Source for Rigid Fiberglass and/or Rockwool?

[djsixbillion]

Anyone know of a source for these materials in Northern CA, preferably near Sacramento? I've called around to all of the hardware and building-supply places, and nobody seems to know what I'm talking about. The closest I got was some 1-inch thick rigid foam board . Kind of neat, but not useful for my purposes, which will be some wall-hanging acoustic absorption as well as lining for the interior of speaker cabinets.

[ThomasW]

Look in the yellow pages for insulation/insulation suppliers. It's sold by specialty companies not general building supply houses.

I found a supplier in Denver on the second call and the best pricing ($1.47/sq ft for 2" thick) on the 4th call...

[JRT]

Anyone know of a source for these materials in Northern CA, preferably near Sacramento? I've called around to all of the hardware and building-supply places, and nobody seems to know what I'm talking about. The closest I got was some 1-inch thick rigid foam board . Kind of neat, but not useful for my purposes, which will be some wall-hanging acoustic absorption as well as lining for the interior of speaker cabinets.

You can buy OC 703 and 705 here, but its not local to you.

http://acoustimac.com/products.asp

You might also call and ask where you can buy that locally:

http://www.owenscorning.com/1800getpink.asp

[djsixbillion]

Thanks for the replies. JRT have you ordered from acoustimac before? If they have a reasonable shipping charge out to CA that might be a decent option.

On a sidenote, is the rockwool material as effective as the fiberglass? It seems like it might be more pleasant to work with, but it might also be more expensive?

[Troy R]

This place sells it by the piece.

http://www.atsacoustics.com/cat--Fiberglass-and-Mineral-Wool-Batts-and-Boards--106.html

[Hdale85]

I've actually heard that the rockwool is more of a pain to work with.

[Deward Hastings]

I bought mine at "Specialty Products and Insulation" in Benicia, a couple bales a couple years ago. It's your basic industrial warehouse with a sales office over in the corner. A back up to the loading dock and toss the bales into the truck kind of place. Bit over an hour from Sac. They deliver, but I have no idea what they'd charge . . .

There was more detail on their web page back then, it seems that now you have to call "sales" so I can't speak to their current lines. What I got from them was "HG Mineral Wool Insulation" 2 inches thick . . . it also comes in other thicknesses and various weights. Absolutely amazing stuff, puts all the foams and loose fibers to shame, and properly mounted can give nearly 100% absorbtion down to below 100Hz.

And way cheap . . . 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of similar fiberglass.

[djsixbillion]

That sounds like it may be the ticket. Am I right in assuming that the mineral wool is a bit heavier/denser than fiberglass?

Also, I've got a bunch of thin felt-type material that I was thinking of using to cover the panels with. It's about 1/16" or so thick. Is the felt transmissive enough to allow high frequencies to pass through, or should I get something more like the standard burlap?

Thanks

[ThomasW]

Felt absorbs HF like a sponge. But it's a little spendy to use to to cover the traps with since the insulation inside will absorb the same HF. I cover my traps with muslin

[jeff_free69]

I know its not local, but i recommend

http://www.readyacoustics.com/

79 for OC703;
129 for OC705 ( for 6 sheets ; 705 seems to come prepackaged from OC in 5's and some retailers give you that many - so be careful to check how many your getting in a box.

figure 12-25 dollars shipping

[ThomasW]

Regardless of pad thickness the 703 OC factory 4'X2'X2' bundles are a bit heavy.

I put one end of a bundle on a postal scale and leveled the other end with a shim on the floor. The scale showed over 26 lbs. I realize this isn't the proper way to weigh it, but the bundle dwarfs the 12" square pad the scale uses.

So this stuff would be $pendy to ship once proper packing is used.

[Deward Hastings]

Weight/density depends on what you order . . . 2 lbs/sq. ft. is, well . . . (at the time that I bought mine the mineral wool board was available in higher density, though, up to 8 lb. as I recall).

As for coverings, it depends. Some fabric or felted materials are a bit (though not very) reflective at high frequencies, but none are at low frequency, so select for the profile you want. In most "normally" furnished and carpeted rooms highs are absorbed more than mids and lows, so the challenge is to address that imbalance. I used a fairly dense upholstery fabric from a local discount fabric store for my panels, with no complaints . . . burlap tends to "shed" after a year or two, and does little to contain any stray fiber from the insulation. I'd avoid it. For better low frequency absorption space the panels out from the wall a bit, even an inch or two makes a worthwhile difference.

Speaker boxes have different needs. Generally one is not much interested in the pressurization region (box dimensions below a quarter wavelength) but want to prevent internal reflections of shorter wavelength from producing standing waves or reflecting out through the cone. Again spacing the panel out from the wall is good (internal bracing can provide good mounting points), and the lower density material probably provides sufficient absorption. Iin comparison to loose fill absorption tracks with total weight of material rather than volume . . . the rigid material lets you target specific box modes/dimensions more effectively, and a fiber cup or basket around the driver may work better than tacking the stuff to the box walls. I suspect that a lot of mid-range box coloration could be cured with it . . .

[dwk]

I found a supplier in Denver on the second call and the best pricing ($1.47/sq ft for 2" thick) on the 4th call...

Are you willing to share your source?

[ThomasW]

Are you willing to share your source?

Plateau Insulation
142000 E 32nd Place
Aurora
303-371-0505

http://www.bayindustries.com/bay_ins/locations.phtml

[dwk]

Plateau Insulation
142000 E 32nd Place
Aurora
303-371-0505

http://www.bayindustries.com/bay_ins/locations.phtml

Cool - thanks.

[Joel DuBay]

I know its not local, but i recommend

http://www.readyacoustics.com/

79 for OC703;
129 for OC705 ( for 6 sheets ; 705 seems to come prepackaged from OC in 5's and some retailers give you that many - so be careful to check how many your getting in a box.

figure 12-25 dollars shipping

Thanks for the plug Jeff. :T



Joel DuBay
readyacoustics.com

[---k---]

I got mine from sensiblesoundsolutions.com . Brian Pape (bpape) is a frequent poster at avs and is a good guy. I couldn't buy local if I wanted to, because my small call couldn't transport it. And most places are only open 8-5pm, m-f.