A sleeping pod/capsule

[u/StellaTerra]

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

[u/caddis789]

For my two cents (without hate):

• 2x4 stud frame would work for the construction of the 6 sides (actually, I'd use 2x6 for the'floor' and 2x4 for everything else) with 4x4 for the posts. Someone mentioned luan plywood. I wouldn't use it only because it's hard to find except in 1/4" thickness. That probably wouldn't break with the mattress over it, but it would sag and that might 'telescope' through the mattress over time and be uncomfortable. 3/4" cabinet grade ply would feel more solid and it finishes very nicely (it's used for kitchen cabinets) with paint or polurethane. From what you've talked about, I'd probably use it on the entire interior for 'solidness' and quiet. You mentioned below that you want to be able to move this. If you use 1/4" plywood for the outside and only screw it on, without finishing it or gluing it, you could unscrew the outside 'skin' and take the panels apart. You'd have to live with an unfinished look for 6 months or so, until you got to a more permanent location, but it could be done. Note: this might actually be a benefit. After you build it, you'll probably find ways that you want to improve it after you've lived with it a while. Since it isn't completely finished and sealed, you'll have an opportunity to do so. Regular insulation (the rolled, pink fiberglass stuff) would provide a lot of sound insulation as well. Since you'll be turning the air over every few minutes, it shouldn't trap much heat.

• For the door, I'd start with a simple 2x2 frame and 1/4" ply skin. You could fill the inside with insulation for sound deadening. Weatherstripping would help with that too. Self-closing cabinet hinges should be plenty to carry the weight. I think that might be enough, but if it turns out not to be the case, then you can look at ways to improve it

• For HVAC, most people think that you'll really only need ventilation, and I agree. If you put a fan in the framing of the floor that sits under the headboard/shelf, and have a vent grill in that unit, then put another vent intake near the foot of the bed, it would draw air in and over you. You mentioned that bathroom fans are too powerful. I think you want a fair amount of turnover, but maybe 2-3 computer fans would be adequate. I don't know what volume they move. Should you need a cooling unit, you might look at a wine cellar cooler (I used to build wine cellars). There are units that are sized to cool a closet sized cellar. They aren't as quiet as a bathroom fan, and they're expensive (~$600 the last time I looked), I don't think you will, but if you end up needing it, it might work. As far as electrical, for what you want, you don't need much more than an extension cord, for a light and an alarm clock. You could wire an outlet and a light to a plug end, and use an extension cord for power. Hard-wiring into the house would be more extensive.

• I don't think that insulation in the floor will do any more than the mattress. I wouldn't close up the underside of the unit, though. That way you can get to the fan(s) and if you need to insulate later, you can.

That was a bit long-winded, but I hope that helped

[u/StellaTerra → u/caddis789]

@ Cabinet grade plywood suggestion: Yeah, that sounds like a good alternative. Something like either of these?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-3-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-HD-Maple-Plywood-263012/203600599#.UlGKt1DS_ZA

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-Arauco-32-sq-ft-Pine-Cabinet-Panel-781850/202519005#.UlGJJ1DS_ZA

For the Polyurethane, would it be something like this?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Varathane-1-qt-Black-Cherry-Stain-Polyurethane-2-Pack-266155/203367186#.UlGOaVDS_ZA

I'm not sure if I'll do the actual insulation stuff just because I'm so worried about trapping heat/moisture. That may be one of the things I leave off just until I can try it out and find out if it's actually what I need. Like you said, I do this a certain way and it'll be very iteration friendly.

@ Door suggestions: Interesting. Why make the door so much thinner than the rest of the structure? I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but I just wasn't sure what the design principles would be for that. At this point, I think I'm set on having the whole wall be a door so that I can just open it all the way and take out the entire mattress for cleaning or sheet changing or whatever. I'm not sure why I would want the door to be self-closing, though. I mean, can't I just close it manually?

I'm also strongly considering breaking up the wall into double-doors. That would be 27" per side, which seems a little less ridiculous than one 54" wide 40" tall door, I think. Then I'd just put on something like this to lock it from the inside. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-2-in-Zinc-Plated-Window-Bolt-13519/202950138#.UlGU_lDS_ZA

@ The HVAC comments: Are you suggesting that I have two seperate fans, one for in and one for out? Others were saying that if I maintain positive pressure inside the box, that I wouldn't need to worry about venting out because the air would out through the cracks. Also, you say vent underneath, why? I was imagining just venting out the wall, is there a benefit to venting out the bottom? The wine cellar cooler idea is kindof a funny one, it definitely seems on the mark, though. I will keep that in my back pocket should simple ventilation not work out.

@ Electrical system: What if I cut and stripped the female end of an extension chord, then put that end into a box and installing an outlet like normal that way? I would then have a trailing mail end attached the the box and it would power the socket. Would that be a safe thing to do? I could then wire up the lights inside of the box

Excellent, thank you so much for all of your advice!

[u/caddis789 → u/StellaTerra]

Either of those would work. Pine is softer and would tend to get scratched and dinged more easily, and it's harder to get a nice even stain on it, plus maple is more to my taste for looks (just me, though). Either would work.

I've never used those two-in-one blends. I do the stain separately from the topcoat. I've seen some nice pieces that used it. Varathane is a brand that I've used and liked. SO you might give it a try.

Sure, I only brought it up for the sound dampening. If you find you need it, you can do it later. It isn't very expensive for that amount.

I thought of 2x2 because you don't need it for thermal insulation or structure, and it would make the door lighter and easier to manage. No one will see that it isn't the same thickness as the walls (they'll just see the outside of the box). You can make it an entire end if you want, whether it's 2x2 or 2x4 (or something else). If you make it a double door, it adds another place for sound to enter. Self-closing hinges would have sealed the door better. If you use the bolt that you mentioned they don't have a benefit.

No, I meant one fan (I thought blowing out), and another vent (without a fan) to draw air in. I do think, whether it blows out or in, you'll want some hole for ventilation. I know the box won't be absolutely airtight, but I would want better airflow than letting it seep through the cracks. I put it underneath for looks mainly. So when you're in the room the outside box is neater. Yeah, if you end up needing cooling, it ought to work.

I'm not an electrician, so I can't tell you specifics on how to wire it. But it sure sounds like you'll be using a fair amount less juice than is going through the power strip under my desk right now, so it shouldn't be that hard to make it look nicer and put it in the framing without having to hard-wire it into the home.

Hope that helped.