When you think of soundproofing, the first thing that comes to mind may be a music studio. You picture a foam-padded room that soaks up the sound waves to prevent the noise from escaping. While yes this is definitely true but acoustical foam isn’t just for music studios!

If you’re not interested in hearing the sounds of the traffic on the busy street as background music for your home life or you enjoy cycling with blaring music to get you pumped up in your workout in the early morning, you might want to consider soundproofing your home.

Soundproofing your home has many benefits, including improving sleep quality and lowering stress levels. You want your home to be a respite from a busy day, not a place you want to run away from as well.

What is the difference between soundproofing and sound blocking?

Sound proofing, absorbers of the sound such as echoes are related to a material’s density, thickness, and pore size. As material density increases, the absorption of low and high frequency sound becomes better. Increasing material thickness and firmness improves the absorption of low and high frequency sound.

Acoustic Foam is an open-cell foam which is with absorb fluids and degrade faster than closed cell foams if they are used outside.

For Sound blocking it is best to use a closed cell foam such as volara. This material is flexible but more dense than acoustic foam that sound has a hard time traveling between the foam. If you have a noise room or neighbor, it is best to cover the entire wall where the noise is coming from. Most common thickness 1/2” thick which has an R value of 3.6 approx. The R value measurement is per inch. The higher the R value is the better it will sound block the foam. Using our volara will block the noise from travailing about 50 to 75”% depending on how you install it. Once you install volara and you want more then the acoustic foam will be glued on top of the volara foam to absorb the sound low and high frequency sound.

If the noise is coming from a window, then you want to use Charcoal firm foam. This foam is a solid block and will do both Sound blocking and Sound proofing. 2” or 3” thickness is recommended, and the foam should be order ½” bigger on the width and length so that you can squeeze the foam in place.

The Way Soundproofing Works

Soundproofing, or technically sound insulation, works by preventing the transmission of sound from one space to another. Once a sound wave hits a surface, it has two options. It either passes through the surface, or it is reflected back to where it came from.

Effective soundproofing depends on the size, density, thickness, and structure of the objects designed to block sound. Generally speaking, the denser the object, the better.

There are various types of acoustic foam that are used for soundproofing.

Both Wedge and Pyramid-style acoustic foam is great for the absorption of noise waves and frequencies. Although this foam will not deaden noise, both types will certainly absorb a great majority of it. Decreasing the amount of noise is determined by how many foam tiles are applied in the space, and its thickness. Although these two acoustic foams have different looks, they are often mistaken for being quite similar in having the same noise reduction rate. This is definitely not true as you will read about in our NRC specs below.

Wedge Acoustic Foam Pyramid Acoustic Foam

Because the pyramid-shaped foam has to go through a more “in-depth shaping process”, its noise absorption is decreased because there is less foam material on the tiles due to its shape. The wedge foam tile actually has more foam on it because it does not go through as much of a process to achieve its shaping. The thicker you go, the less the style matters but if you are purchasing acoustic foam tiles 2 inches thick or less, the wedge style foam would be the smarter choice for your purchase. The color of the acoustic foam does not affect any noise reduction.

Eggcrate Acoustical Foam is available in sheets which is easy for installation in large areas such as walls. Eggcrate acoustic foam absorbs noise and reduces reverberation times throughout different environments: broadcast facilities, recording studios, and home theaters, concert halls, auditoriums, broadcast facilities, or office and industrial rooms. The wavy texture and charcoal shade of these panels also add aesthetic value by giving rooms a modern, finished look when mounted on the ceiling or walls. The egg crate foam can also come in handy for industrial or commercial sites in fighting against loud vibrations and another mechanical clatter.

Eggcrate Acoustical Foam can be bought in standard sheets sized or custom cut. Feel free to contact us if you need assistance in configuring the optimal solution for managing the soundscape of a particular space.

Acoustic Bass Absorbers

We also sell Bass Absorbing Foam that works for sound absorption and reducing low-frequency sounds. Foam acoustic strips will sound deaden and reduce low-frequency energies by dampening those long, strong bass waves that are notoriously difficult to intercept. Bass Absorption Foam comes in many shapes and sizes as well as kits.

At Foam N’ More, we also have Acoustic Ceiling Tiles that have outstanding absorption qualities. They can be used as a drop ceiling or glued directly to the ceiling. Specially designed to trap and deflect sound energy.

Acoustic Foam Ceiling Panels

Acoustic Ceiling Tiles trap and deflect sound energy. Made out of open-cell, flame retardant polyester foam, the tiles come in an array of colors and styles to suit your taste.

Our practical 24″ x 24″ tiles size allows for easy installation from rooms of all sizes, rehearsal stages, radio stations, recordings studios. They can be attached to the ceilings with spray adhesive, double-sided tape, contact cement, glue, or caulk.

What’s more, you can complement your soundproofed ceiling by adding our acoustic foam panels to your wall.

For an eye-pleasing look and feel, we sell stylish kits that offer amazing sound absorption qualities that are designed to trap and deflect sound energy as well as look great in your room. They are also made of open-cell, flame retardant polyester foam.

Wedge & Pyramid Foam are Available in these colors listed below…

Charcoal, Red, Burgundy, Green, Blue and Purple……

Foam N’ More: Foam Fabricators and Noise Reducing Foam Applications in Michigan

Foam N’ More offers many options for noise reduction using foam. We offer full-size sheets as well as ready-made pieces and custom-cut solutions. We have sizes and shapes for all noise-reducing needs.

If you are unsure of what you need, Foam N’ More is always ready to help with all your sound blocking issues. Call Foam N’ More, the foam fabricator specialists today at (248) 284-0002 for any questions, you may have about noise-reducing foam.