Dumb newbie question: DON'T ANSWER ! ! !

[chessrock]

He he.

Just thought I'd warn you ahead of time, but since I got your curiosity, I was just wondering:

I'm putting up wood panels on my walls, which I plan on putting sound-absorbent materials (foam) on to.

Here's my question: What kind of adhesive or other means would you recommend for sticking the foam material to the wooden panels?

Staplegun isn't cutting it, because they keep falling off. I like the idea of glue, but what kind of glue should I go with? I've even thought of . . . yes . . . valcro.

Any ideas/suggestions are welcome.

[ausrock]

I'm not goin' to answer............so there

[Vurt]

I applied carpet to a cement wall with some general purpose floor adhesive from a local hardware store. I don't know exactly what the shit was, but it worked incredibly well with almost no fumes or unwelcome side effects like unconsciousness, blindness, or death. Also not sure if it would be ideal for wood, especially if it has a finish on it.

[Badger]

Liquid nails. That, ductape, and JB Weld can fix anything

[Vurt]

Liquid Nails is for sure one of man's best friends, but it won't stick carpet to cement, brother! But for foam and wood, as in Chess's situation, who knows?

[chessrock]

I love the Liquid Cement suggestion.

The only question is . . . how safe would it be in terms of fumes I would undoubtedly inhale as I appy it? I mean, I would most likely go through like a half a tube for every sheet of wood. You gotta cake a lot of that stuff on, since there's a lot of wood and foam to cover.

The floor adhesive idea seems to hold some merit, as I'm sure that works a lot like paint, right?

[jimistone]

get a caulk gun (they're cheap) and get a few tubes of liquid nail adheisive. im using it to glue styrofoam strips to the studs on my studio walls (so the drywall won't be touching the wooden studs.)
the fumes arn't strong...it smells more like latex caulk than glue. once it sets you will never get the styrofoam off though.

you don't have to cake that much on either...its strong

[Kelby]

I tried the velcro option, and I picked up some velcro that comes with a sticky adhesive on the back. No good. It just doesn't stick enough, and everything kept falling down.

So I went to a foam & fabric store and they recommended a spray can of some "special" foam adhesive they sell for 2 or 3 bucks a can. So I bought a can. I had a feeling it would be good, 'cause the can says right on the front "NEW AND IMPROVED." Seriously, the stuff is sticky as hell, and that velcro ain't a-goin' nowhere now. I don't know where you are or whether they'd ship it to you, but its cheap and stickier than a sonofabitch. (And a sonofabitch can be mighty sticky, you know.) If you live close or want to check on whether they would ship it, they are called A-1 Foam & Fabric, they're in Santa Ana, California, and their phone number is (714) 835-1181. The can has their store name on it for a brand name and it's called "Heavy Duty Adhesive Spray Part #7676." Whether you go with velcro or just want to glue the foam to the wall, this stuff is convenient and sticks like mad. (They also sell velcro very cheap --- twenty five yards of 1" velcro for fifty bucks.)

And no, I don't have any interest in their business, except that they sold me some damned fine adhesive.

As long as we're on the velcro topic, is there any acoustic disadvantage to attaching acoustic foam to the wall with velcro rather than just smearing glue all over it? As cheesy as velcro sounds, I liked the idea of being able to take my foam down easily if I move or experiment with shifting things around, and I couldn't think of any good reason to tack it up there permanently.

[Vurt]

Originally posted by chessrock
The floor adhesive idea seems to hold some merit, as I'm sure that works a lot like paint, right?

No not at all. It's a thick goopy substance you apply with one of those plastic comb-like applicators, not thin and runny. Again, I don't know about foam and wood, but the goop stuck my carpet to painted cement like you wouldn't believe, and is about as toxic as Elmers glue. Liquid nails didn't work at all, and is far more expensive.

All you have to do is take a trip to the store and read the cans to find our what a particular product will stick to. If you get something with plenty of inhalation warnings, get a proper respirator (not a dust mask). Don't rely on anyone in the store to help you out in that department because chances are they won't have a clue.

[Vurt]

I just read Kelby's post about a spray adhesive. That may be just the way to go for foam-to-wood. I'm not familiar with the one he's talking about, but if you go to a sewing/fabric store you can pick up this crap called Super 77 made by 3M. That shit is unreal, but is sort of expensive and will fucking kill you if you try to get a buzz off it. Nasty stuff, but what do you expect from 3M?

[Newest User]

Id hate to break form here, but I don't use glue. I use sheet rock screws. 2 inchers. That way there is a small hole to fix, 6 per 2x4 sheet of foam. It also lets the foam sorta float above the wall just a little and move some.


Peace,
Dennis

[frederic]

Staplegun isn't cutting it, because they keep falling off. I like the idea of glue, but what kind of glue should I go with? I've even thought of . . . yes . . . valcro.

If you want to glue, use ordinary cheap-o white chaulk. It seals well, it isolates the wood from the wall, and doesn't dry out for a long time.

Did I say its cheap?

[chessrock]

Originally posted by Kelby
I don't know where you are or whether they'd ship it to you, but its cheap and stickier than a sonofabitch. (And a sonofabitch can be mighty sticky, you know.)

Now we're talking. Thanks for the tip.

[chessrock]

(Time passes . . . )

Alright, so I went to Jo Anne Fabrics today and picked up some of that spray adhesive stuff. Wow. That's some sticky shit. And a little seems to go a long way. I just stuck a towel around my face from the nose down . . . I don't want to inhale any of that.

Kelby, I think the military could use this shit to hold their tanks together. You weren't kidding. Holy Toledo.

Cheers,

Chess

[Kelby]

Chessrock,
It is sticky as hell. I should have warned you that when you install your foam with that stuff, don't plan on playing your guitar for a while, as the glue that gets on your fingers (which doesn't come off with soap and water) will keep sticking the strings to your fingertips. I was picking that damned glue off my fingers for days before I was able to play again. Hope it works well for you.
Cheers.

[version2]

Originally posted by Vurt
I just read Kelby's post about a spray adhesive. That may be just the way to go for foam-to-wood. I'm not familiar with the one he's talking about, but if you go to a sewing/fabric store you can pick up this crap called Super 77 made by 3M. That shit is unreal, but is sort of expensive and will fucking kill you if you try to get a buzz off it. Nasty stuff, but what do you expect from 3M?

Yup, yup. 77 is good stuff, but it is POWERFUL. Make sure to take some breaks regularly and wear a long sleeve shirt.