Ethan (or anyone)

Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2003 10:33 pm

Hi Ethan
Cedar Flat Fats recommended you, and I have read several of your posts. I have a 14 X 14 X 7 (I know, square, BAD) room, and I can't stand the thought of making it even smaller. Ethan, I have some time, but little money. My father-in-law (God love him) gave me some great baffles (8 - 4' X 4' X 2") for free. These look like they are made of that nasty spray foam, covered with nice gray cloth. I have some "other" (ugly) baffles I could use made of what looks like fiberglass in vinyl plastic, you know, like old crappy school gym baffles. I hung the gray ones flat on the wall through apparently mis-guided logic and pure unadulterated ignorance. Is there a better way to use these? There is cheap paneling on the walls, and a waferboard ceiling. There is wood flooring under the carpet (pull it up?). There are three unobstructed window panes for plenty of sympathetic vibration (we all need sympathy). Should I cover those? With what? I need some cheap options for fixing these problems. Would remnants of carpet help in any way? I have pretty good access to that and a little lumber for free. I am a good scrounger, if you tell me the material. Could I free-hang carpet-covered plywood from the ceiling, a few inches from, and parallel to, the walls? I have seen something like this done in a nicer studio. How 'bout some nice shag on the walls in a 70's cool sort of way. I am being deadly serious by the way. I don't care what it looks like, and it doesn't have to be Elektra-perfect, I just want Ghetto-better, or even Disco-dandy. Can you help? I also had a crazy idea of taking out the wafer-board ceiling, and spraying insulation on the underside of the tin roof, any benefits for the cost there? I also have no neighbors, if that gives me any advantage on any of the above. If I did build some of your bass traps, and use the #703 (if I could find it) How would I estimate the cost, and how many/much to use? Thanks a lot to Ethan or anyone who helps me.
Andy

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2003 6:32 am

Andy,

> ... some great baffles (8 - 4' X 4' X 2") for free. These look like they are made of that nasty spray foam, covered with nice gray cloth. <

I don't know what "spray foam" is, but if it's anything like styrofoam it will do nothing useful acoustically. Is it stiff and made of the same stuff as a foam coffee cup, or is it like foam rubber?

> I have some "other" (ugly) baffles I could use made of what looks like fiberglass in vinyl plastic <

Again, without knowing what's actually in them, how thick the vinyl is, etc. I can't tell you what to do with them. Is it really fiberglass inside? Have you opened them?

> There is cheap paneling on the walls ... There are three unobstructed window panes ... Should I cover those? With what? ... I need some cheap options for fixing these problems. <

Cheap and good don't necessarily go together. Sad

You need windows so don't cover them. And you need real fiberglass, so if you don't have that in one form or another you'll have to buy it. The best fiberglass is 703 or 705 from Owens-Corning, or an equivalent made by Mansville or Knauf.

> Could I free-hang carpet-covered plywood from the ceiling, a few inches from, and parallel to, the walls? <

Forget carpet. It's not useful, and attaching it to wood panels does not help and just makes more work for you.

> If I did build some of your bass traps, and use the #703 (if I could find it) How would I estimate the cost, and how many/much to use? <

Guidelines for installation are in my article, and generally speaking the more the better. Approximate current costs are listed near the end.

--Ethan

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