How to Mount Acoustic Soundproofing Foam in Recording Studios & Rooms
Step-by-Step process to Mount Acoustic Soundproofing Foam on walls in studios
October 31, 2022
The Process for Mounting Acoustic Foam is not as hard is it may seem.
This question gets asked by most of our customers and clients and we’re more than happy to share all the ways we’ve used in the past.
Before we get into actually mounting the product we suggest you map out your entire room for where the sound frequencies are most amplifying from.
Corners - split off ceiling and walls so they should be filled first
90 Degree angles - split to other walls
Blank bare surfaces on walls, floors, ceilings, or windows (The worst materials for sound amplification are brick, cement, tile, glass and metal).
Find the points where the sound is aimed towards and cover those areas first
Recording - Pick a corner and treat with acoustic foam extra aggressive so there is no reverb back in your direction
Speakers - Cover very well behind the speakers and in the direction they will project
Sound rises so find the points of where the sound will end up first and cover those with acoustic sound foam for best outcomes
First of all, let’s discuss what NOT to use so you don’t destroy your brand new acoustic soundproofing foam before you even get a chance to enjoy them! These are also ways people tried to cut corners and save a few pennies or dollars up front and it ended up costing them all that investment and time and frustration just to have to eventually do it the right way after all…
DO NOT use liquid nails to mount your foam as it is a permanent bond which can damage and destroy your acoustic foam before you’ve had a chance to pull them off and move them elsewhere. They also take awhile to dry and sometimes don’t mount well, slide off the original mounted position and fall to the ground. Not professional and very annoying. It’s not worth saving a few dollars to try.
DO NOT use a nail-gun or staples because it will permanently indenture the foam which will have an everlasting shape in such a manner and can damage your acoustic foam. It also looks tacky as well.
DO NOT use regular tape, double sided tape or duct tape. These do not hold well for the product and do not mount them flush to the wall either.
So now that we have that out of the way, what is the proper way to mount your acoustic sound foam?
We suggest using a spray adhesive meant for strength of holding foam such as 3M Super 77 or Camie 373 which can be found at any major hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowes.
You could also try Auralex official spray adhesive but it’s essentially the same product as mentioned above and costs more.
Suggestion for when using these sprays are the following:
Do not wear nice clothing because the spray spreads and is sticky and will damage your clothes
Wear a mask so you do not breathe in the fumes especially in enclosed areas - you will get light headed and it will kill brain cells and also stick inside your nose or mouth.
Cover your nice equipment and anything around the room as the spray can spread - or spray outside and quickly bring the foam inside to mount as you have about 30 seconds before the stickiness starts to harden.
Spray lightly on the foam itself because it is very hard to remove once you initially mount the product and can tear the product and leave residue on the wall.
After mounting place hold firmly in all areas of foam to the wall so that it will stick well and hold without sliding from the original mounted area.
Temporary Mount: For a temporary mount, lightly use adhesive and mount.
Permanent Mount: For a permanent mount, make sure to generously spray the adhesive coating on the foam without saturating it then apply it to the mounting surface exactly where you want it to permanently be. Make sure the adhesive is evenly placed and sticky before mounting to the surface. Hold it in place for a couple minutes before applying the next piece.
HOW TO SPRAY AND MOUNT THE ADHESIVE PRODUCTS TO THE FOAM
When using spray adhesive to mount foam:
Map out your foam positioning/layout ahead of time so you know where the foam will go and how it will fit proper within your design mounting area.
Use a cloth, towel, cardboard or papers under the area you'll be spraying so you don't get the sticky substance on the surrounding area.
Make sure wherever you're mounting is clean, smooth and there is no dirt or grime on it.
Either way, make sure to wash the surface first and let it ample time to dry and/or wipe the area clean with a towel following the washing.
Make sure the room is a constant 71° F (21° C) for best continuous hold with adhesive. Keep this degrees constant for about 3 days for best results.
Mounting to Textured Ceilings or wallpaper will not allow adhesive to hold strength and often times loses grip and falls. Make sure to sand the area first for best results.
For permanent mounting acoustic foam to surface:
Apply adhesive to both the foam and the surface you'll mounting it to
Within about 6-10 seconds the adhesive will become sticky
Be careful when placing your foam to ensure it is where you want it to permanently be then hold it firm for a couple minutes. It usually takes about 15-30 seconds for it to start bonding well. This should hold it in place, but we recommend never pulling or tugging at any piece as it could either become unmounted, tear, rip or damage the surface it's mounted to.
For mounting acoustic foam together:
Apply adhesive to both pieces of foam
Within about 6-10 seconds the adhesive will become sticky
Place both pieces firmly together very carefully
Give it about 10-12 minutes to allow bond to hold before doing any further manipulation or mounting with the foam.
*PLEASE NOTE*: When applying spray adhesive to your foam, it simply will not stay bonded to concrete, cinderblock or painted walls. If you have no other choice, it would be advised to use heavy-duty construction adhesive. This might cause the foam to be damaged permanently so we do not suggest this method if possible. It mounts much better to mount the foam to cardboard or plywood and then mounting the foam. Our spray adhesive will work great with substrate bonds.
If you need to mount to concrete, make sure to clean it well of loose particles, brush it, wash it and let it dry to clean off all loose particles before mounting.
Keep in mind, no matter what method you use to mount your foam using adhesive, it may leave residue on the object you're mounting to. The stronger hold you hope to accomplish has a higher chance of tearing the foam when pulling away from the mounted subject later on after the bond hardens.
NOTE: We are not responsible for any damage whatsoever to your personal usage of this mounting product no matter where you use it.
After a few months the adhesive will likely be dry enough to pull the acoustic foam off the wall without damage to the foam or the wall.
Is there any way to mount the acoustic foam without an adhesive compound?
Yes. You can use T-pins to mount directly to a wall or ceiling or you may also use a board (such as cardboard, plywood) and them mounting or hanging that to a well or from the ceiling.
Other adhesive people have used in the past is thin nails with no head or command strips. We have not used either so do your own due diligence in this matter.
In Conclusion:
Once you have your acoustic soundproofing foam prepped and mapped out for your wall, make sure to take all precautions so you don’t damage your products or yourself or other items and try to make sure you know exactly where you want to mount before spraying. After a few times mounting, you’ll get the hang of things.
We hope this helps! Feel free to contact us if you have any further questions about mounting your acoustic soundproofing foam.
