Is Foam Or Rubber Good For Soundproofing?

Soundproofing is applied to reduce and remove unwanted sound from a particular space.

It is a good way to maintain the sound properties of a room by eliminating unwanted noise like foot steps, traffic and any other genaral noise.

Rubber and Acoustic Foam serve two different purposes in the soundproofing process.

Acoustic foam is used as a sound absorption solution to control the sound pressure levels within a space. Rubber on the other hand is used as a means of soundproofing by adding mass to a space in order to stop sound waves from exiting a wall, floor or ceiling.

For soundproofing, Rubber would do a much better job at blocking and stopping sounds as compared to acoustic foam.

but they are both important if you plan to soundproof a room completely taking into account various sounds and techniques like sound absorption.

Therefore both foam and rubber are good for soundproofing.

Absorption

Using sound absorption material like acoustic foam can be a very effective way to lessen noise and the overall echo in a space.

Acoustic foam is soft by design which enables it to soak up sound as it hits it.

Materials for sound absorption are strategically and cleverly placed to effectively handle any sound.

Foam is placed on walls and ceilings in a manner allows it to absorb any sound, reduce reverberation and keep noise to a minimum.

Acoustic foam can be a great way to sound insulate a space like a recording studio because sound can be preserved within the space.

It is for this reason that you would find it effective to use both rubber and acoustic foam rather than picking one of the two.

Damping

Another part of soundproofing is damping.

This process is a mechanism for controlling shocks and vibrations,

and rubber will work quiet effectively if it is used properly.

Rubber will be able to dissipate vibrational energy before it can build up.

Decoupling

Another great way of soundproofing a space is by decoupling and rubber can be an effective material in this process.

Decoupling essentially means separating the two sides of a structure so that they vibrate independently of each other.

In this type of soundproofing resilient isolation clips and sound dampening pads will be used,

Thick rubber can also act as a shock-absorber.

Mass

Adding dense mass material is another effective way of ensuring that sound waves don’t exit a source wall.

In this type of soundproofing using multiple layers of a dense material can be a good way to keep unwanted noises out and wanted sound inside the space.

Thick layers of rubber can add mass to an already existing wall.

Therefore you can clearly see the use of rubber in various techniques meant to reduce unwanted noises in a space.

Concrete aswell,

can be used to add mass.

Some popular asked questions are:

Is rubber good for soundproofing?

It is definitely great in that it can be used in various ways and techniques of soundproofing.

Does foam board deaden sound?

foam board will not be able to block sound, you need material that can add mass for you to be able successfully block sound.

a foam board will do very little sound deadening and sound will easy go through it.

Is sand a good sound insulator ?

Sand can be a good insulator because it is made up of grains that which don’t leave any gaps,

it could easily block noises.

How good is fiberglass insulation for soundproofing ?

As an insulator fiberglass will work just fine but you should know that it is not soundproof material,

therefore it will not do any intense blockage of sound,

because it simply isn’t built for that.

Does sound proofing actually work?

Sound proofing done the Right way, using the right materials will indeed make a significant change to a space.

So the short answer is ,Yes soundproofing does work when it is done the right way.

Conclusion

From this post,

it is easy to understand that acoustic foam and rubber are used in different ways.

Rubber will easily block sound from passing through it while acoustic foam will not find it easy to block sound.

Acoustic foam is used to absorb certain frequencies.

Therefore both acoustic foam and rubber can used as sound treatment material.

if they are used for the purpose they are made for.

Sources

Acoustic Flooring: Why Rubber is the Ideal Choice – Rubcorp

Does Rubber Help With Soundproofing? (We Find Out) – Soundproof Central

Soundproofing vs Sound Absorbing – the difference – ASI