sound proof floor

[matt curry]

does anyone know of a material that can be used in place of the Auralex SheetBlok material. i have heard that there is a less expensive alternative, but I am not sure what it is called.

[John Sayers]

There is an Aussie company that makes an equivalent. http://www.plastyne.com.au/products/nc.htm They also make a foam absober called soundune which is similar to the Auralex. The OZ dollar is around 56c to the US$ so it could be cheaper. cheers JOhn

[alcohol]

Companies will sell youall kinds of things to make a profit and try to convince you that it's their method or none at all. There are always the "more mass the greater the sound isolation" advocates. There is also the the "discontinuous construction" advocates and I believe you get the biggest sound isolation for your dollar with discontinuous construction. There are floor isolators that are 'standard items' that most good building supply companies stock or can get. A visit to your local building supply company should provide you with items and technical brochures that are alternatives to Auralex. If you look at the specs for sound absorbing materials, versus run of the mill insulation materials, you will see that the differences are negligible. Withing the cavities of isolated walls, floors and ceilings that are the result of discontinuous construction, some amount of insulation material, like run of the mill heat insulation blankets will do just fine. The insulation material is more critical to stopping resonance within the cavities than sound transmission attenuation. Construction technique is more critical than the material.