Insulation over ceiling speakers?

[1299]

I have two little 6.5" speakers that power my tunes in the garage. I plan on laying kraft faced R13 (*****, I know but 2x4 bottom chords) in the attic, after I vacuum of course! Can or should I be laying the insulation over the speaker or just terminate before and after with a 2x4 and not let it touch?

 

[pattenp]

Take a old plastic food container such as a tub that butter comes in and cover the speaker and remove enough insulation in that spot so the batt will lay flat.

 

[mattmankow]

not really a heat source, shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

I laid a sheet of plastic over mine and then ran the insulation as normal. No issues at all

 

[Todd.Brock]

Tupper ware would probably work.. I was thinking of something like these might work as well.
http://http://www.crutchfield.com/p_237XT55/XTC-5-1-4-Speaker-Baffles-3-3-4-depth.html?tp=2809

 

[JakeKohl]

I have 8" ceiling speakers on my 2nd story. I stapled backed bat insulation (paper toward the attic/fibers toward the speaker and stapled the paper to the top of the 2x4 ceiling trusses). I had loose fill blown in the attic and used the bat to keep the loose stuff out of the speaker. It worked just fine.

My plan "B" was to buy one of those sono-tubes that are used for pouring concrete pilings in the ground and cut several of those to fit over the speakers. Some liquid nails to secure it to ceiling sheet rock and another piece of cardboard to cover the top. It seemed to elaborate and I was running out of time - research showed others with success with the fiberglass bats so I just went with that.

 

[Vinci]

Having that fiberglass laying on it probably won't do you any favors as far as sound quality goes. You'd want to have some air space behind it so that it works well, despite the fact that code probably doesn't prohibit it.

 

[ishiboo]

Fiberglass won't hurt as long as it's not touching the cone and preventing movement. You will probably experience lower volume but higher sound quality.

I would keep it slightly away from the speaker so there are no issues. I would not introduce tupperware, plastic containers or otherwise to the mix which will likely vibrate obnoxiously and reduce sound quality... those 6.5" speakers are designed for ceiling ("open air") mounting and not for use in a small enclosure.

 

[1299]

Looks like the owner's manual just calls for unfaced insulation.

 

[Big N8]

Looks like the owner's manual just calls for unfaced insulation.

This.



Owners manual can't be wrong.

 

[Todd.Brock]

This.



Owners manual can't be wrong.

If omissions are considered wrong, then the Maxjax manual is the winner!

 

[Motorhead Extraordinaire]

I installed four ceiling speakers in my office and four in my shop. I wired them in a L-R-L-R manner in each room so no matter where you were standing you alwaus had two different channels in your ears.

The insulation was just laid over the backside of the speakers. I would not put something like a plastic food container over them. Why? The last thing you want to hear is that food container vibrating when you crank the tunes.

In reality, the speakers should be completely contained in a tuned baffle, just like in a normal speaker. The resonance of the speaker and the tuned baffle have a big part in producing good sound quality.

Good luck on your project.

Joe

 

[jkeyser14]

As already mentioned you want un-faced insulation. Not because the speakers could cause a fire, but because the speaker cones cause air movement and something like a layer of kraft paper would constantly make crinkling noises as your speaker drove back and forth creating pressure/suction on the kraft paper.

 

[cowboyjosh]

In new construction we use SONANCE or SpeakerCraft speakers and we blow Owens Corning attic cat or cellulose over them all the time, but of course on vaulted ceilings where we batts, we put R-38 over them no problems.

 

[Higgins]

We used one of those ruberized baffles used behind the speakers that are used in car doors. Just glue to DW. Will eliminate durt, dust, and insulation from coming in contact with the speaker cone. Just a couple of bucks per speaker pair

 

[pattenp]

Take a old plastic food container such as a tub that butter comes in and cover the speaker and remove enough insulation in that spot so the batt will lay flat.

Fiberglass won't hurt as long as it's not touching the cone and preventing movement. You will probably experience lower volume but higher sound quality.

I would keep it slightly away from the speaker so there are no issues. I would not introduce tupperware, plastic containers or otherwise to the mix which will likely vibrate obnoxiously and reduce sound quality... those 6.5" speakers are designed for ceiling ("open air") mounting and not for use in a small enclosure.

Yeah... I thought about that after I said to use a butter container. May be leaving a layer of butter in the container would reduce vibration and help the sound quality.

 

[Falcon67]

Unless you got a big enough Tupperware bowl to build a bass reflex box

R13 doesn't "****" and there's no reason why you can't lay R30 in a 2x4 channel.

 

[BigTDogg (MA)]

We used one of those ruberized baffles used behind the speakers that are used in car doors. Just glue to DW. Will eliminate durt, dust, and insulation from coming in contact with the speaker cone. Just a couple of bucks per speaker pair

^^This, like the XTC baffles Todd mentioned would be ideal. Keeps the insulation, dust and dirt out of the voice coil gap. Unfaced is fine as well, per the owners manual. I just wouldn't lay it on the speaker. Around, sure.