What is this material ?

[Tab M. Wilcox]

Ran across this in a home today and wondering what it is. Can anyone help? Thanks

[Barry Adair]

Looks like the panels from an evaporative cooler. As I recall the material was called excelsior ?sp.

They were bathed with water and a fan blows across cooling and humidifying at the same time. Great for low humidity hot climates.

When dry highly ignitable by bottle rockets, as I recall.

[Tab M. Wilcox]

These panels are installed on the ceiling of a room addition and also on the ceiling of a patio overhang. I've seen this stuff before but its been awhile.

[jking2]

It's called Tectum, and is a porous wood fiber and plaster roof decking/insulation material. It insulates poorly by today's standards, and turns to mush if it gets wet.

Jim King

[Peter C. Russell]

Could it be sound proofing panels without the outside covering/fabric?

Like you would find in a recording/radio studio.

[tneumann]

Hi Tab...sorry cannot help you with your material...but I was shocked by your location...I haven't met very many folks from the town of my youth.

I went to High School there...I hear it has changed tremendously since we were there while my dad was stationed at MCAS Yuma.....

Welcome to the message board.....

[Tab M. Wilcox]

Thank you Jim. When did you live in Yuma Tony? I've been here since 1971.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Originally Posted by jking2

It's called Tectum, and is a porous wood fiber and plaster roof decking/insulation material. It insulates poorly by today's standards, and turns to mush if it gets wet.

Jim King

Jim is correct, I use to install this as a decking material on schools back in the 70's. I use to call it shredded wheat, because if you got it wet, it would look and become just like it.

It was a very poor material, due the protection required after it's installation.
Whatever was installed that day had to be covered the same day. Haven't seen it in years.

It had a very high STC rating and a lot of it was used for that reason in autitoriums, shcools, concert halls, etc.

www.icc-es.org/reports/pdf_files/ICBO-ES/1116.pdf


Marcel

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Originally Posted by jking2

It's called Tectum, and is a porous wood fiber and plaster roof decking/insulation material. It insulates poorly by today's standards, and turns to mush if it gets wet.

Jim King

James

CORRECT I used this material in the late 70s early 80s.

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Originally Posted by prussell

Could it be sound proofing panels without the outside covering/fabric?

Like you would find in a recording/radio studio.

Peter

I actually used this in a TV studio, for soundproofing.