John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Ive just removed some acoustic foam from my friends home setup and noticed that a large part of the foam is beginning to deterioate into powdery substance.

Anyone here use foam on their rooms and whats the lifespan they have noticed with these types of materials and what causes the lifespan of foam to be shortened.

Lifespans run from really short to maybe 10 years or more; things that shorten it are UV exposure, spray chemicals (some, not all) smoke, abrasion, cheap crap foam instead of higher quality, stuff like that. Jeff at Auralex warned us NOT to use fire retardant spray on the Auralex stuff, definitely hastens the demise; however, their stuff extinguishes the minute you remove open flame from it, so no biggie there... Steve

yoga,

I cannot speak for other foams, but Auralex acoustical foams will last a long time. If I had to put an amount of time on it, I'd say at least 25 years. But that's only because that's about how long we've been making the stuff.

Of course, like anything, this depends on the environment the foam is in. Provided the foam is not being exposed to big changes in temperature and/or humidity, harsh chemicals (including cigarette smoke and kitchen grease), etc., Auralex foam will look as good as new for as long as you have it. We have engineered it to be so.

Damn, Jeff, are you guys going after Hostess Twinkies' longevity record??!? 25 years, Cool...

Another thing that's NOT good for foams - SMOG. I read a few reports on speakers made back when they were using a foam "surround" on woofers for high compliance; models sold in lower population areas lasted really good, but the "surround" crumbled and failed fairly soon in areas like LA... Steve

I put Sonex foam into a studio in '75 - it's still there I think.

cheers
john

Foam looks like its all good if you leave it installed, though you can notice some changes in the colour and texture from the front and how it reacts to when you press on it. Before when it was new, you could press on it and it will bounce back to shape immediately, now you press on it and it's like an old granny on a pram crossing the street. But it's when you pull it off the wall that you really notice at the back that it's softened and is brittle.

I dont know if their absorption properties become weaker during these periods or when it gets to that stage. Do foams absorption properties weaken through time or improve with age?

So which one lasts longer, Fibreglass, Mineral Wool or Foam? Does anyone know?

I do note that the foam was in a room that was air conditioned and I remember during many recording periods how the room would change temperature and humidity easily due to people being in there and the AC being turned on and off during recording sessions because it was a one stop studio room for recording and mixing.

yoga,

yoga wrote:I dont know if their absorption properties become weaker during these periods or when it gets to that stage. Do foams absorption properties weaken through time or improve with age?

Auralex foam doesn't ever change, really. Since that's the case, I've never had an opportunity to put that to the test! However, I will say that UV light also does a number on our foam. Perhaps I'll leave some out in the sun for a few weeks and test the absorption after the fact. Someday...

To be more direct, I would think that changes in the foam will affect it's acoustical properties. The more it crumbles, the less foam there is. The less foam, the less absorption...

So which one lasts longer, Fibreglass, Mineral Wool or Foam? Does anyone know?

Well, since any of the fibrous boards out there are made from some form of mineral, I would have to say they will probably last far longer. Rocks and glass don't seem to change save for on a geological time scale!

I should also mention that our foam - while stable over time in a well-controlled space - is biodegradable and will only last a few weeks if you toss it in a landfill. The UV light and other nasty things encountered in a landfill will eat away at the foam rather quickly, turning it to dust.