Sound insulation

[rapscallion]

The acoustic insulation material lining the bulkheads and undersides of the cabin sole in the engine space on my '82 Carver 3007 is badly decayed and in need of replacement. Pieces are falling off and the material crumbles to the touch. It appears to be a 1980s version of Sounddown's acoustic absoption material, or something like it. The failure of the material looks to be age-related: decades of thermal fluctuation. It's all falling away and crumbling and leaving a mess in the engine space. I would like to replace it with Sounddown, or an equivalent ABYC-approved material, but it looks to be a daunting, possibly infeasible job. There are pumps and hoses and all manner of things screwed through this material into the bulkheads behind it; and the boat's engines, water heater, and other machinery are very much in the way of any orderly removal and replacement. It will be possible to replace pieces of it, but some areas are just too hard to get to. It may be possible to suck the stuff off with a shop vac. Another possibility might be to install new material over top of the original stuff.

Has anyone here been faced with a similar situation? What did you do? Thoughts or ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Wingspar]

There is no easy way that I know of other than removing as much of the hoses and pipes and electrial systems as possible. A big pain in the #%$%$#. Especially trying to put everything back and hope you haven't created gas leaks, etc.

Another possiblity would be to construct and easy to remove sound shield around the engines similar to a generators sound shield.

Good luck.

Dave

 

[FlyWright]

I have considered the same upgrade. Applying the material into the ceiling of the ER would be difficult at best. My carpeted salon sits directly above the ER. I thought Sounddown under the carpet pad might be as effective, yet easier to install. Not sure if it's as effective or can stand up to foot traffic under the carpet pad or under laminate flooring, if we decided to go that route.

 

[dollelliott]

I went through this same problem with my engine compartment and found the following solution:
Thinsulate (MA-6710), 2" with Black Scrim Face It comes in any size that is necessary. This material is used in megayachts for sound insulation. Runs about 1.50 to 2.00 bucks per square foot.
3M High Strength 90 24oz aerosol adhesive. This stuff is formulated for high temp engine compartments and won't let loose whe applied.
Source: Centek Industries, Thomasville, GA
2289-228-7653 or 800-950-7653.
They were nice folks to deal with.