Soundboard vs. Homosote

[Anonymous]

Hi all,
I am going to lay down some sound deadening material on my O guage table to quiet the noise a bit. I went to the local hardware store and they said that they had problems with homosote smelling very bad and so they did not carry it. They did have Soundboard and asked if I wanted that instead. It seemed pretty close.

Any experience with soundboard? Also, what is the best way to get it to adhere it to your plywood?
Thanks in advance!
George

[brianel027]

George, I've never heard of homosote smelling bad. Yes, it does have it's own smell, but it is certainly no more offensive than the way plywood smells.

I don't know what "soundboard" is. There are a variety of things that could be used to deaden sound, like styrofoam or celotex. They all have advantages and disadvantages. I've been scheming of doing my next layout with double layered pink insulation board, although this has the disadvantage of "denting" easily. But the pink board is lightweight and more dense than the white pebble bead board or the blue styrofoam board. I've though about using a layer of 4-ply matt board on top of the pink styrofoam board to give it some surface strength. I would attach my 027 track by using wood slugs cut to fit underneath the metal ties of the track. The slugs wouled be glued to the styrofoam and then the track could be screwed into those. But this is all in the future... right now I'm just thinking and scheming.

Homosote has the advantage of being dense enough to take and hold screws, or to drill holes into for mounting of trees, telephone poles, etc. unlike many other soft sound deadening materials. The best thing to do is to either glue the homosote down to your existing train table or predrill a starter hole and use nylon screws. You could use something like the Liquid Nails adhesives which are made for this sort of thing. Using metal screws to hold the homosote will transfer the noise from the homosote to the plywood and wood frame. You could use a few screws just to hold the sheet of homosote in place and keep it flat as it dries with the glue, but then remove the screws.

I've used homosote for years. Never had any problems with it, nor does it really smell. It is somewhat heavy though for one person to carry a single sheet. The stuff it heavier than you would imagine it is.

By the way George, I see you've been with us a while, but this is your first post. So welcome and have fun with the trains! If you have kids, the homosote is solid enough to take the typical way kids like to play, unlike something softer like styrofoam.

[dougdagrump]

How about carpet pad sandwiched between two sheets of plywood using an adhesive as opposed to screws?

[Buckeye Riveter]

A picture is worth a thousand words.


The joists are spaced at 16" centers. One inch white foam was placed on top of the 2" foam shown in the photo. MTH Track sits on top of the white foam and is held in place with deck screws. Nothing moves and it has been running perfectly for four years.

Wiring is a snap. Punch a hole through the foam with an extra long 1/4" drill and run the wires.

Paint it brown and sprinkle on the grass and ground covers after shaping it to whatever shape you want.

[Dr. John]

I've had good luck with Celotex in the past. It's a notch below Homosote, but much easier to find in my area and very inexpensive.

As to attaching the material, I use drywall screws on Homosote or Celotex, Liquid Nails on foam board and other materials that won't hold scews well.

[Anonymous]

Hi all,
Thanks for the great advice!

I like the idea of putting down the foam insulation, but I am not sure my table will handle the lack of structural rigidity. Here is the long and short of the story...

I built a 4x8 plywood table using 1x4's as shown in the book about Lionel Trains by Stan Trzoniec ( I think?). The 1x4's run the perimiter of the track and across the center. Here is a picture (with my son)
http://usabilitydepot.com/Dsc00193.jpg

Then I realized I needed some garage space back. So I attached a 2x4 along the wall and then put hinges on it to allow me to lift up the table and attach it to the wall.

One question ... the stuff I saw at home depot was dark brown but did not say homosote. Is this the right stuff?

Thanks all!
George

[Dr. John]

George,
Most of the Homosote I have seen is a light gray in color. I've not seen dark brown. Best to ask someone at Home Depot - someone should be able to tell you. Good luck and the layout - your son looks like he's getting into the construction!

[Anonymous]

Dark brown sounds like hardboard. This is not homosote.

Tony

[wrmcclellan]

I built my present layout with blue foamboard. It was quieter than the plywood base, but noisier than I wanted after the ballast was bonded. Homosote is not easy to find here, so I tried some tests with acoustic ceiling tile and liked the results. It comes in nice, easy to handle, 2 ft by 4 ft pieces from Home Depot or Lowes. Turn it upside down and you have a tan colored, flat, slightly textured surface. Best of all - they typically have a bunch of cracked ones that Home Depot will usually grant a decent discount on (got a couple for 50% off since they were cracked down the middle). Since we modelers are typically going to cover it with scenery, one is not as concerned about the abundance of seams and repairs. The tile can be tacked down or glued with construction adhesive and they take nails well. As I implied, all I did was a test section. I have not heard what problems may exist with ceiling tile (ie humidity/swelling), but the material seems very similar to Homosote or Celotex. Since it is used extensively in homes and offices - odors and material stability seem good. Some deals may be had for this stuff at contruction materials recycling businesses. If I build another layout, I intend to use the acoustic ceiling tile for roadbed areas and foam board for the rest of the scenery base (easy to shape and carve). Good luck.

Regards.

[Anonymous]

What is homosote made out of???

[wrmcclellan]

Looks like everything one would want to know is here:

http://www.homasote.com/

The site says is it 100% recycled paper products.

[wrmcclellan]

Also found a web site for Celotex fiber board. They have a product called Soundstop and in a picture it appears brown in color. This product is made from reclaimed wood fiber.

http://www.knightcelotex.com/

Regards.