Sound proofing
- Thread starter LowNotSlow
- Start date
fatmat works fine. A while back at the shop i work at we had dynamat (still love that stuff even though the price is high) well we traded that for Hushmat, that was actually stickier than dyanmat extreme. It didnt really sell so we went back to dynamat. But a guy i worked with bought that older brownbread stuff and that did really well. outta everything ive seen ppl post so far, id say cheapest and actually works would be fatmat. thats jus my 2cents
Cheapskate Sound deadening Reviews...
I disassembled my 95 Coupe mid august and have been rebuilding/retuning it for the winter (plus I've had the damn thing for ten years so I needed to make it fresh again)
My first project was to get the interior sound deadened... deaded... deadaned.....
My first project was to get my interior to stfu.
I tried a bit of everything... here is what I found.
Fatmat: Pretty damn good (and affordable compared to others)
What it took to install:
Fatmat Extreme: 120' cost $130 shipped. It covered the entire interior of a 95 coupe (trunk, inner fenders and inner doors, ceiling,) but not the front deck. It was extremely close and I didn't layer very much.
I also purchased a high quality roller for wallpaper. Lowes for about $6.
Two items I already had that I recommend: Heat Gun ($25) and construction knee pads (10-15). I realize there is a homosexual connotation with the knee pads, but they are soooo damn handy. Just don't wear them outside construction.
Application
Fatmat claims you don't need a heat gun... ehhh.... they lie. You can unroll the Fatmat and let it sit in the sun. That works okay... but just make sure it is summer. And you are in Texas. And it is between 1pm and 5pm. Otherwise just spend $25 for a cheap heat gun. Also find a good roller. The plastic one you often get from Fatmat and other companies will break within about nine seconds of application... get a good wooden or plastic roller (they make great ones for wallpaper).
I would unroll about 20 inches at a time and slice into rectangles, usually 5"x5" then jigsaw them together, overlapping here, gaps there. I also used large pieces for flat surfaces, but those were few.
The idea of the material falling off or going loose made me nervous so once I applied the bulk of the material (everything but the passenger and driver decks) I left the interior out of the car and let everything bake in. I didn't notice the smell unless it was very hot, and for the most part the Fatmat didn't come lose. I did find a few areas where it appeared weakening- usually vertical areas such as inside my doors and fenders. To cure all of this I spent a lovely two days sealing every seam with metal tape. Metal tape is... well... metal tape. Lightweight strong tape that is perfect for this job. Keeping gravity and moisture away from the seams stopped any signs of movement of the fatmat.
Air bubbles will screw you... so if you see one take a razor blade or some type of sharp instrument and gauge away then roll the bubble out.
The Honda OEM sound deadener material actually came off during my install of the regular fatmat. I believe this happened from a conbination of moisture that had found its way under the deadener (spilled drinks, rain, etc) and constant sitting and sliding of my fat ass during the fatmat install. So I have ordered Fatmats other deadener, Rattletrap (twice the thickness at only twice the cost!!!). This has not arrived... so I wait. And wait.
EXPANDING FOAM!: Scary and squeeky... plus it makes you feel dirty.
Ok, this is kinda cool stuff, but it can warp your body. Or if you apply it safely as I did, it will not warp your body, but actually make the body more sturdy and less likely to transmit sounds. Of course... when you turn or hit a bump the body and chassis still moves, which causes the areas with expanding foam to SQUEEEEK! Plus it made me feel like a guy with a mullet bragging about his "stang".
So, yeah, I tore it out.
Insulating Tape: OUTSTANDING!!
A roll of this stuff costs about $5. It is only 2 inches wide... but altogether you get about five square feet per roll. This stuff is amazing- I used a roll and half to deaden my coupe trunk lid. I decided to use it there as a test- gravity and extreme heat to test the bond of the material. Worked fantastic... cancelled vibrations and gave the area a nice solid feel. You can also cover the insulation with metal tape, but frankly I don't think it is necessary. As with butyl, make sure all is grease and moisture free. (OH... don't stretch the tape... stretched tape will work against itself and come lose... but if you are gentle it will never come off)
Experiments to come...
1. If Fatmat ever sends the material for my front deck I can get this project back on track. You might consider buying Fatmat on ebay... the website is slow as hell.
2. Reflective insulating carpet crap. I am going to apply this to my oem carpet and see if it helps any.
3. Purchasing a Mercedes that is naturally quiet.
(gdi... my camera isn't here but I typed all of this crap.... I will add pics to this rambling tomorrow or late tonight...)
I disassembled my 95 Coupe mid august and have been rebuilding/retuning it for the winter (plus I've had the damn thing for ten years so I needed to make it fresh again)
My first project was to get the interior sound deadened... deaded... deadaned.....
My first project was to get my interior to stfu.
I tried a bit of everything... here is what I found.
Fatmat: Pretty damn good (and affordable compared to others)
What it took to install:
Fatmat Extreme: 120' cost $130 shipped. It covered the entire interior of a 95 coupe (trunk, inner fenders and inner doors, ceiling,) but not the front deck. It was extremely close and I didn't layer very much.
I also purchased a high quality roller for wallpaper. Lowes for about $6.
Two items I already had that I recommend: Heat Gun ($25) and construction knee pads (10-15). I realize there is a homosexual connotation with the knee pads, but they are soooo damn handy. Just don't wear them outside construction.
Application
Fatmat claims you don't need a heat gun... ehhh.... they lie. You can unroll the Fatmat and let it sit in the sun. That works okay... but just make sure it is summer. And you are in Texas. And it is between 1pm and 5pm. Otherwise just spend $25 for a cheap heat gun. Also find a good roller. The plastic one you often get from Fatmat and other companies will break within about nine seconds of application... get a good wooden or plastic roller (they make great ones for wallpaper).
I would unroll about 20 inches at a time and slice into rectangles, usually 5"x5" then jigsaw them together, overlapping here, gaps there. I also used large pieces for flat surfaces, but those were few.
The idea of the material falling off or going loose made me nervous so once I applied the bulk of the material (everything but the passenger and driver decks) I left the interior out of the car and let everything bake in. I didn't notice the smell unless it was very hot, and for the most part the Fatmat didn't come lose. I did find a few areas where it appeared weakening- usually vertical areas such as inside my doors and fenders. To cure all of this I spent a lovely two days sealing every seam with metal tape. Metal tape is... well... metal tape. Lightweight strong tape that is perfect for this job. Keeping gravity and moisture away from the seams stopped any signs of movement of the fatmat.
Air bubbles will screw you... so if you see one take a razor blade or some type of sharp instrument and gauge away then roll the bubble out.
The Honda OEM sound deadener material actually came off during my install of the regular fatmat. I believe this happened from a conbination of moisture that had found its way under the deadener (spilled drinks, rain, etc) and constant sitting and sliding of my fat ass during the fatmat install. So I have ordered Fatmats other deadener, Rattletrap (twice the thickness at only twice the cost!!!). This has not arrived... so I wait. And wait.
EXPANDING FOAM!: Scary and squeeky... plus it makes you feel dirty.
Ok, this is kinda cool stuff, but it can warp your body. Or if you apply it safely as I did, it will not warp your body, but actually make the body more sturdy and less likely to transmit sounds. Of course... when you turn or hit a bump the body and chassis still moves, which causes the areas with expanding foam to SQUEEEEK! Plus it made me feel like a guy with a mullet bragging about his "stang".
So, yeah, I tore it out.
Insulating Tape: OUTSTANDING!!
A roll of this stuff costs about $5. It is only 2 inches wide... but altogether you get about five square feet per roll. This stuff is amazing- I used a roll and half to deaden my coupe trunk lid. I decided to use it there as a test- gravity and extreme heat to test the bond of the material. Worked fantastic... cancelled vibrations and gave the area a nice solid feel. You can also cover the insulation with metal tape, but frankly I don't think it is necessary. As with butyl, make sure all is grease and moisture free. (OH... don't stretch the tape... stretched tape will work against itself and come lose... but if you are gentle it will never come off)
Experiments to come...
1. If Fatmat ever sends the material for my front deck I can get this project back on track. You might consider buying Fatmat on ebay... the website is slow as hell.
2. Reflective insulating carpet crap. I am going to apply this to my oem carpet and see if it helps any.
3. Purchasing a Mercedes that is naturally quiet.
(gdi... my camera isn't here but I typed all of this crap.... I will add pics to this rambling tomorrow or late tonight...)