The noise that enters your car is not all the in same. Understanding the type of noise and method of entry will help you treat the root of your sound problem. There are two types of noise you’ll experience in a car:

Once we uncover the source of your noise problem, we can determine the best method for stopping it. There are three noise-cancelling methods, each with its role to play:

Depending on your vehicle and your goals, you may just need a little help in one of these areas or you may be thinking about a full-on interior rebuild. Wherever you find yourself on that continuum, we have the tools and the know-how to help you achieve your car soundproofing goals! To aid you in your journey, we've put together a handy graphic that we have appropriately called the "Automotive Insulation Guide."

If you’re restoring a classic car, fixing up an old work truck, or driving a vehicle that naturally creates a lot of sound, you need to deaden that metal. Over 20 years of testing, we’ve found the best materials for automotive sound deadening to be:

• Butyl rubber: an odorless, synthetic rubber which we enhance with increased elastomeric properties. Butyl rubber is tough; it’s what holds the air in your tires.
• Viscoelastic acrylic polymer: Liquid material highly effective in reducing vibrations. Viscoelastic materials are such an effective shock absorber that at one point, one was wrapped around the Liberty Bell to protect it from further cracking.

Second Skin has proprietary formulas for both our sound deadening mat and sound deadening spray products, and is the only American made manufacturer currently offering high quality options for both types of deadening.

Sound Deadening Wrap Up

Not sure which deadening option is best for you or if sound deadening will work for your car? We get it, which is why we wrote whole articles on sound deadening spray vs mat vibration dampers and does sound deadening work? Feel free to take a detour.

If you feel like your car makes an incredible amount of road or tire noise, you’re likely in need of a noise barrier to keep those roaring noises outside of your vehicle. We use sound blockers to create a barrier layer that acts as a wall between you and the noise, effectively turning your car into a soundproof booth. To get the best results, you need to first apply a sound deadening product to reduce the amount of noise your car is creating, and then add the sound blocking layer to create a barrier to stop the noise. Additional car floor insulation, trunk insulation, and beefing up your car doors will create a bubble of protection.

The best material for sound blocking is an automotive sound barrier. Any good sound blocker needs to be dense, limp, and flexible enough to contour to the curves of your car - allowing you to create as close to an unbroken barrier layer as possible. We have two high quality, American-made options for mass loaded vinyl.

The final touch to eliminate unwanted noise in your car is installing sound deadening foam or jute. With the right products installed, echoes and irritating noise interference will be a thing of the past. One of the advantages of sound absorbers is that they’re so versatile — the best also act as reliable decouplers and heat insulators. If you're unsure what foam is right for you, you may want to read up on open vs closed cell foam.

Second Skin is very selective with the foams and jutes in our sound absorbing automotive insulation products.

• Melamine foam - Used globally in pipe insulation and auditorium soundproofing. The hydrophobic melamine foam (HMF) is particularly useful in cars, as it is waterproof and has a high resistance to heat. HMF is generally accepted as the highest quality solution for sound absorption in vehicles.
• Jute - Jute is a natural fiber often spun into thick layers of matting used for sound absorption. High-quality jute sound absorbing materials are plush and great natural insulators.
• Closed-cell foam - Unlike open cell foam, high density closed cell foam is impermeable to air and water resistant, making it a good choice for adding heat insulation. Closed cell foam is most effective when used as a decoupler between hard surfaces like rattling plastic panels.

Decoupling is one of the secrets of automotive insulation gurus. All a decoupler does is separate two materials from each other so that they transfer less energy. Less energy passing through means less vibrations, less rattles, and less noise.

Any hard surfaces in your vehicle can be decoupled. The most common areas we see a decoupler used is behind noisy plastic panels. Squeeze your decoupling layer into the gap to act as a shock absorber and prevent the panels from rattling.

The added benefit of using a decoupler is you're also adding additional car insulation at the same time. Heat Wave Pro is an excellent decoupler and insulator. We also offer a line of decoupling closed cell foams that are very durable and will further insulate your vehicle. We call them OverKill.

Every car needs heat insulation. Depending on the goals of your automotive insulation project, there are two materials to consider: insulators and radiant barriers. Effectively utilizing these heat barriers will solve two problems at once.

1. Controlling the climate inside your vehicle
2. Managing heat-related issues in the engine compartment and underbody

Our automotive thermal insulation uses several different types of materials.

• Highly-reflective aluminum foil — we use reinforced aluminum foil to reflect radiant heat and protect the layer of insulation within.
• Melamine foam — a high open cell foam R-value makes this foam resistant to heat transfer and the perfect material to increase insulation in your vehicle
• Thermal acoustic jute — We pair this treated, heat resistant insulator with a durable foil to both insulate and reflect radiant heat.

Sound absorption and heat insulation go hand-in-hand. Although not all materials and products do both, Mega Zorbe and Heat Wave Pro are excellent at both sound and heat insulation. That's why they are our most popular car insulation solutions.

We also offer two different options for radiant barriers, depending on your vehicle's needs.

Once you’re able to determine what kind of noise you’re experiencing in your car and which noise-cancellation method you need to use to eliminate it, all that’s load your cart up with awesome Second Skin products and get started! We have you covered with everything you need to complete your automotive insulation project.