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Manufactured in India, supplied in San Francisco
Acoustic foam and BassBloc in San Francisco
We manufacture acoustic foam and BassBloc at our own plant at Palwal in Haryana, India, and supply them into San Francisco. Made at our own plant in India and shipped into Oakland, across the bay, so the road leg to site is short.
- BassBloc size
- 1800 x 900 mm
- BassBloc thickness
- 20 mm
- BassBloc density
- 100 kg per cubic metre
- Effective range
- 100 to 500 Hz
- BassBloc NRC
- 0.85
- Lead time
- 4 to 7 working days
- Minimum order
- From 200 sq ft
- Made at our own plant, Palwal, Haryana, India
- One batch across the order, no blending between runs
- Test reports sent on request, not just quoted
This comes from our own plant, not a trading desk. We do not have an office in your city and we will not invent one. What we can give you is factory pricing, consistent material and a technical answer before you commit.
01 / The material
What this is, and what it changes in a San Francisco room
Open cell foam shapes for high frequency control, and BassBloc, a high density absorber built for the low mid range where ordinary foam does nothing.
Work reaching us from San Francisco is mostly victorian conversions, tech offices, apartments, studios, restaurants, clinics.
American homes are timber frame with gypsum board on both faces, so a party wall or a basement ceiling has almost no mass. Adding a second leaf with a limp membrane between does more than any amount of surface treatment.
- Corner loading Low frequency energy collects in corners, so absorber in the corners does more than the same area spread across a wall.
- First reflection points Mirror trick placement on side walls and ceiling, which is a handful of panels rather than a lined room.
- Behind a fabric frame Where the room has to look finished, absorber inside a frame rather than foam on show.
- What it will not do Thin foam on a wall is the most over-sold product in this industry. It controls flutter and nothing below it.
Full specification
Thickness, density, NRC by frequency, fire class, standard sizes and build-up detail for acoustic foam and bass traps are on the main product page. This page covers what that means for a project in San Francisco.
02 / Specification sheet
Published specification, identical wherever we ship it
These figures are published and they do not move. The thing worth arguing about is not the number on the sheet, it is which grade and which build-up suits the room you are treating.
- Foam wedge and pyramidLow density. Flutter and high frequency only
- BassBloc100 kg per cubic metre. Low mid absorption, control rooms, live rooms
| BassBloc size | 1800 x 900 mm |
|---|---|
| BassBloc thickness | 20 mm |
| BassBloc density | 100 kg per cubic metre |
| Effective range | 100 to 500 Hz |
| BassBloc NRC | 0.85 |
Where a consultant is already engaged on a San Francisco project, we supply to their specification and send the test reports rather than describing them. More on working with acoustic consultants.
03 / Local conditions
The San Francisco conditions that change the answer
- Timber Victorians
Light framed, over a century old, and divided into flats. Low frequency passes easily and footfall travels straight down.
- Depth costs real money
At local rates a wall growing into the room is a significant number. A dense thin membrane usually beats a thicker framed build-up on total cost.
- Designed to move
Seismic detailing requires junctions that stay flexible, so the acoustic layer must not stiffen across them.
- Oakland is close
A short road leg after the port keeps landed cost and timing predictable.
- The housing stock
American homes are timber frame with gypsum board on both faces, so a party wall or a basement ceiling has almost no mass. Adding a second leaf with a limp membrane between does more than any amount of surface treatment.
- The studio and content scene
Home and project studios go into basements and converted garages with equipment budgets far ahead of the building. The room leaks to the floor above long before it sounds wrong inside.
Architects working in San Francisco usually need the build-up before the product. We will draw the section and mark what does the work. See how we support architects.
04 / Climate and durability
Durability in San Francisco, before acoustics is discussed
San Francisco is mild summers and cold, wet winters, and that narrows the sensible material list before acoustics is even discussed.
Cold external walls and long heating seasons make condensation behind a lining the thing to design out. PET felt is unaffected by damp air.
The risk we design against here is condensation and cold bridging behind new linings.
For a San Francisco interior where the finish leads, we will say plainly what each option costs you acoustically. See how we work with interior designers.
05 / Getting it there
Supply into San Francisco, start to site
| Ships from | Palwal, Haryana, India |
|---|---|
| Arrives at | Oakland, then a short road run across the bay |
| Dispatch | 4 to 7 working days |
| Freight | Sea via Oakland |
| Packing | Compressed and boxed for foam, palletised flat for BassBloc. |
| Lead time | 4 to 7 working days. |
Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. The sea leg from India is long, so plan the full door to door window into the programme. We give real dates, not optimistic ones.
Sea freight into Oakland, then a short road run to site. Air freight for samples and urgent quantities.
The same minimums apply on export.
| Acoustic foam | 200 sq ft, about 19 sq m |
|---|---|
| BassBloc | 300 sq ft, about 28 sq m |
| Bass traps | 10 pieces |
A BassBloc panel is 1800 x 900 mm, which is 1.62 sq m or about 17.4 sq ft, so the BassBloc minimum is roughly 17 panels.
06 / Straight talk
Four honest warnings before you buy
-
The wrong product for the problem
Thin foam on a wall is the most over-sold product in this industry. It controls flutter and nothing below it. If the complaint is boom, bass from a neighbour, or a room that sounds uneven at low frequency, foam is the wrong purchase and we will say so.
-
Square footage quoted before the room is understood
Anyone can price a wall. Working out how much material the room actually needs usually reduces the order, which is why not everyone does it.
-
Local approvals that nobody actually holds
We hold no San Francisco certification and we will not borrow one. The test data we publish is ours, and we will send the reports rather than describe them.
07 / In projects
How it looks once it is installed
San Francisco: questions we are actually asked
Do you manufacture acoustic foam and BassBloc in San Francisco?
No, and we will not say otherwise. We manufacture at our own plant at Palwal in Haryana, India, and supply into San Francisco as the manufacturer rather than through a dealer. Made at our own plant in India and shipped into Oakland, across the bay, so the road leg to site is short. You buy at factory prices with one consistent batch across the order.
Why would a San Francisco build-up differ from anywhere else?
Light framed, over a century old, and divided into flats. Low frequency passes easily and footfall travels straight down. At local rates a wall growing into the room is a significant number. A dense thin membrane usually beats a thicker framed build-up on total cost. Those two things move the build-up far more than the panel figure does.
Is this the right material for San Francisco conditions?
San Francisco is mild summers and cold, wet winters. Cold external walls and long heating seasons make condensation behind a lining the thing to design out. PET felt is unaffected by damp air. The failure we design against here is condensation and cold bridging behind new linings.
When would material land on a San Francisco site?
ships from: Palwal, Haryana, India, arrives at: Oakland, then a short road run across the bay, dispatch: 4 to 7 working days. Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. The sea leg from India is long, so plan the full door to door window into the programme. We give real dates, not optimistic ones.
Where do acoustic foam and BassBloc fail to help?
Thin foam on a wall is the most over-sold product in this industry. It controls flutter and nothing below it. If the complaint is boom, bass from a neighbour, or a room that sounds uneven at low frequency, foam is the wrong purchase and we will say so.
How is the order packed and what is the minimum?
The same minimums apply on export. Acoustic foam, 200 sq ft, about 19 sq m. BassBloc, 300 sq ft, about 28 sq m. Bass traps, 10 pieces. A BassBloc panel is 1800 x 900 mm, which is 1.62 sq m or about 17.4 sq ft, so the BassBloc minimum is roughly 17 panels. Compressed and boxed for foam, palletised flat for BassBloc.
Next step
Send a plan and a section, get a real build-up
One drawing gets you a proper answer. Build-up, quantities, a delivered date, and an honest note on anything we think is the wrong approach.