Cheap (Or Free) Sound Absorbing Material

Mass, dead air space and distance help. Remember you are dealing with minute mechanical vibrations of your walls and ceiling.

You might get some ideas here: Anyone Have Experience With Low Frequency Soundproofing?

Before thinking about sound isolation, check out any machinery you may have. Make sure it is secured to the floor so vibrations are not transmitted through the house structure. Basically, the most effective means of attenuating sound is double walls separated by an air space. A suspended ceiling can help reduce noise through the ceiling. Walls can be made into double walls. A second stud wall can be erected; placed so as not to touch the existing wall. The interior can be filled with loose insulation. The new wall needs to be strong enough to support any item you wish to attach to the wall. A second door can be added to help attenuate sound at the entrance to the shop. The same acoustic panels used on the ceiling can also be used on the walls.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/56580#newcomments

I appreciate the comments. I learned a lot by following the url's given. Please note, however, that what I am trying to do is not to prevent sound from traveling through the walls, but to dampen the sound inside the shop- that is, eliminate echoes.

Uh-oh. Someone is bound to steer you to NIST Acoustic Anechoic Chamber criteria.

Reduce or eliminate as many hard 'shiny' surfaces as you are able. Glue some carpet to the front of your refrigerator, maybe tack some on the ceiling. Curtains in front of windows will help.

Keep in mind all of this type of suggesion will also tend to trap whatever is floating around your shop (woodshop?). So, prepare for an increase in your housekeeping, or you will have an elevated fire hazard exposure.

I would think you could use regular acoustic ceiling tile, it's inexpensive and you could attach it to walls and ceiling to deaden sound. I've been looking into something similar. I have a metal building as a shop and want to listen to music when I'm working out there. It echoes badly. Acoustic ceiling tile would work, but I don't even want to spend that much money. I'm thinking of finding some used carpet from a tear-out, cutting it into strips, troweling some carpet adhesive on the back and sticking it on walls and ceiling. There is also spray on sound deadening foam, but, again, this is a fairly pricey way to go.

I'm thinking of finding some used carpet from a tear-out, cutting it into strips, troweling some carpet adhesive on the back and sticking it on walls and ceiling.

That would probably work, but be careful; it could become a fire hazard.

It could be, I will probably start with ceilings, where it's out of the way. I don't think the entire inside would have to be covered, just enough to absorb enough sound to keep it from bouncing around. Kind of like if you have an empty room in a house, it tends to echo, but add a couch and chair to the room and it knocks it down considerably.

"I'm thinking of finding some used carpet from a tear-out, cutting it into strips, troweling some carpet adhesive on the back and sticking it on walls and ceiling."

I think that may be the best solution for me, too.

hope this helps. Check out Home Depot. they have this multifunction fiberglass insulation that also damps sound and its $6 per 5'3" sq ft. i think its a good deal

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=100187670&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=100187670&cm_mmc=shopping%2d%5f%2dgooglebase%2d%5f%2dD26X%2d%5f%2d100187670

Dirt filled water balloons would work

Many years ago I used egg cartons molded in cellulose for this purpose... and it worked extremely well. Regards R&Ddoc

To be really cheap, you could roll newspaper into cylinders, say 2" diameter and hang them in several groups of about a dozen, say 2" apart within the group. I picked 2" because that is similar to the egg crates but you could try something different. If they work. paint them at your leisure, if not, you have lost some time.

Filmmakers commonly use what are called Sound Blankets for location work. These are essentially what you might call furniture pads, with gromet holes in the corners.

I have in the past had to surround generators with sound blankets hung off C Stands so as not to interfer with set recording.

To retard fire hazards around heat, textiles like duvatine are treated with salt.

We used to hang strips of burlap when it was readily available and cheap. You may take corrugated board 3"-4" wide x however long and notch them so two pieces fit together like a lattice but the intersecting pieces are on edge like a honey comb. Make a lattice with these strips of corrugated board on edge creating 4"-6" squares 3"-4" deep and cover a panel with duct liner and a fix the lattice to that. Mount to the walls or ceiling and there you have baffled sound dispersion and deadening panels.

Or #1301 suspended ceiling panels from Armstrong in 2'x4' and 2'x2'

Yes. That is the idea I was trying to describe in the original question. And by turning the board in different directions it could be made to look "artistic". By "duct liner", do you mean a stiff bat of fiberglass?

Yes it's black or white and visit a HVAC installer; maybe they'll sell to you or pickup remnants

Now that was a good post with lots of useful information. Thanks and a GA to you!

Go to a paper/packaging company that supplies egg producers with the boxes (better still the larger versions for stacking) and buy a hundred or so new......they will cost you a few pennies each plus delivery.....

There is nothing better at the price!!!

Only glue the corners. Not the whole area. Leave asmall air gap under all the other cells....

Recently I have noticed the DIY stores stock Sheep's wool insulation. It is primarily for heat and they say it must not be used for timber frame buildings. I am guessing, but I think it would have very good sound insulating qualities and would not be as combustible as cardboard.

Cheap way is to use crushed coconut hard shell. Mix it with cement if it coarse and cement the wall and most of the sound will be absorbed.

I have done using fine ground coocanut shell in thick paint and painted my house and it is more than 80 perecent sound reduction achieved.

Everyone here is dealing with either the room or the source. A cheap and effective option is hearing protection for the receiver. Ear plugs cost a buck and over ear muffs are reusable and relatively cheap.

Yes, you are right of course. The shop I am building is intended to be a place to spend my retirement years, and I am trying to make it as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

Call around to some companies who sell fabric-wrapped acoustical panels (interior) such as you would find in a conference room or studio. Frequently they have left overs or mistakes that they can let go for cheap. These will absorb the sound and reduce relections. Acoustical blankets are good too and they may have those as well.

Or, how about used modular office panels. You know the ones used to build cubicles.

I saw the cheap version of these used for acoustics of a home theater on a DIY show.

Wrap 12" x 48" pieces of card board with some fabric from a hobby shop and secure with staples or glue. Then hang your "art work" on a large flat wall spaced about 12" apart from each other.