What are the cheapest options for DIY room treating?
- Thread starter dem466
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Myriad_Rocker
New member
It really depends on the type of foam you're talking about. Not just any foam will work. The combination of mattresses and foam might work to an extent but you're really just going to deaden the room. And that might be the best you can expect. It just depends on the kind of results you're looking for. If you're looking for "budget" results, then a few mattresses would help deaden the room.
That's if you already have the mattresses. If you don't, it would be cheaper to nearly properly treat the room.
What kind of foam are you talking about?
Re-tox_stl
New member
My first room treatment was a big mattress next to my kit, and a bunch of used Auralex I got for dirt cheap. It was ALLLLLLRIGHT... but still pretty piss poor. Like Jeff says, go buy some rockwool and build a few panels. Its amazing what it will do.
preston897
New member
where can you get a big bag of rockwool?
Jeff_D
New member
The local home center wont have it... But go to pretty much any commercial metal stud distributor and they'll have shelves of it. Its used daily in commercial construction as fire stopping and inside stud walls for sound (I'm talking office buildings, apartments, etc, not just special studio type stuff). There are different densities. If they have Roxul (a popular brand around here), get the Roxul "Safe". You'll want the 4" thickness. Roxul Safe®
(Edit) You want the "Safe" instead of the basic "AFB" (acoustic fire batts). The safe has much better low freq absorption- you can see that from the "Acoustical Performance: CO-EFFICIENTS AT FREQUENCIES" table toward the bottom of the page at the link above.
(Edit) You want the "Safe" instead of the basic "AFB" (acoustic fire batts). The safe has much better low freq absorption- you can see that from the "Acoustical Performance: CO-EFFICIENTS AT FREQUENCIES" table toward the bottom of the page at the link above.
drumslinger
New member
you can use the pink stuff as well. don't take it out of the bag, leave it packed up and put it in the corner as bass traps. go to whatever hardware store that has it. you can stack em up for more bass trapping. r19 would be ok and probably cheaper. throw some material over it to make it look nicer if you want.
Re-tox_stl
New member
If you have a Lowes by you, they sell Roxul for around $50 a pack (8 2'x4'x3" batts)
Myriad_Rocker
New member
Jeff -
Would you say that this is fairly comparable? It is available at Lowe's.
Roxul Safe n Sound 3"
Would you say that this is fairly comparable? It is available at Lowe's.
Roxul Safe n Sound 3"
Jeff_D
New member
The low frequency absorption numbers aren't so great on the safe n sound. Its a lot less dense than the "Safe".The 125Hz absorption co-ef is only 0.52, which more or less means it absorbs about half of the sound in that frequency hitting it. The Roxul Safe in 3" is a bit better at 0.63. At 4" its all the way up to 1.03, which basically means it absorbs all the sound in the range.
i know its a bit out of some peoples comfort zone to call up a commercial material supplier, but its not really that big of a deal. The place I called was helpful, and I wasn't the weird person building a home studio that had called him looking for small quantities. EVERY major city has a commercial building supply place or ten.
i know its a bit out of some peoples comfort zone to call up a commercial material supplier, but its not really that big of a deal. The place I called was helpful, and I wasn't the weird person building a home studio that had called him looking for small quantities. EVERY major city has a commercial building supply place or ten.
Myriad_Rocker
New member
If that's the case then 703 isn't much different at 125Hz because it's co-efficient is only .53. .52 from the Safe N Sound seems on par. That's comparing 3" 703 to the 3" Safe N Sound.
The most significant difference that is notable between the two is at 250Hz. 3" 703 yields 1.19 while 3" yields .96. I don't know that that's enough to get up in arms about...no, really. I don't know.
Chili
Site Moderator
When I called the local SPI to order my 703, the guy said something like, "You're building a studio, huh?" I guess it's pretty common.
true-eurt
Maneater
Jeff_D
New member
Everything in my place is 4" thick, so thats really the number I'm comparing to. I could have sworn I saw info on 4" OC703 in the past, but I couldn't say where. I've treated my place in several phases over the years. I've used both the AFB, the Roxul Safe and OC703. The Safe and the 703 were MUCH easier to work with and have better specs. Just my 2c.
I'm new to this, as well, and just starting the treament of my home studio, too.
I read everything I could find and decided to order 6 2X4 panels of 703 from ATSacoustics to start with for $60 with SH. During transport delivery I searched around calling my construction buddies looking for RFB insulation on my own and was referred to an AC company we used when I was in that industry. I called the contact and he told me they were throwing out some Johns Manville boards that day. I rushed over and loaded my truck with every thing I could hold and flipped him a $20 note for lunch.
It was all cut to about 44" with widths from 12" to 24" and 1 1/2" thick. I sorted it all out into groups and ended up with about 30 or so panels with backing!
The delivery arrived from ATS and I felt lesson learned after I opened the box to find the 6 1" panels of the same stuff... no backing.
That would be equal to $300 from ATS for my $20 spot!
I read everything I could find and decided to order 6 2X4 panels of 703 from ATSacoustics to start with for $60 with SH. During transport delivery I searched around calling my construction buddies looking for RFB insulation on my own and was referred to an AC company we used when I was in that industry. I called the contact and he told me they were throwing out some Johns Manville boards that day. I rushed over and loaded my truck with every thing I could hold and flipped him a $20 note for lunch.
It was all cut to about 44" with widths from 12" to 24" and 1 1/2" thick. I sorted it all out into groups and ended up with about 30 or so panels with backing!
The delivery arrived from ATS and I felt lesson learned after I opened the box to find the 6 1" panels of the same stuff... no backing.
That would be equal to $300 from ATS for my $20 spot!