Reviews of fiberboard

@steam posted:

I have read a lot about Homasote on here, but haven’t found too much on fiberboard. I can find a Homasote, but it is twice the price of fiber board. The Homasote seems to have a harder outside shell to me. The fiber board is slightly softer.  anyone care to share their experience with it?

Well, I've never personally used anything like it or seen it used by anyone else, but I am not sure I know exactly what you mean. Do you mean loosely-bound fiber sheets, something like old-style acoustic tiles? If so, I can think of several reasons to avoid it. First, IME such sheets are very weak structurally, and will need more significant support underneath to bear the weight of any layout built over it. Second, I suspect it would be even messier than homosote to cut and shape, and I think those bits of fiber would find themselves into everything and be very hard to clean up.

I suppose you could experiment, but my hunch is that you'd be better served by just going with the current favorite alternative to homosote, which is extruded polystyrene foam board (the pink/green/blue stuff, *not* the white stuff!). It's both cheaper and much lighter than homosote. Some use thicker sheets (2 inches or so) in lieu of any plywood under it, but most seem to use thin plywood (quarter/half inch or so) as a support under somewhat thinner sheets (half/one inch) of the foam board, to provide a surface for attachments. I used half inch foam boards over half inch OSB on my most recent layout, and have not had occasion to regret it yet. Good luck!

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Commo...d-Barrier/1000318607

I already have plywood so it’s doesn’t need to support structurally.  Just looking to quiet the trains.  I did find one or two positive reviews on here but was hoping for a few other reviews.  I believe it may also be called quiet brace.

@steam posted:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Commo...d-Barrier/1000318607

Or, this stuff, five bucks cheaper per sheet, same source:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Commo...d-Insulation/3365576

@steam posted:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Commo...d-Barrier/1000318607

I already have plywood so it’s doesn’t need to support structurally.  Just looking to quiet the trains.  I did find one or two positive reviews on here but was hoping for a few other reviews.  I believe it may also be called quiet brace.

This is very much like homosote and is designed for sound deadening.

@Steve Tyler posted:

Or, this stuff, five bucks cheaper per sheet, same source:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Commo...d-Insulation/3365576

Not sound barrier, would not use in place of homosote

Is it even in stock?  Common problem with a lot of building materials.

For sound deadening you could try interlocking foam tiles over the plywood with some sort of grass mat on top of that.  Just don't get Woodland Scenics Grass Mat.  Green flocking stuff all comes off on hands and everything else.

John

@Craftech posted:

Is it even in stock?  Common problem with a lot of building materials.

For sound deadening you could try interlocking foam tiles over the plywood with some sort of grass mat on top of that.  Just don't get Woodland Scenics Grass Mat.  Green flocking stuff all comes off on hands and everything else.

John

This is actually what I came up with.! I found some exercise mat at Walmart about a quarter inch or so thick it’s relatively firm Then I just got some green carpet which is pretty short and heavy duty.

I went to Lowe’s to buy the fiberboard, but it really smelled like oil or petroleum. You could smell it even approaching it, and black rubbed all over your hands.  I imagine I could’ve sealed it mostly with paint, but I have allergies so I don’t need any extra smells plus, who knows what vapors you’re breathing in then.

@steam posted:

This is actually what I came up with.! I found some exercise mat at Walmart about a quarter inch or so thick it’s relatively firm Then I just got some green carpet which is pretty short and heavy duty.

I went to Lowe’s to buy the fiberboard, but it really smelled like oil or petroleum. You could smell it even approaching it, and black rubbed all over your hands.  I imagine I could’ve sealed it mostly with paint, but I have allergies so I don’t need any extra smells plus, who knows what vapors you’re breathing in then.

Some are not as firm and many are 3/8" thick and even 1/2" thick.

John