Something for under the carpet and on top of damplifier

[Robahr24 10+ year member]

I am going to buy 160 sq ft of damplifier pro for my 01 Jeep Cherokee. I am going to paint POR 15 on the floor first so it doesn't rust anymore, than put a layer of damplifier down. I don't want to spend any more than I already am going to now, and I'm trying to find something to put under the orginal carpet just for a little noise barrier. Could I just use some thick carpet or such. I want it to be cheap, and its only gonna be used for the floor.

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[FoxPro5 5,000+ posts]

Where do you intend to put this 160 sqft? Everywhere? Probably not the best use for that product. Large, flat, resonant panels is where something like DP *should* go. Classical mistake and overuse is going firewall to rear bumper, rail to rail with the stuff. Not so great ROI with that method.

What you do need everywhere is, like you said, a noise barrier which must be seamless. Carpet, unless it contains a significant amount of mass (DP is around .5lbs/sqft....so double that, probably) is a waste of your time, essentially. Best you'll get from carpet is higher frequency noise blocking and some absorbtion.

If you're not entirely convinced, take some of your carpet and put it over your midrange speaker. Keep in mind that "road noise" extends way down to the frequencies your sub plays, but is mainly centered within and octave or two of 200 hz (50-400 hz). So, an even more accurate test would be to play a 200hz tone through your speakers and see if a single layer of carpet will attenuate it. If not, then how about a second layer or a third? Maybe at this point, but how thick is that now? 1"??? Will that fit under the factory carpet in your car?

Everyone's tolerance for noise is different and everyone's vehicle is different. Those that drive a fairly quiet vehicle can usually get away with a massive attack of CLD mat like DP. They do it and it take the noise level down 3-4 dB and it is enough for them. Then there others that drive very noisy cars with agressive exhaust or loud engines and they might be fighting a 70-80 dB noise floor. To them, what's 3-4 dB? A lot of money down the drain, basically. The money spent on CLD mat *should* be allocated to a barrier(s) to significantly combat that noise. Something like a floating lead wall, as an example, will be 10 times more effective (30 dB reduction in noise overall).

As a general rule of thumb, a 10dB noise reduction will seem to be half as loud to your ears. You never really get rid of noise completely, you just attenuate until it's tolerable. Again, how loud is your car?

 

[Robahr24 10+ year member]

I planned on doing all my doors with a few layers, the rear hatch the same, covering the roof with a layer, than the rest on the floor. The Paint won't be thick so I doubt that will do much, I think I will have room for another layer of something to put under there. I understand the best uses for damplifier and don't plan on wasting it with just the floor.

 

[sexiewasd 10+ year member]

Where do you intend to put this 160 sqft? Everywhere? Probably not the best use for that product. Large, flat, resonant panels is where something like DP *should* go. Classical mistake and overuse is going firewall to rear bumper, rail to rail with the stuff. Not so great ROI with that method.
What you do need everywhere is, like you said, a noise barrier which must be seamless. Carpet, unless it contains a significant amount of mass (DP is around .5lbs/sqft....so double that, probably) is a waste of your time, essentially. Best you'll get from carpet is higher frequency noise blocking and some absorbtion.

If you're not entirely convinced, take some of your carpet and put it over your midrange speaker. Keep in mind that "road noise" extends way down to the frequencies your sub plays, but is mainly centered within and octave or two of 200 hz (50-400 hz). So, an even more accurate test would be to play a 200hz tone through your speakers and see if a single layer of carpet will attenuate it. If not, then how about a second layer or a third? Maybe at this point, but how thick is that now? 1"??? Will that fit under the factory carpet in your car?

Everyone's tolerance for noise is different and everyone's vehicle is different. Those that drive a fairly quiet vehicle can usually get away with a massive attack of CLD mat like DP. They do it and it take the noise level down 3-4 dB and it is enough for them. Then there others that drive very noisy cars with agressive exhaust or loud engines and they might be fighting a 70-80 dB noise floor. To them, what's 3-4 dB? A lot of money down the drain, basically. The money spent on CLD mat *should* be allocated to a barrier(s) to significantly combat that noise. Something like a floating lead wall, as an example, will be 10 times more effective (30 dB reduction in noise overall).

As a general rule of thumb, a 10dB noise reduction will seem to be half as loud to your ears. You never really get rid of noise completely, you just attenuate until it's tolerable. Again, how loud is your car?

Qft

http://www.secondskinaudio.com/noise-barrier/Luxury-Liner-Pro.php?category=72

Luxury Liner

http://www.cascadeaudio.com/car_noise_control/vb_4.htm

Cascade VB-4

 

[Robahr24 10+ year member]

Again, that is too expensive but thanks for your help.

 

[FoxPro5 5,000+ posts]

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Contact adhesive of your choice

 

[sexiewasd 10+ year member]

Cars like the new impala's use open cell foam with a thin sheet of rubber glueed on top of it, perhaps you could come up with something like that?

Home Depot sells flame resistant carpet padding, it's pretty much the stuff that comes stock in most cheap cars, you would just have to find something to use to seal the barrier with, I don't really know where to buy sheets of rubber.