In this article, we are going to discuss several application tools you can use to install sound deadening mats. Of course, I’m talking about buffing rollers and finishing tapes. Both of these tools are mostly useful for installing self-adhesive foil sound deadeners.
The finishing tapes are often thinner and more compact rolls of the same kind of material mats are made of. You could use them to attach sound deadening materials that don’t have adhesive backs to the inside of a car or to fill in the spaces between the pieces of material. Like the rollers, finishing tape isn’t exactly a necessary part of this process.
In fact, most people just use any round tool they can get their hands on to buff the mat into the sheet metal of their car, forgoing rollers altogether. Still, many companies have started manufacturing tools for the specific purpose of activating the adhesive back of the mat. But before I tell you about rollers, let’s talk about finishing tapes.
Finishing Tapes
If you really want to make your vehicle as soundproof and as heat-resistant as possible, you’ll want to cover as much of the metal with insulating materials. However, most of the time, mats are either too expensive or too firm to cover every inch of the space. That’s where sealing tape might come in handy.
As the name suggests, finishing tape is the last step of the foil mat installation process. I’ve already mentioned that you can use it to attach two pieces of the mat together. However, they’re not just an aesthetic tool.
Indeed, using tape along the edges of the mat might even stop the butyl back from seeping through the sides. Of course, that’s not a problem everyone would need to worry about. In fact, you could prevent it by simply applying the mat properly in the first place.
Still, there are other uses of these kinds of products as well. You can also use them as regular electrical tapes to deal with wires. At the very least, they could stop various metal parts from rattling inside the car door or the trunk. So where could you get your hands on a sealing tape like this?
Well, Dynamat’s DynaTape is 2 mils thick and 1.5 inches wide, and it comes in a 30-foot roll. Noico has a similar product that’s about 1.6 inches wide and 33 feet long. Furthermore, Noico’s tape is also waterproof, since it’s made of water-resistant non-acrylic glue. Even Hushmat has a horse in this race, so you’ll be able to match your tape to your mats.
Buffing Rollers
Before you can finish up installing your insulation mats with the sealing tape, you’ll need to make sure that the mats themselves are properly installed. In my opinion, improper placement is the most common reason why some people experience leaks in the first place.
Unfortunately, getting the sound deadening mats to lay completely flat and adhere to the metal isn’t exactly easy. To begin with, you’ll want to make sure that you’re wearing clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.
Asphalt-based products can get particularly messy but, trust me, you don’t want to get butyl on your skin either. You can also lay down a plastic tarp if you don’t want the sticky residue on the floor. And of course: wear gloves.
Once you open up your car to get to the surface you’re insulating, it’s a peel and stick operation. The mats all have a thin protective layer over the adhesive back. You ought to cut the products down to size first, then peel off the back and stick it on. Finally, you’ll want to buff it in.
As I’ve already explained, most people just use any rounded blunt object to get the mats to adhere. However, you can also use rollers, which are basically just cylindrical barrels on top of a handle. The barrels themselves can be ribbed or flat depending on the manufacturer.
Like with the finishing tapes, a couple of fan-favorite brands also make rollers. For example, Noico, Dynamat, and Uxcell all have them. Typically, these products are about an inch wide, and they cost anywhere between $5 and $20. As always, Dynamat is probably the most expensive brand you can shop from, with Noico following close behind.
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