Truly high-quality soundproofing have only premium cars. The rest were quite mediocre if they paid attention to this fact at the factory. However, do-it-yourself soundproofing is not so difficult. True, it will take a lot of strength, free time and materials. But first things first.
Full or local noise isolation
Car manufacturers struggle with extraneous noise during the development phase of the car body. It is the frame that plays the decisive role. Therefore, there are places where sound from the outside breaks through more or less. For example, wheel arches can be considered a sore spot of many modern cars. The sound from the road surface freely enters the car interior. You can solve the problem by installing the correct "Shumka". Before you ask yourself how to make a car soundproofing yourself, you need to find the weakest spots. Perhaps the first thing to do is deal with them.
Many experts recommend only comprehensive noise reduction of the vehicle. Indeed, such an approach allows eliminating from 30 to 70% of extraneous noise. True, such a solution to the question cannot always be called true. For example, if the car has a decent “Shumka”, but the sound quality of the audio system is not satisfactory, then it is not necessary to completely process the car. Often enough to do the doors and arches, the result will be noticeable right there. Well, now we will consider this issue in more detail, get acquainted with the basic concepts and technology of work.
A brief overview of popular materials
Before making soundproofing a car with your own hands, you need to deal with products on the market. After all, you need to know what you are buying, and whether it is really worth it. It’s worth starting with vibration-absorbing materials:
- Vibroplast (Silver) is a fairly flexible and flexible material. The sheet is marked with 5 x 5 cm squares, which allows you to cut it to the desired size. Vibroplast copes with the function of sealant and protects the body from corrosion, it also does not absorb moisture. The thickness of this material is only 2 mm, a square meter of vibroplast weighs about 3 kilograms. Suitable for installation on doors, bonnet or trunk lid.
- Vibroplast (Gold) - differs from the above only in weight and thickness (4 kg per square and 2.3 mm). It must be understood that the thicker the vibration isolation, the more difficult the installation.
- Bimast (bombs) is the best choice for high-quality audio training. It has the highest efficiency due to the multilayer design. The first layer is made of bitumen, the second is rubber. The sheet thickness is 4.3 mm and the weight is 6 kilograms per square meter. During installation, it is necessary to warm up to 50 degrees.
Do-it-yourself car noise isolation: materials (splenitis, accent, bitoplast)
If the above brands are vibration-absorbing materials, then splenitis 3004 is sound-absorbing. In addition, it has good heat-insulating characteristics. Operating temperature from -40 to +70 degrees Celsius. It is noteworthy that this material does not absorb moisture and does not collapse under the influence of direct sunlight. The thickness of the splenitis 3004 is 4 mm, and its weight is only 0.42 kilograms per square meter. Also, the manufacturer presents models 3002 and 3008 with a thickness of 2 and 8 mm, respectively.
Splen is glued to vibration-absorbing material. Usually the most problematic areas are treated with the thickest sheets and vice versa. Ideal for wheel arches and other noisy places in the car. It is not recommended to apply at temperatures below +10, as the adhesive properties are significantly impaired. Such materials as accent-10 and bitoplast-5 are also popular among motorists. The latter absorbs up to 90% of noise.
We make noise insulation of the car with our own hands
It is recommended to start with the most simple and easily accessible body elements. These can be considered the hood and trunk. It should be noted right away that getting rid of the noise of a running motor will not work. Inside, all the noise will remain the same. But the thermal insulation properties will improve significantly, which is especially true for the winter period. Often there is a standard insulation. It is not worth throwing it away, but it is necessary to dismantle it during the work. Before gluing, the working surface must be thoroughly degreased. White spirit is great. As a base, it is better to use accent-10. It holds heat well and does not catch fire under the influence of high temperatures. On top of it you can stick a vibroplast ("Silver").
It is extremely important to choose the right thickness of materials and their weight. Too heavy hood will significantly reduce the life of shock absorbers or hinges that are not designed for such loads. As for the thickness, the lid may not be trivial to close. All of these rules and materials apply to the boot.
We work with car doors
Doors - this is one of those areas that need to be addressed in order to achieve high-quality sound of the car audio system. A lot of noise also passes through them, especially if there is no regular “Shumka”.
The thinner the metal doors, the more sound insulation will be required to achieve good results. The material is suitable vibroplast ("Silver", "Gold"), which is glued opposite the column. It is advisable to cover about 80% of the area. As with the hood, weight monitoring is recommended. It is better not to overload the doors, as this will lead to sagging hinges and their subsequent replacement.
If it is necessary to achieve not only silence in the cabin, but also high-quality sound of the audio system, it is recommended to make a “noise” in several layers. First vibroplast, and then splenitis. Technological openings are best left open, as they are necessary for ventilation. If they are closed, the corrosion process will soon begin. With the rear doors, if there are no speakers, it’s easier to work. This is due to the fact that the "Shumkov" there needs an order of magnitude less.
The most laborious work
Here a lot depends on the brand of car. But it is unlikely that they will manage to get by with small forces, whether it be a Skoda or a VAZ. With your own hands, the noise insulation of the car (floor) is carried out for a long time, since it is necessary to completely disassemble the interior, remove all seats and wiring from the clips, but it's worth it.
Usually the heaviest and most effective materials are used, such as bimast bombs and 8 mm splenitis. It is not very convenient to work with thick sheets, so it is better to lay 2 layers of 4 mm splenitis than one 8 mm. We try to cover the bottom as much as possible, preferably at least 80%. During work it is necessary to use an industrial hairdryer for better adhesion of materials. It is also recommended to make marks in the places of fastening of clips for braids wiring, seats, etc. Before performing work, it is advisable to carefully treat the surface. Firstly, it is necessary to clean out the garbage and remove the old sound insulation (if any), and secondly, do not forget to degrease the surface. It is necessary to carry out work in a well-ventilated area and use a hairdryer.
Wheel arches and niches
Since it is not difficult to make sound insulation of a car with your own hands in a complex way and it will take a lot of time, it is best to perform the work in stages. At the final stage, it is recommended to process the wheel arches and niches. In most cars, these places suffer the most, so the “Shumka” here will need a thick one.
Soundproofing the car arches with your own hands is quite quick and easy. Although some nuances are still there. The first step is to install the car on the jack and remove the wheel, and then you need to dismantle the fenders. The latter cannot be thrown away, as they also partially struggle with noise. The next step is to thoroughly clean the treated surface and degrease it. Then apply vibroplast ("Gold"). In the case of wheel niches, it is better to choose a thicker material. Mounting it is inconvenient, but the result will be much better. In addition, it is worth treating the arches with anti-gravity. It will provide additional protection against noise and protect the body from corrosion.
What are the expected results?
It is impossible to unequivocally answer this question. Much depends on the brand of the car, the material used and the specialist who performed the work. For example, if you make noiseless a good foreign car, it will be possible to eliminate no more than 20-30% of noise. It's all about the base installed at the factory. But the soundproofing of the car doors with your own hands at the VAZ will give real tangible results. If you approach the issue comprehensively, the amount of noise will decrease by 70%. This is a very good result, which will be immediately noticeable. If you additionally go through an anti-creak, the “crickets” will disappear, which immediately after the “Shumka” will hit on the ears.
A few rules when working with soundproofing
The first and main thing to keep in mind is that work is possible at a temperature of at least 10 degrees Celsius. The adhesive base must be additionally heated with a hairdryer. If this is not done, then the material may peel off after some time. For the best quality of work, you need to purchase a rolling roller. This simple tool allows you to completely remove air bubbles.
It is advisable to carry out work in a well-ventilated room, and if the street is warm and dry, you can right there. Get enough clean rags, water and a degreaser. If the insulation is foil, then gloves must be worn, as there is a high probability of getting cuts. Many beginners suffer greatly from their hands, since you need to get to hard-to-reach places and cut a lot. The surface to be treated must be dry and clean, free from rust.
Is it worth saving?
Owners of domestic and Chinese car brands very often use budget options for soundproofing. The thing is that an integrated approach using profile materials is not cheap. Someone can not afford such costs, but others do not see any sense in this. After all, most vibration-proofing materials for a car are analogues of building insulation, gaskets, etc. Is this really so? This is common sense.
Of course, you should not fall for the tricks of the sellers and buy polyethylene, felt or splenitis. It is better to look at materials such as hydroisol and gerlen. If you follow the technology, then the result will be worthy. It is not necessary to use expensive materials. With your own hands, the correct sound insulation of a car can be performed not only with the help of expensive STP or bimast, but also with the same gerlen or hydroisol.
Entrust the work to "specialists" or do it yourself?
If the work will be performed by real masters, then it will cost not at all cheap. But the result will exceed all expectations. But usually such a plan, specialists use expensive materials and take a lot of money for work. It is advisable to give a car only if the car is expensive and belongs to the premium segment. "Lada" can be done independently, because it does not require special training. Yes, and save will be possible not only at work, but also materials.
Drivers reviews
Many car owners have noticed tangible improvements after using soundproofing. Others are inclined to the fact that it is necessary to deal with noise at a constructive level. Much more depends on the quality of the material used and its thickness and the appropriateness of application in a particular place. This also applies to technology work. That is why there are both positive and negative reviews. Although the first is an order of magnitude larger. But someone did not get the desired result, from which a certain opinion is formed.
To summarize
So we, in fact, dealt with this issue. As you can see, all the work can be done with your own hands. Noise isolation of the wheel arches of the car, the bottom or doors is done on its own rather simply, but it is necessary to follow simple rules and pasting technology. A lot of tools are not needed, just have a good office knife and a pair of blades, scissors and a building hair dryer. Another important point is the intermediate drying in the absence of a self-adhesive layer. As for the disassembly and assembly of interior elements, you can download a special manual for your car.