Spray Foam Insulation Sound Attenuation

The main job of insulation in a wall when it comes to noise control is sound absorption.

Spray foam insulation sound attenuation.

The surface burning characteristics of ecotouch insulation were derived from products tested in accordance with astm e84. Batt blown in and spray foam insulation can reduce sound transfer in the walls and ceilings in your home. It ties with rock wool batts for an stc of 50 in a laboratory test environment. First spray foam has the best stc rating of all the options.

Touch n foam 2 component spray foam expands and touch n foam 2 component spray foam expands and cures quickly to fill cavities gaps cracks expansion joints and other sources of air leakage in a building envelope. We have been involved in polyurethanes polyureas and numerous waterproofing coating materials for over 20. Insulation acts as a shock absorber on that spring reducing the amount of sound energy that can take that path. This standard is used solely to measure and describe properties of products in response to heat and flame under controlled laboratory conditions and should not be used to describe or approve the fire hazard of materials under actual fire conditions.

Spray foam insulation is a polyurethane foam spray that makes a thermal barrier and minimizes air movement. At the same time these specialized insulation products help prevent drafts and energy loss. However in real construction a batt would be cut to fit around utilities and boxes leaving sound transfer cracks. However for sound attenuation purposes overall open cell spray foam insulation is better than closed cell spray foam because open cell spray foam does an excellent job of absorbing sound waves whereas closed cell spray foam is more likely to create an echo chamber resulting in a reverb effect.

It is very difficult to specify how much sound will be reduced unless a specific sound wall assembly is designed i e. It s great for keeping the cold or heat in or out but not a good sound absorber. The air inside a framing cavity acts as a spring transmitting vibrations from one side of the wall to the other. Although the values should indicate an improvement in the sound attenuation of a standard 2 4 partition wall the adhesion of the foam to the components allows soundwaves to pass through easily.

Why open cell oc spray foam is best for sound attenuation. Additionally the open and closed cells in the hardened foam increase mid range frequency resonance distorting the sound quality. For the ultimate in home comfort usi carries a variety of insulation products that offer noise reducing properties. Is spray foam insulation better for sound attenuation than fiberglass insulation.

Spray foam has more density than fiberglass and its physical properties attenuate sound more effectively.