Packing Foam in walls instead of insulation

[dgilling]

At my work I have access to a bunch of dense packing foam that is used to ship high value items. The foam seems like it would be a good replacement for insulation in the walls. What do you guys think? I already have 2" thick rigid foam on the concrete walls behind my stud walls so I meet code requirements. Temperature isn't really concern since the basement stays around 67 degrees all the time. the foam is about 3" thick and similar to the link below. the foam would be much nicer to work with and it's free. I'm just concerned it might make things sound kind of dead. It reminds me of material that would be used inside an anechoic chamber.

http://www.foambymail.com/CR/solid-charcoal-regular-foam.html

 

[slipperybidness]

At my work I have access to a bunch of dense packing foam that is used to ship high value items. The foam seems like it would be a good replacement for insulation in the walls. What do you guys think? I already have 2" thick rigid foam on the concrete walls behind my stud walls so I meet code requirements. Temperature isn't really concern since the basement stays around 67 degrees all the time. the foam is about 3" thick and similar to the link below. the foam would be much nicer to work with and it's free. I'm just concerned it might make things sound kind of dead. It reminds me of material that would be used inside an anechoic chamber.

http://www.foambymail.com/CR/solid-charcoal-regular-foam.html

My very first concern would be fire codes and how combustible is this foam material that you are suggesting?

 

[j_garcia]

Basement is already insulated by the ground sound-wise. So adding more likely won't offer big sound benefits. That foam probably is similar to what they use to make eggcrate style foam that'd you'd often see used as treatments, but those are using their irregular shape in addition to the foam properties to absorb sound.

If you want to stick it IN the wall, better make sure it meets code first, for reasons above.

 

[TLS Guy]

I can guarantee that foam will not be fire rated. If you use it, you will invalidate your home owners insurance. If you seriously injure or kill someone, because you used it, you will get a long prison sentence.

 

[dgilling]

Well, I guess that settles that. I can't find actual fire resistance ratings on it but they say they use them around engines. Oh well it was just a thought.

 

[highfigh]

Basement is already insulated by the ground sound-wise. So adding more likely won't offer big sound benefits. That foam probably is similar to what they use to make eggcrate style foam that'd you'd often see used as treatments, but those are using their irregular shape in addition to the foam properties to absorb sound.

If you want to stick it IN the wall, better make sure it meets code first, for reasons above.

Egg crate acoustical treatment is crap- it diffuses a bit of the sound but it's not very effective and the ground doesn't help with a room's acoustics, which are all inside. External noise may bot enter, but the sound in the room will reflect and standing waves can be a real problem that need to be dealt with. Foam insulation can be used for blocking sound passing through from one side to the other, but mass is better and fiberglass batting works far better.

 

[highfigh]

Well, I guess that settles that. I can't find actual fire resistance ratings on it but they say they use them around engines. Oh well it was just a thought.

Well, I guess that settles that. I can't find actual fire resistance ratings on it but they say they use them around engines. Oh well it was just a thought.

There are lots of different types of foam and shipping materials are chosen, based on the items size and weight. Is this the closed-cell insulation or styrofoam, made of small beads of foam? That stuff is bad WRT fire and the fumes are toxic.

If you can see any info stamped on the foam, it may be a way to look into its characteristics.

But first, it would help to know the mechanism for sound reduction in various materials. The flat, smooth surfaces will reflect sound if the surface isn't porous and if it is, the energy from the moving air will be changed to a small amount of heat. The thickness of fiberglass or foam will determine which frequencies will be affected, and by how much.

 

[Scott Y.]

I also don't understand your goal. Sound insulation?

Anyway, there are ways to add foam that meets codes. These guys (http://www.foammywalls.com/) and I'm sure many others can shoot foam into existing walls.

If you were just in a normal framed area of your house, you could add double drywall and also double wall for sound proofing. Double wall means that you offset the studs between rooms so that the drywall does not fasten to the wall in the next room. Then, add insulation in the gap.

 

[j_garcia]

There's soundproof drywall material that has an insulating later built into it.

https://www.quietrock.com/

 

[dgilling]

I also don't understand your goal. Sound insulation?

Anyway, there are ways to add foam that meets codes. These guys (http://www.foammywalls.com/) and I'm sure many others can shoot foam into existing walls.

If you were just in a normal framed area of your house, you could add double drywall and also double wall for sound proofing. Double wall means that you offset the studs between rooms so that the drywall does not fasten to the wall in the next room. Then, add insulation in the gap.

I'm not sound proofing, since there's nothing on the other side of the wall except 8" of concrete and the earth. Walls are already up so not much I can do there. I've just been looking at other builds and most seem to "treat" the walls with some sort of insulation, foam on the outside, fancy pictures with insulation in them, etc. is all that for sound proofing? I wanted to put something inside the columns so they didn't sound like hollow drums.

Ceiling will get double 5/8 drywall, rear wall that shares a wall with a bathroom will have 5/8 drywall on each side, and roxul sound insulation inside it.

 

[dgilling]

There's soundproof drywall material that has an insulating later built into it.

https://www.quietrock.com/

Sound proofing company states quietrock is a waste of money and to just use 5/8 drywall.

 

[j_garcia]

That was just an example, not a product I would endorse. I've never been in a situation where I had a room I needed to insulate. As mentioned, a basement is typically already pretty well sound insulated.

 

[mtrycrafts]

.... These guys (http://www.foammywalls.com/) and I'm sure many others can shoot foam into existing walls.

...

Yes, but that is noty free.

 

[ruman]

Irregular shaped foams are always better for sound insulation. They have better noise damping than these kind of flat foam sheets.

 

[highfigh]

Irregular shaped foams are always better for sound insulation. They have better noise damping than these kind of flat foam sheets.

Depends on the density, porosity and thickness. There's no way to know what's needed until the room's response and characteristics have been analyzed, so there's no "always" at this point because it's possible to absorb too much. A room needs what it needs, no more and no less.