sound deading material

I covered my entire layout with new carpet padding ......works like a champ....wife is happy, have no problems working scenery over top of it either....I run Atlas O track, with all the sounds turned off, you can barely hear a 40 car train pass by......hope that helps....not sure how much (if any) cheaper it is....

In my area (South Jersey) 1/2" homosote is about $ 30 for a 4' x 8' sheet and carpet padding is anywhere from $ .49 to $ 1.09 a square foot. That works out to $16 to $32 for the same size depending on thickness.

So padding could cost half the cost of homosote. Maybe cheaper if you find a sale. The prices were from my local depot.

Sean

I got padding from a local carpet store in NC, 58 cents a square foot. no mess, no fuss. The padding sits upside down on the layout, makes it easier to work scenery and ground cover on. instead of screwing the track down, I use small dabs from a hot glue gun to hold down track....never had an issue. If I need to move a piece of track, I slide a razor blade across the glue joint so it don't tear up padding, then just peel the little remnant of glue off the ties......sometimes the silent operation is very therapeutic from the noises at work.....So I have put a ton of effort in run quiet....

2x4 ceiling tiles.  The cheaper the better. Around $0.50-$0.60 /SF

Find a office/retail space rehab and you might score them for free.

thank you for the reply's I was thinking carpet padding was less expensive so may give it a try I have not found any homasote in Columbia sc

kevin

some of the big retailers like Lowes and Home depot sell small hunks of " repair padding" you may want to buy a hunk of it and test it for yourself before committing to  a bigger purchase......set up a loop and see how it works for you... 

My newer layout board was noisy with track on 1/2 inch plywood versus 3/4 inch particle board.  I added a piece of 1/2 inch x 2 inch truck inner tube under each tie and switches.  It quieted track noise to be comparable to the particle board.

Charlie

I am using Fastrack, which is noisy.   I have tried a couple of ideas:  the ceiling tiles mentioned above works.  

I am currently using 2" foam board for my layout base, and cover it with Woodland Scenics grass mats, which have a rubbery-vinyl base.   Together, these cut down the noise dramatically.   I am happy with this technique, and will be using it on my next layout I am beginning.

kwisor posted:

thank you for the reply's I was thinking carpet padding was less expensive so may give it a try I have not found any homasote in Columbia sc

kevin

Our home depot sells homosote as Sound Barrier Sheathing.

Sean

I picked up 5 rolls of Blue Hawk Anti-Fatigue Mat P/N #0771831 at Lowes a few months ago, the mat is 3/8" thick x 36"x60".

That gives me 12 pieces of 3" wide strips to use as roadbed, each 5 feet long, so 5 rolls will give me 300 feet of roadbed, not bad and last time I added it up this was cheaper than the cork roadbed we usually see. It's easy to cut with a box cutter type blade and can be easily beveled in a bandsaw using a fence.

Reduces the noise level, but  IMO putting ballast down on just about anything will jack the noise up again.

There's other posts where I've mentioned this and provided some crappy photos.

That's a good idea Mr. Bob, I have seen that mat at Lowes too.....never paid it any mind....

Bob Delbridge posted:

I picked up 5 rolls of Blue Hawk Anti-Fatigue Mat P/N #0771831 at Lowes a few months ago, the mat is 3/8" thick x 36"x60".

That gives me 12 pieces of 3" wide strips to use as roadbed, each 5 feet long, so 5 rolls will give me 300 feet of roadbed, not bad and last time I added it up this was cheaper than the cork roadbed we usually see. It's easy to cut with a box cutter type blade and can be easily beveled in a bandsaw using a fence.

Reduces the noise level, but  IMO putting ballast down on just about anything will jack the noise up again.

There's other posts where I've mentioned this and provided some crappy photos.

 

I 

Need to check this stuff out!!

Thanks,

Joe Gozzo

have to make a run to Lowe's this afternoon... glad I read this and will look into it.

Jesse

Anyone know if Menards  sells this type carpet padding.

hello

I got a 6 ft by 45 ft carpet roll from home depo  

kevin