Having a noisy car is annoying. Unfortunately, not all of us can afford the super quiet Tesla so I did some research on how to reduce the amount of engine and road noise.
How do you soundproof a car? Here are 3 easy tips you can implement today:
- Use soundproof floor mats
- Install reflective insulation
- Seal all gaps
Tip #1 – Buy Soundproof Floor Mats
This is a cheap and easy fix to reduce noise in your car. Get the Noico sound deadening mat to reduce the sound infiltrating your car. The insulation of this mat contains butyl, which does a great job of soaking up the sound and dissolving vibrations.
You can install this mat just about anywhere in your car. It is easy to do and does not require any expertise.
There is an adhesive on one side of the mat for you to easily place and stick. You then use a roller to flatten it. When all said and done it will probably take you no more than an hour, depending on how many mats you want to install.
The amount of sound deadening you will experience depends on how loud your car was initially and how much surface area you cover. The cool thing about these mats is that you don’t even need to cover 100% of your floor or doors for it to work effectively.
Quick tip: You will notice a greater noise reduction if you decide to insulate around the front and rear wheels as well as the trunk.
Tip #2 – Use Reflective Insulation
In addition to installing a foam pad, you can also apply reflective insulation. This stuff fits perfectly under your soundproof car mat. This helps to reduce road noise and heat while you drive.
The effectiveness of reflective insulation will truly surprise you. It looks like a thin layer of tinfoil. Nothing special. You honestly might think it would not have an impact to quiet your car. Well, my friend, you would be wrong.
The ESP Insulation will do wonders for deadening the noise in your vehicle. It also helps to keep your car warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
If you decide to use this reflective insulation, get some trim adhesive and spray it on the floor. Apply the reflective insulation to the adhesive and allow it to dry. After that, you can install your soundproof mat.
Tip #3 – Don’t Leave Any Gaps
Want to know how to get the best sound deadening results? Seal up all openings or cracks no matter how small! Any tiny gap will compromise your soundproofing efforts.
The best thing to do is to make sure you cover the entire area that you are soundproofing. Do not be shy about using tape either in case you do find a few weak links in your soundproofing arsenal.
Where To Apply Sound Deadening Products
Do you know where to apply a sound deadening product to your vehicle? As I mentioned previously, the floor is obviously one of the best places. There are also a few other places where you can install soundproof mats to keep the inside of your car or truck quiet.
The Floor
One of the best places to install soundproof mats is the floor of your car. You sit right on the floor panel so it makes sense to reduce sound here first. The floor panel can act as a sound enhancer that makes noise resonate throughout the entire cabin. Adding thick layers of insulation will help minimize this issue.
The Wheels
Your wheels are usually the source of most noise and vibration since they are constantly in contact with the road. If you had to insulate the front or back tires, choose the back first. This will prove to be helpful especially if you have a large, flat trunk. This is one of the hot spots for sound resonance and noise amplification to occur.
Rear Seats
Drop some soundproof mats under the floor mats of your back seats. This space can still act as a sound amplifier even though there is no axle in that area.
Your Doors
Some cars have thin doors and therefore enable a lot of sounds to pass through. In order to keep your car quiet on the inside, you will need to remove the panels from your doors to install soundproof insulation.
Of course, this is a little more involved project so you need to make sure you understand how to remove your door panels correctly before starting this task. If you’re lazy like me you can leave it to your mechanic.
What Results Can You Expect?
First off, this depends on how loud your car is initially. From there, it is all relative. If your car is extremely loud the results will be far more noticeable than if your vehicle was quieter in the first place.
Typically, the older the vehicle, the less insulation. Installing some soundproof mats on aged vehicles will drastically reduce the noise reverberating throughout your cabin. Newer cars are usually more soundproof so you will notice less of an improvement if you drive a new car.
