Mancave... quite literal! Input please :)

[MustangMike]

So I've recently scored my first home!!!! Picked up a beautiful, contemporary home built in 1999. Concrete and aluminum construction, 2000 +/- sq. feet, 3 bed, 2 bath.. also a bonus 'den' with fireplace! It's on a full acre in the middle of town, in a very upscale, quiet neighborhood. Foreclosure... Closing at $69k!!!! I'm extremely excited!

A little background about myself. I'm 25 years old and have been working as professional photographer for a local studio since 2004. I was originally a nursing major in college, but due to my niece being diagnosed with cancer at 2... I had to drop out to help my sister. She's in remission now, and 8 years old

I picked up the studio job as soon as we stopped making weekly 3 hour trips to the closest cancer center for children in Birmingham... didn't continue with school.

Now, since I've purchased this home for DIRT cheap, I'm going to go back to school. I'm having two friends move in as well... so it'll be even cheaper (monthly). I'm going to pursue a masters in electrical engineering, and eventually a masters in architectural engineering.

And now.. to the mancave part (sorry for the history lesson, just wanted to explain my financial position)..

I'm a big music person... I'm also a basshead. I was considering building a "soundproof-esque" room, but in my upcoming financial position, I think I should take another route... as rock wool, acoustic foam panels and bass traps will get rather costly... So... I'm thinking about going underground... earth is a fantastic baffle.

I'm wanting to be considerate to my neighbors.. because as I previous said, it's a super upscale community and really quiet.

I've researched a few ideas for underground construction... Conex boxes would be the cheapest route, IMO... but I'm worried about corrosion over time. Also, I would have to pour a rebarred slab above it, and then cover it with earth.

I think I'm leaning towards constructing a concrete box.. 15x25x10 or so... what do you guys think?

I'm not wanting to spend a fortune on this project... As I will have to have a part time job while in school. At the studio, I'm working 70-80 hours a week... so I'm sitting on some money... and I want to make it stretch as much as possible

 

[Coiled03]

So...you want a concrete box....underground? Sounds like a great place to be in the event of a thermonuclear war. Aside from that, I'm not sure it would serve much purpose.

Seriously, it sort of depends on what kind of equipment you're running. Unless you're running something very high power, what you're talking about sounds like extreme overkill to me.

 

[MustangMike]

It's just an idea... I thought it could be fun to work out of. I could be as loud as I want, and no one could hear me. Spaces like these peak my interest... guess it's my inner child. :beer:

 

[DomesticAbuse]

only 69k?

hold crap

 

[thomas91169]

only 69k?

hold crap

Mobile, Alabama........

'nuff said.

 

[FL-Orange]

I could be as loud as I want, and no one could hear me.

"it rubs the lotion on it's skin"......:dw:

Mobile, Alabama........

'nuff said.

Not just Mobile. Just be glad that that property values haven't taken the same hit where you live.

 

[matab14]

You said your not wanting to go expensive, maybe it's just me but sounds like that's a lot of concrete work and could add up quick....

Typ basement like structure around here would run ya upwards of 10k or better!

 

[MustangMike]

Yeah, I was very fortunate to be told about this property BEFORE the foreclosure was listed... It's always about who you know.

I have confidence in myself, as well as the proper tools to build everything, including a backhoe to dig... minus the pouring/prep work of the foundation... which I would have professionally 'donated' by a contractor friend. Also, contractor pricing on any materials purchased.

I will have to go over building codes to make sure I can do this the way I have in mind. I'm currently living wayyyy out of the city limits... I'm not up-to-date with our city codes.

Any other suggestions, or things to keep in mind?

 

[pho_phizzat]

"it rubs the lotion on it's skin"......:dw:

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

And now that i read this I re-read the thread title and think you just foiled his evil plans

 

[tistan]

OP, have you priced concrete? I can't imagine the price of concrete varies a whole lot between different regions of the country. Concrete here runs about $100 a yard. It sounds like you are going to need a lot of concrete for your project. It would be cheaper to build a soundproof room than a concrete box.

 

[Monster Mach]

your better off building a sound proof room lol.. not as expensive..

 

[slider701]

This should work:



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[CobraBob]

First and foremost, congratulations! Your house sounds really nice. Post some pics when you can. You got it for a nice price, too. Housing in Mobile isn't what I'd call cheap exclusive of foreclosures. Here are a few I found right away.
Recent Mobile, AL Home Sales
215 HAZEL ST - Sold for $155,000 on 8/4/2010
211 GRAND BLVD - Sold for $175,000 on 6/14/2010
2400 SPRING HILL AVE - Sold for $410,600 on 6/16/2010
101 GRAND BLVD - Sold for $166,000 on 6/9/2010
18 WESTWOOD ST - Sold for $156,086 on 5/7/2010
69 SILVERWOOD ST - Sold for $233,750 on 3/4/2010

I'd say you did VERY well on the price. Enjoy your new home! :beer: :thumbsup:

 

[NO-BlkLightning2K]

It's just an idea... I thought it could be fun to work out of. I could be as loud as I want, and no one could hear me. Spaces like these peak my interest... guess it's my inner child. :beer:

someone on this forum posted pics of a house they were building, and they had a sort of bunker add-on. can't remember who it was, though. but someone might.

 

[TJSwoboda]

First, congrats to OP! :beer:

To continue the tangent, yes the market really has crashed that badly. I paid $90K for my house: 1360 sq. ft., three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, gated community.

 

[Blade Runner]

You can always do what some home theater nerds have done, and turn your attic into a gigantic "box"....

 

[Njc0las]

Get one of these for $3200 and duct tape up a ton of egg cartons. You can thank me later. Any decent sound room will run you about 50k.

 

[mysterio]

Get one of these for $3200 and duct tape up a ton of egg cartons. You can thank me later. Any decent sound room will run you about 50k.

He's being funny, but he's accurate with the egg cartons.

We had no budget at our college radio station years ago, so we gathered egg cartons from friends and family. Glued them to the walls. Looked totally ghetto, but worked amazingly well. That's when they were made out of cardboard, though.

If you're going to be underground and possibly not care what it all looks like, egg cartons will do nicely on a budget.

 

[Njc0las]

He's being funny, but he's accurate with the egg cartons.

We had no budget at our college radio station years ago, so we gathered egg cartons from friends and family. Glued them to the walls. Looked totally ghetto, but worked amazingly well. That's when they were made out of cardboard, though.

If you're going to be underground and possibly not care what it all looks like, egg cartons will do nicely on a budget.

I joke a lot but I do know my stuff when it comes to some things. I've set up many on-the-spot recording booths over the years as well as recording in the most expensive pro-built rooms. The vocals I did in my bedroom at my parents' place when I was like 17 before I moved out were probably the best sounding vocals I've ever recorded. This was on a $50 shure mic running through a fender guitar amp with some compression settings into my tascam portastudio, into acid and finished in sound forge.

 

[mysterio]

I joke a lot but I do know my stuff when it comes to some things. I've set up many on-the-spot recording booths over the years as well as recording in the most expensive pro-built rooms. The vocals I did in my bedroom at my parents' place when I was like 17 before I moved out were probably the best sounding vocals I've ever recorded. This was on a $50 shure mic running through a fender guitar amp with some compression settings into my tascam portastudio, into acid and finished in sound forge.

I never doubted your expertise, bro
As soon as you said egg cartons, I knew you had experience.

Not to hijack, but wtf is with the styrofoam egg cartons these days? I would think that the cardboard ones would be better for the environment, on what is obviously a throw-away item.

OP, good luck with your project. Keep us posted and drop some pics in here on the build.