Whether at work, at home or in the car, we have become conditioned to accept noise as the norm in life and not the exception. But with Foam Factory, Inc.’s economy-sized 72 inch by 80 inch sheets of charcoal eggcrate acoustical foam, any area can experience improved sound quality and less residual noise, cutting a little stress out of our daily lives.
The use of acoustical foam isn’t just restricted to recording professionals or audiophiles. With applications ranging from industrial to residential to vehicular, acoustical foams can improve the sound quality of your entire world. These sheets of eggcrate charcoal foam, 6 feet wide by more than 6 feet long, are available in both 1-1/2 inch and 2-1/2 inch styles. With the peak-and-valley eggcrate design, you get more surface area dissipating and absorbing sound while saving money due to the manufacturing process. To produce eggcrate foam, a sheet is passed through a studded convoluting machine that applies pressure to certain areas as a blade runs through the center. When released, two reciprocal sheets of eggcrate foam are produced by the single pass through the machine. The reduced production cost of this manufacturing method equates to savings passed directly to the customer, as Foam Factory is both the manufacturer and retailer of their products.
Eggcrate foam is easily cut and trimmed at home to fit any application, either by using a gentle sawing motion with a sharp blade or an electric knife. Foam Factory also offers cutting services to trim the material for detailed and precise applications, should the customer not feel confident cutting the material at home. Despite the economical price, this material is the same grade of acoustical foam as other Foam Factory sound treatment foam products, boasting greater density and ILD values than standard charcoal foam. Furthermore, this material meets the ASTM E 84 standard for fire retardancy at its highest Class A rating. Going through testing and achieving a top rating makes it an acceptable product for many building regulations* that require materials meet safety standards before being installed.
The more than 40 square feet of material in each full eggcrate sheet makes them appropriate in an industrial or factory setting, where large spans can be covered at once. High ceilings, cavernous walls and reflective building materials can create echoes and sound reverberations from machinery noise, packaging processes and conversation. Sound will always be generated at a work site, but it doesn’t need to linger. These residual noises create elevated sound levels that can potentially become hazardous, should one person be unable to clearly communicate with another. Strategically placed acoustical eggcrate sheets can dampen and deaden the sound that bounces and reflects in these large areas. This is also extremely beneficial for reducing sound at work sites where production and warehousing areas are connected to offices and retail areas. Smaller businesses and public venues can also benefit from acoustical eggcrate foam as well. Indoor shooting ranges can be lined to help cut down on noise and gymnasiums, public pools, weight lifting rooms and restaurants can all benefit from sound insulation.
At home, the uses for acoustical eggcrate sound foam can help with noise reduction from pets, neighbors and even appliances. For homes with rooms over the garage, the noise of cars coming and going and the opening of doors can greatly detract from the enjoyment of a space. Installing charcoal eggcrate foam in the ceiling of a first floor garage can help reduce the sound transmission to a second-floor room. Pets can also create noise that may bother neighbors or even impact your ability to keep them if complaints are filed. Animals like parrots or frogs that stay in confined areas but can generate excessive noise can annoy neighbors if a wall is shared in an apartment complex. Treating a room with acoustic foam can help with sound dampening, placating neighbors and allowing you to keep your pets. This can work the other way as well, if you want to diminish the sound from neighbors reaching you. Laundry rooms with noisy washers and dryers can also receive sound control treatment.
Noise can negatively affect the driving experience as well. Whether it is road noise generated by the car or a user-generated source like speakers, eggcrate foam can help with sound reduction to minimize these issues. Lining a trunk is one of the easiest ways of cutting down on noise in a vehicle. If speakers are mounted there, it can help reduce flutter and echo created in the open space, boosting clarity. Additionally, road noise from tires and terrain can also be captured by the open trunk space, so applying eggcrate lining can help reduce the white noise in a vehicle by diffusing the echo and resonance of those sound waves.
There are many options for mounting acoustical foam, depending on the permanence of an application and the mounting materials you prefer to use. Nails or pins can be set through the foam, directly into the mounting surface. Despite its size, the light weight of foam means nails or pins only need to be used every 1-1/2 to 2 feet to prevent sagging and stress. This method is suggested for both permanent and semi-permanent setups, because removing the nails and filling the pinholes is all it takes to return a room to its previous state. Another method for non-permanent setups is mounting the foam to an intermediary board that can then be hung permanently or just leaned against a wall and taken to a new location as needed. For completely permanent installations, Foam Factory suggests their spray adhesive to form a strong bond between the acoustical eggcrate and a clean wall surface.
The size and capabilities of economy acoustical eggcrate foam makes it an excellent general purpose sound treatment product for people with creative solutions to noise problems. The 72 inch by 80 inch sheet can be turned into materials for an assortment of applications or can be used as a solid piece for a single use. The versatility and value this Foam Factory product offers makes it the right choice for people wanting a little more tranquility in their lives.
*Always check with local building and installation regulations before the application of sound treatment materials.
