Sound-deadening floor material?

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angus99

angus99

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I’m thinking of replacing the metal diamond plate floor covering in our engine room. I know that to truly reduce engine room racket, I’ll need to upgrade the acoustic coverings on the walls and ceilings. But I’ve almost convinced myself that ER noise is also being reflected upward off the metal flooring and thought this might be a good place to start.

Has anyone done this and noticed any difference? What did you use?
 

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The floor coverings in my engine room (over the center bilge and such) are just painted marine plywood. It's held up fine for 33 years. Should be somewhat better than metal for noise reflection, although I'm not sure how much.
 
just leave the metal flooring and place some kind of rubber or foam mats on it..

I use those "gym" mats that interlock and cut to width and length. I do it mostly to be easy on the knees when working down there.. sound is a side benefit



HOLLYWOOD
 
Searios said:
You can try to paint the aluminum boards with sound absorbing paint on both sides - as a test.

I've got Mascoat Sound reducing paint on all engine room surfaces. It's VERY effective in combination with other sound reducing systems.

https://www.mascoat.com/what-is-sound-damping.html
http://www.antalyadeltamarine.com/pdf/dBCutSheet.pdf
Click to expand...

Interesting! I hadn’t thought of coating the walls.

Just talked to Mascoat and they prefer their coatings to be applied directly to steel or fiberglass, not the perforated fiber tiles on my ER walls and ceilings. Also, they recommend spraying, vs brushing or rolling, which I prefer not to do. Still, if I can find a coating that works, I’ll consider it—so thanks.

How was yours applied and over what?

hollywood8118 said:
just leave the metal flooring and place some kind of rubber or foam mats on it..

I use those "gym" mats that interlock and cut to width and length. I do it mostly to be easy on the knees when working down there.. sound is a side benefit

HOLLYWOOD
Click to expand...

This makes total sense. Thanks.
 
I had cut green felt carpeting from a big roll at Home Depot. Cheap and it did cut reflected noise down a little bit, but not a lot. But it was easier on my knees than the steel diamond plate. Was worth every penny
 
I got some mats for the floor to help cut down on fatigue from standing at Woodcraft. They are about 1/2” thick and maybe about 20” by 50”. They might absorb sound and will also give your knees a break when kneeling in the engine room. They weren’t too expensive so if they get dirty just throw them out and get some new ones.
 
Just looked on woodcraft.com. They are $36.50 and 2’X5’.
 
I also have the thick soft rubber interlocking mats like Hollywood stated. Works like a charm .

Bill
 

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Last edited:
You might want to research mass loaded vinyl since you would be walking on the vinyl... It is more durable than soundown foam in a wear situation.


Buy a small roll of this for your reflective surfaces, and then tack it to the ceiling, and pay particular attention to the gaps around the hatches for higher frequency sounds.


It takes mass (weight) to stop lower vibrations, and an air-gap or air-break to stop higher noises. Good gaskets around your hatches will help some.
 
stubones99 said:
You might want to research mass loaded vinyl since you would be walking on the vinyl... It is more durable than soundown foam in a wear situation.


Buy a small roll of this for your reflective surfaces, and then tack it to the ceiling, and pay particular attention to the gaps around the hatches for higher frequency sounds.


It takes mass (weight) to stop lower vibrations, and an air-gap or air-break to stop higher noises. Good gaskets around your hatches will help some.
Click to expand...

ANOTHER approach I wasn’t aware of. This stuff could be the solution vs SoundDown for walls and ceiling. Thanks!
 
Ian: Reach out to TF member Steve Moyer, Keysdisease. He runs the South East Region for Soundown. When we redid our engine room he was invaluable resource for noise reduction.

https://soundown.com/
 
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Larry M said:
Ian: Reach out to TF member Steve Moyer, Keysdisease. He runs the South East Region for Soundown. When we redid our engine room he was invaluable resource for noise reduction.

https://soundown.com/
Click to expand...

Shall do, Larry.

Thanks, Larry . . .

. . . and thanks all for the wealth of ideas. This will likely be a winter project but you’ve already given me a lot to ponder.
 
angus99 said:
Interesting! I hadn’t thought of coating the walls.

Just talked to Mascoat and they prefer their coatings to be applied directly to steel or fiberglass, not the perforated fiber tiles on my ER walls and ceilings. Also, they recommend spraying, vs brushing or rolling, which I prefer not to do. Still, if I can find a coating that works, I’ll consider it—so thanks.

How was yours applied and over what?
.
Click to expand...

It's a steel boat, the coat was applied with spray on top of the mandatory coatings.

But we did many areas with a brush where it was impossible to use a spray gun
 
hollywood8118 said:
just leave the metal flooring and place some kind of rubber or foam mats on it..

I use those "gym" mats that interlock and cut to width and length. I do it mostly to be easy on the knees when working down there.. sound is a side benefit



HOLLYWOOD
Click to expand...
Check out yoga mats
 
stubones99 said:
You might want to research mass loaded vinyl since you would be walking on the vinyl... It is more durable than soundown foam in a wear situation.
Click to expand...


We installed Soundown under our carpet throughout the "house"... near as I can tell, it's mass loaded vinyl undercoated with 1/2" foam. Don't see why it wouldn't be durable in an engine room, especially if pieces are cut to fit, can't slide around underfoot, etc.

-Chris
 
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