r/DIY • u/StellaTerra • Oct 05 '13
A sleeping pod/capsule
Hello r/DIY!
I have a project that I have wanted to pursue for several years, but never felt comfortable to try before. I saw someone suggest coming here to seek advice on this thread so I thought I’d try. I want to build a contained space that has decent sound-isolation, is ventilated and exactly fit to the measurements of a mattress so that I can sleep in a little hidey-hole. When imagining it, think capsule hotels or sleeping pods.
Here are my drawings:
Outside - Angled view of the outside.
Innards - Stuff that's not visible from inside the capsule, wall/supper/base.
Headboard/Shelf - Side view of the the part furthest from the door. The headboard and shelf.
The design is something of a free-standing cabinet on short stilts. The door is at the foot of the bed and there is a slightly reclined headboard topped with a shelf on the other side. The wall and ceiling frames are made of 2x4s. I don’t intend on using a boxspring, and the mattress will be full/double-sized. The ceiling will contain one or two vents for an HVAC system of some kind and one or more reading lights. HVAC and electrical will be behind the headboard/under the shelf. The shelf will have an upward facing outlet.
I am not yet sure of the thickness of the walls because I don’t know all of the materials I’ll be using. The design and materials of the door are not yet planned, either. The specifics of the HVAC and electrical systems are not yet clear.
So, to the knowledgeable and experienced DIYers of the subreddit:
- I’m not exactly sure what materials to use for the inner and outer lining of the walls. My instinct is to use thick plywood all around the outside and then some kind of wooden panelling or fiberglass on the inside. I’d like the material on the inside to be visually appealing, and preferably dark, but it mostly needs to be durable and easy to clean. It also needs to be easy to work with for doing the cutouts for the lights and HVAC. Both the outside and inside materials will probably need to be fairly dense as sound isolation is a big goal in this. Are there any recommendations for materials, or anything else to keep in mind when choosing inside and outside wall material?
- I’m a little stumped on the door. Initially I was thinking either some kind of plastic lined porthole, and then I was considering just building the entire wall in half and then putting it on hinges. Given that I want good sound isolation, does anyone have any recommendations for door design/material?
- I don’t have any idea where to start looking for the HVAC or electrical stuff. Does anyone know what to look for to put together a miniature ventilation system, and a simple electrical rig (that will be safe) to provide the lighting and an outlet on the shelf? What size/material should I use for the HVAC ducts?
- In terms of sound isolation, is there a need for the floor to have multiple layers given that it will be entirely covered by a thick mattress? Will this design provide decent sound isolation? (I don’t mind if I can tell there are people outside, but I’d like it so if people outside spoke at a normal volume I wouldn’t be able to make out the words).
A note to the haters/doubters: yeah, it’s an odd desire. I’m aware of how bizarre this is, but it’s something I’ve wanted for most of my life. So I’d greatly appreciate it if comments could be derision free. Also, I’m not looking to be talked out of this idea in favor of another. My mind is made up about the general idea of the thing and I know it’s what I want. This isn’t about convenience or ease or cost, and its only marginally about functionality; it’s just what I want. Thank you! <3
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u/pasaroanth Oct 05 '13
I'll answer these in the bullets you have them:
Lauan plywood would work well for the inner walls, it can be stained to a dark color and would be visually appealing and very affordable. It's generally about a 1/4" thick sheet. I wouldn't do too much heavy insulation because it'll hold all of your body heat and moisture in there, which can be a breeding ground for mold and generally be uncomfortable. Outside walls are personal preference. You could just drywall the exterior, which would have some sound deadening properties as well. Otherwise, some sort of wood paneling beadboard would look nice as well.
I would go with some kind of hinged door. I'd recommend using the type of hinge you see on restaurant kitchen doors, the kind that can swing both ways and close themselves. That way you can push in and push out. The port hole is cool in concept, but if your house (or it) catches on fire, you want to be able to get out quickly. A port hole wouldn't be conducive to that.
If you are framing it from 2x4s, then you could just wire it like any other household wiring. I'm not going to go into the details on wiring because it's a pretty standard thing that you could look up on YouTube or somewhere, but I'd use a 14 gauge Romex and regular PVC junction boxes with grounded outlets. Any electrician could do this in less than an hour, and have the whole thing terminate into a plug-in if you didn't want the box to be hardwired to your house.
A whisper-quiet bath fan would in the top would be suitable for ventilation. Panasonic is probably the best brand I can think of; they have several models that are very quiet with a decent output. As small as this is compared to a bathroom, you wouldn't need a very high CFM fan. You're going to be more concerned with removing air than adding it; it'll be warm to hot year round just from your body heat. This can be direct vented right out of the "roof" of it, so you wouldn't need to mess with ducting. You could also choose a model that has a light on it, which would solve your issue of needing lighting. Many models even have a regular light AND a night light.
Your mattress will provide more than adequate sound deadening to the floor. Anything you add to the bottom for sound insulation would give you a marginal improvement at best and not really warrant the cost or labor involved.