Looking for suggestions!
I am going to be soundproofing an existing finished wall in my home office by adding a layer of concrete backer board to the existing drywall to add some mass, seal all joints with a acoustic caulk, then attaching a new layer of 5/8″ drywall on some hat-channel attached to vibration isolation clips mounted to the existing studs. (Why am I doing this???? I hear the humm, roar, and pulsating sound of my neighbors AC Compressor allllllll day long.)
When I build out the new wall, I will end up about 2 1/2″ from the existing wall. I do not have enough spare wire in the existing electrical box to just extend it out and use a box extender (if I can find one that long, best I have found at the big box stores is 1″) so I may need to add some wire. Anything I do must be safe!!!!
I was thinking about 3 options.
1) Add wire in the box, try to find long enough box extender. (2 1/2″… Any suggestions as to where I can find such an animal?)
2) Add some wire, close up the existing box and run the new wire to a “new work box” mounted on the new wall.
3) Since the wire comes down a wall from the second floor, mount a “new work” box 3-5 inches higher on the new wall and simply have the existing wire come out higher up in the existing wall so I have the length I need to reach over to the new wall. Yes the box will not be in line with other outlets in the room, but this will be hidden behind a large desk. I do not think this is a code or safety issue….
Thanks, CW
Replies
What you want is called a 'box extender' or 'goof ring'. The plastic ones are about long enough to use the existing boxes. Pig-tailing, connecting additional wires within the boxes should be done before the additional wall surfaces are added as this would be easier than working in a deeper hole. Properly made up within an accessible box you should have few problems. If you do they are very likely to be self-limiting, easy to troubleshoot and correct.
Another plan would be to run a sawsall, a hacksaw blade in a 'handy saw' will work in a pinch especially if the boxes are plastic, beside the existing boxes and remove them. Old-work boxes mounted after the new wall surface is up. The cables would be led out through small holes until the boxes are cut in.
An advantage of this method would be that removing the existing box and remounting old-work boxes you likely won't need any additional cable. There may also be slack outside or the existing boxes that may further ease any problems. Either way it is easier to work in the back of a 3" deep box than one, because of the additional wall and extension, a 6" deep one.
This also, with a shallower box, allows more space for insulation improving the sound performance of the wall. In similar cases I have spray foamed the cavity created by the removal of the old boxes. This greatly increases the insulation value.
Don't worry too much if you flood the new boxes with foam. It is easy to remove if you know how. Grip it with a pair of long-nose pliers stabbed into it open and twist. Don't try slicing it out. It takes forever and risks damage to the insulation on the wires within the box.
Either way use a good quality wire nut. I like 3M Scotchlock IIs. The small O/B ones will handle most similar situations and make working in the back of a box easier. Make sure you get the jacket, the plastic sheath surrounding all the wires into the boxes.
Great ideas all around. Thanks for the feedback.
Like so many things, till you dig into it you just don't know what options you may have or what you may encounter. Any thoughts or tips in advance are a great help when it comes to solving challenges on the fly....!
I think option 3 is your best one. Option 2 will only work if the box in which you make the connections still can be accessed without ripping out the wall. It is a code violation to make a connection in a location that is not accessible.
What are you doing with your windows for the noise? If you only treat your walls and not your window(s) you will still have noise. You probably need to remove the window and replace it with one designed to have an acceptable sound rating. It's a specialty item, not easy to acquire.
Hey thanks. I was not aware that a connection in an inaccessible wall was a code violation. I knew I could not leave it open without a face plate, but did not know it had to be accessible without ripping out the wall. Makes perfect sense now that you mention it.
I think option 3 as you noted is the way I am leaning. 4LORN1 suggested a close variation if I have enough extra wire already in place.
As for windows, I have no windows on that side of the house so I am not picking up the AC Compressor noise via windows, but I do have a bay window that faces the street and it does act like a giant speaker for the occasional noise out on the street. It is a quiet residential street for the most part so not an all day issue. If I need to attack those windows, the paragraph below is what I will do.
Our living room does have windows on that side of the house where the AC compressor is and and we are tackling that issue with some interior sound proof windows. (Expect them any day....) The are from a company called Soundproof Windows ( http://www.soundproofwindows.com/index.html ). They are made with thick sheets of Laminated Glass with an aluminum frame and spring loaded plastic slides for a tight seal. We put some in our master bedroom that faces the street and now we can not even hear our neighbors lawn mower across the street, kids playing outside, etc.... Loud base laden car stereos can still be heard, but the low range base sounds are very hard to stop. (Front of the house is brick, great sound insulator)
I was also very surprised at the amount of heat that they keep out of the house. That space between the outside window and the interior soundproof window is a great natural insulation space. You get virtually no radiant heat from the outside glass.
The house is less than 2 years old, but the glass in the original windows is pathetic. Since we did not want to rip out new windows, this is a great solution. You can not even tell they are installed from the outside and with the window treatments we have, they are also virtually invisible from the inside. Very easy to install.
Thanks, CW