosening or tightening the screw, I was able to get the bass trap to sit flush with the wall. Once I finished wrapping them in fabric, I added ring pulls in the center to easily remove them. The photo of the back of the bass trap shows an added block of wood in the middle for the ring pulls. This photo also gives you an idea of how many staples were needed to attach the fabric. A handheld stapler would be fine for one or two panels, but with the ceiling cloud, 3 bass traps and 2 wall panels, I decided to buy a cheap electric staple gun online for around $40. It saved a lot of time and labor (well worth it).

Wall Panels: I added a large panel to the back wall (this will sit behind the drum kit), and a smaller one to the left wall. I decided not to add a panel to the right wall or angled wall. I thought the room might be too dead.

Door: I bought a solid core door (1 3/4”) at home depot and mortised the door and frame for 3 butt hinges (4” x 4”). I ordered these from houseofantiquehardware.com For the latch, I thought a regular lockset would be too large a hole in the door. At one point, I thought of using one of those freezer latches (for commercial applications), but came across these roller catches. I mortised the door to accept two of them. The rollers are adjustable for tension. I used kerf type weatherstripping (vinyl, with a foam core). I know it’s not optimal, but the high end rubber stuff is very expensive. And, this actually seals quite well. The barn door style handles came from amazon. I made the exterior door stop from a couple of scraps of poplar, and a rubber bumper.

Door Panel (interior): This is not actually an absorption panel. It’s just for decoration. I didn’t like looking at a plain painted door (this is what I’m looking at while sitting behind the kit). To make this, I cut a piece of 1/4” plywood about 1” narrower than the door (all the way around). This allowed the weatherstripping to contact the flat surface of the door (better seal than the fabric). The fabric was spray glued to the plywood (on both sides), instead of stapled, so the back would be nice and flat. I added these flat head machine screws and finish washers, plus threaded inserts in the door for attaching the panel. For me, the stainless screws added a nice touch to the overall look.

Music Stand / Arc: The final challenge was to figure out how to hold my sheet music. Some of the songs I’m working on have 8-10 pages of music. This first picture is my makeshift music stand that I was using (a cheap smart phone tripod with a strip of wood screwed to it, and masking tape to secure the music). It worked, but it was far from ideal. I wanted something that could hold at least 8 pages of music, with each page being equidistant from my eyes. This meant a straight stand wouldn’t work. I needed a curved one. I searched and searched online, but found nothing to fit the bill. So, I decided to design and build one. I laid out this arc (32” radius) on the floor with a piece of string, and 10 pages of music. I came up with this specific radius based on how close the music needed to be, so I could still read it. And, I also wanted the music to be above, and centered with my cymbals. This would allow me to still play the cymbals without the sheet music getting in the way. I made the arc out of 3 strips of 1/4” plywood, 1 1/2” wide. I wet the strips (easier to bend that way), and clamped them around my weight plates (no glue). Ideally, you’d want to make two forms (a male and a female) and clamp the plywood strips in that. But I needed a quicker, more streamlined approach, as I was only making one of these. If I were making several arcs, I’d definitely take the time to make proper forms. I allowed the damp plywood to remain clamped overnight so they would retain most of their shape. This makes them easier to glue, and less likely to crack. I used gorilla glue because it’s meant to be used for wet wood, and it fills voids quite well. Unfortunately, I don’t seem to have a picture of the glue up, but it looked very much like it did when clamped without glue. It was an interesting process. I saw a video online, demonstrating how you could wrap the wood strips with shrink wrap, after applying the glue. This was to help with clamping pressure, and to keep the glue from getting all over the place. I still put plastic under the area I was clamping, just in case. This glue expands as it dries, and is very difficult to remove from anything it adheres to.
The next challenge was to find a way to suspend the arc in mid air. With a regular tripod, it would tip over (too much weight off center). But fortunately, I have a sturdy drum rack (Gibraltar), with a center support that will also accept a cymbal boom (very sturdy). I made a support block for the curved plywood which was drilled to accept the cymbal boom. I glued together 5 layers of 1/2” baltic birch (the same material I used for the vent frames). Once it dried, I sanded it, and sealed it with shellac. I added a strip of adhesive backed metal tape across the inside of the arc. On the back of each piece of sheet of music, I added thin magnetic tape so each page could stick to this metal strip. Lastly, I added a few clip on book lights. It all works very well.

Lighting: I installed two wall sconces (one on each side of the drum kit--shown in earlier photos). I like the way they look, but I wanted something more..….more theatrical. I found these LED strip lights on amazon for $40, that offer a variety of color changes. I installed them at the top of the baseboard molding and around the door. I love them so much, I use them almost exclusively. I also added a smart phone mount (with an extension arm) to the wall, so I can video my practice for learning and improving.

Sketchup Drawings: I've added many of my sketchup drawings here. They're in no particular order. They helped me visualize many aspects of the drum room build, and were invaluable for getting all the dimensions right.

Conclusion: It’s difficult to quantify what this room represents …… what it means to me. If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be Freedom! No doubt about it. When I go in, flip the fan switch, turn the LED’s on, and shut that door behind me (with that whoosh sound), I’m in another world! It’s like my own private theatre. I can create, explore, and play as loud as I want, without bothering anyone. Before, when I’d practice in our garage, I knew it was very loud in our house, and could be heard by my wife, not to mention our neighbors. I’d try and play quietly, but sometimes excitement took over, and the volume would increase dramatically. After awhile, I’d realize it, and start playing quietly again. I’m very fortunate that my wife has always been supportive of my drumming, but I knew it was disruptive. As soon as the project was finished, she said she couldn’t believe how much of a difference it made. That was a relief, because I didn’t really know how successful the finished product would be. I don’t have any measurements to share, but I had our son hit the drums as loud as he could, and then I went outside in front of our house to listen. I could still hear the drums, but it was very muted. It was the same inside the house, but even quieter toward the back of the house. Overall, I’m extremely happy with the results, and playing drums is such a pleasure now.

Looks fantastic. I noticed a 20 Amp receptacle in one of the photos. You using 12-2 or 12-3 wire and have a 20 amp circuit breaker on it? You sure did it up nice. I built a similar, but much more basic room in a garage back in 1991. It served the purpose well, but was a hot box even though I used a small portable AC unit to attempt to cool it down. Humidity can be an issue, but you seem to be in a drier area. Nice work!

Thank you very much. I'm glad you liked it. I used 12-2 with a ground for the 20 amp receptacle, and a 20 amp breaker. . . . It did get warm this summer, but I used a portable fan to help cool things off. Along with the ventilation system, it wasn't too bad. Humidity is moderate here, so it's not much of an issue. Thanks again.

as someone whose getting a house soon im subscribing tot his thread mainly because its inspirational and lots of details to consider.

Nice work and i love the sheets across the top!

I didnt zoom in are those yamahas ?

I'm glad you got some inspiration, and enjoyed the details. It was a very satisfying build. Hopefully when you get your house, you can carve out a place for your music. . . .the drums are actually an old set of Pearl Export (my brother is letting me borrow them). They were originally white, but he removed the wrap, and stained the shells. In the future, I'd like to get myself a new set. I have my eyes on Tama. I love the look, and the die cast rims.

you can never go wrong with starclassic maple or birch or i believe they make bubinga too.