Butyl Vs. Asphalt Sound Deadening | Which One Is Better?
If you’ve heard of car sound deadeners before, you may also have heard about the different materials that can be used in them. While this might not make a large difference for some of us, the choice of material could have a much greater impact than you might have thought.
Some of us might find that the debate about materials is quite confusing, as we may not know much about them. Typically, you’ll find that either butyl or asphalt will be used in car sound deadening mats, both of which provide a variety of benefits.
However, they can also have a few quite significant drawbacks. As a result, a large number of people have claimed that one is better than the other because of these reasons, regardless of which actual product they buy.
Naturally, if you’re new to sound deadening mats, then much of the debate could go over your head. However, the difference between butyl and asphalt is something that you might have to pay a large amount of attention to when you’re buying a sound deadening mat for your car.
This will be because either choice could have significant implications for how well it works, as well as for how long it lasts. If you’re anything like us, then you might not know where to begin with this. However, research can be quite effective for this, and there are a few things that you should know about both of the materials.
Recommended Products
There could be a large chance that you’re already considering a sound deadener for your car. If you are, then you might find that there’s quite an overwhelming selection of them to pick from. Naturally, some of us might have difficulty in choosing between each of the available products.
However, that doesn’t have to be true, as you’ll be able to narrow down your choice to the below products. Each has its pros and cons, so you’ll need to spend some time debating which is the right one for you.
All of them are made from either butyl or asphalt, so you might want to figure out which of these materials you’d prefer before choosing a product. This should help to narrow your choice significantly.
Despite that, all of them should be a high-quality buy, so you shouldn’t have any problems with them once you’ve bought them. Like many other things, however, this will only be the case if you spend time comparing them and making sure that they fit your needs.
Given how large of a difference there can be between noise levels in cars, it should be worth your time making sure that the sound deadener is right for you. With that in mind, there are a specific few car sound deadeners that are well-recommended.
1. Dynamat 10455 18″ x 32″ x 0.067″ Thick Self-Adhesive Sound Deadener
- Country of origin : United States
- Model Number : 10455
Dynamat has long been a standout option on the market, and this Thick Self-Adhesive Sound Deadener makes it easy to see why. There are quite a few advantages to the option, with one of the most notable being that it can be applied much faster than many of its competitors.
Alongside this is the noise reduction that it offers, with this being much better than many alternatives. Lastly is how versatile it is, as you should be able to apply it anywhere in your vehicle, regardless of whether you’re driving a truck or var.
Depending on the size of your vehicle, however, you may need to buy several kits to completely soundproof it. This could mean that you’ll have to spend a significant amount of money to take advantage of it.
Pros
- Quick & easy to apply.
- Large noise reduction.
- Versatile enough to be used anywhere in the vehicle.
Cons
- You may need several kits for your entire car.
2. Noico 80 Mil 36 Sqft Car Sound Deadening Mat
- The cost effective 80 mil automotive butyl and foil sound deadening! You are not just buying an excellent quality product but also saving more than 20% comparing to competitors as well!
- Now the material is 1,5 times thicker that will get you 1,5 times more effective insulation. Noico 80 mil is 1,5 times better in comparison to sound deadening material of 50 mil. The thicker the material the more performance you get!
There are quite a large number of reasons why you might want to consider the Noico 80 Mil 36 Sqft Sound Deadening Mat. Like some other options, this is quite quick to install. However, this is much easier to do than many others, which makes it quite a recommended choice.
Alongside this is the fact that it can be placed anywhere in your vehicle while still providing results. Lastly, it should last much longer than you may have thought, so you shouldn’t need to replace it anytime soon.
However, this might not be as effective at reducing noise than you might expect. This could mean that you might have to put down several layers to see as large an effect as you would with others.
While this is an affordable option, the extra layers may add to the overall cost quite significantly.
Pros
- Easy to install across your car.
- Can be placed anywhere in your vehicle.
- Lasts longer than many competitors.
Cons
- Not as effective as some other products.
2. FatMat Self-Adhesive Sound Deadener
- One 18 inch wide x 33.5 feet long Roll of Self-Adhesive FatMat (50 Sq Ft Total) with Install Kit Consisting of Easy Instructions, Roller, Knife, and FatMat Sound Control Decal
- 50 Mil Nominal Thickness
The FatMat Self-Adhesive Sound Deadener is one of the better-recommended asphalt options on the market, as it has quite a few benefits. The largest of these is that it offers quite a substantial amount of sound reduction, with this outperforming many of its competitors.
It also shouldn’t take long to apply this to your vehicle, so you shouldn’t have to put too much effort into it. Lastly is the versatility that the choice offers, as it can be applied to the majority of areas in your car.
However, this suffers from many of the same drawbacks as other asphalt sound deadeners. One of the main ones here is that it might not be long-lasting, so you’ll have to replace it quite quickly. Alongside this, it might not be appropriate for areas that have to put up with a lot of heat.
Pros
- Large amount of sound reduction.
- Can be used almost anywhere.
- Doesn’t take long to install.
Cons
- Doesn’t last as long as other options.
4. MFM Peel & Seal Self Stick Roll Roofing
- Sticks to almost any surface and is secure and waterproof seal
- Can be used on RVs and Trailer homes
The MFM Peel & Seal Self Stick Roll Roofing option is quite effective at reducing noise, which makes it quite a prominent recommendation. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few extra advantages to this that you might want to take advantage of.
One of the most notable of these is how quick and easy to apply it is. While many other products offer this, few are as easy as this, which makes it better-recommended than many alternatives.
While this can be used almost anywhere in your vehicle, it might not be appropriate for areas that aren’t flat. As such, you might have to spend a significant amount of time trying to apply it to these areas.
Pros
- Large amount of sound reduction.
- Quick and easy to apply.
- Can be used almost anywhere.
Cons
- Might not be great for areas that aren’t flat.
Application Process
Applying sound deadening mats is something that you might need to spend a certain amount of time on. While this is typically an easy process, it’s often time-intensive, so you’ll need to put a few hours aside to do so.
When you’re applying it, you’ll need to make sure that you’re placing it on the metal that you want to soundproof. This could mean that you’ll have to remove seats and a few other things, which is the main reason that this can be a time-intensive process.
Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to make sure that you put on some protective gear, such as gloves. This is because both asphalt and butyl are tacky, which could mean that they’ll stick to your hands quite easily. Alongside this, you could get somewhat dirty when you’re applying them.
As such, it can often be recommended that you wear protective gloves and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. After this, it should be a matter of cutting your sound deadening mat into the shape and size that you’ll need.
While this could take a large amount of time, it shouldn’t be too difficult to apply. Typically, you’ll be able to install the sound deadening mat on any area in your car, some areas might be slightly difficult. Perhaps the largest of these are the doors, although every other area should be quite easy.
Typically, you’ll simply need to roll the mat against the area that you want to apply it to, with many products having self-adhesive properties.
How Do Sound Deadening Mats Work?
Many of us might wonder how sound deadeners actually work. This is mainly because some people might see them as a relatively thin piece of fabric that covers an area. However, they’re much more effective than you might think, with the products working in a few notable ways.
Essentially, these work by gripping any metal surfaces and making them sturdier and thicker. This should mean that much less noise should be able to travel through them. Alongside this, you should be able to see much less rattling from certain parts of your vehicle, which helps to reduce sound levels further.
Sound deadening mats should also prevent the metal from vibrating as much as it used to. To properly achieve this, however, there are a few things that you’ll need to pay attention to. Typically, you’ll need to put the mats on at least 25% of the area of your vehicle.
However, placing it on as much of the metal as possible should help to increase the sound absorption. There are also a few other factors that you’ll have to pay attention to when putting down the sound deadening mats.
One of the more prominent comes when you’re choosing which product to buy. Thicker ones should offer much more sound absorption than thinner models, which makes them much better-recommended.
Butyl Vs Asphalt Sound Deadening Materials
You might wonder whether you should choose either a butyl or asphalt sound deadener, as both offer various pros and cons. Typically, these will be used as the base material in many products, which is where the majority of differences between them will be seen.
However, many of us might wonder what these differences actually are. In the majority of cases, products that use an asphalt base will be slightly thicker than their butyl counterparts. Alongside this, the majority of them should be much more affordable, which many of us might find appealing.
Despite this, asphalt sound deadening mats can often produce somewhat of a smell once it’s been put down. While this should fade over time, it’s something that many of us will want to avoid.
If you’re considering a sound deadening mat, then there are a variety of factors you’ll have to look at. While the material that it’s made from will play a certain role, you should look at each of the other pros and cons of that specific product first to help make your decision.
Butyl Vs Asphalt: The Final Tally
In the majority of cases, you might find yourself gravitating toward butyl instead of asphalt. This is mainly because of the benefits that butyl has over the alternative, the majority of which you should find appealing.
For example, asphalt shouldn’t be able to put up with high temperatures, which could be a notable issue for many areas of your car. Alongside this is the fact that butyl sound deadener mats should offer much more sound absorption than its counterpart, with this being driven by how thick it is.
Coupled with this is the fact that butyl doesn’t have an odor when it’s applied to a car, which is a noticeable problem for many of us. However, this doesn’t mean that the material doesn’t have its flaws, as it does have a few.
Despite this, these are all relatively minor and pale in comparison to the drawbacks that asphalt can have. This has led to an increasing number of manufacturers choosing to use butyl instead.
While asphalt sound deadening mats are much more affordable than their butyl counterparts, they’ll often be of a lower quality. As such, it’s recommended that you go for a slightly more expensive option. This should mean that you’ll get much more value for your money and not have to replace the mats anytime soon.