First time doing sound deadening - am I layering this stuff right?

Oct 25, 2026 Last reply: 17 hours ago 5 Replies

First reply

QuarryShop_1960

On the doors, don't chase full coverage. The stampings and ridges are allready stiff, so butyl there does almost nothing. What actually matters is sealing the holes. Cut smaller pieces and put them over the service holes and cutouts in the inner skin so the door acts like one…

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Tearing my coupe down to bare metal this weekend to deaden it before I put a new system in. Got a roll of butyl sheets for the floor and doors, plus some foam and a roll of mass loaded vinyl for the trunk area. My plan is butyl on the metal first, then the foam over the top, then MLV on top of that where I can fit it.



The thing I keep second guessing is the doors. Do I cover the whole inner skin or just the big flat sections between the stampings? I put a few pieces on last night and it seems like half of it is going onto ridges and holes that don't do much. Same with the roof, is it even worth doing up there or is that overkill? Also wondering about order of operations. Should the MLV go in before the carpet obviously, but does it need to be sealed at the edges or can I just lay it loose and let the carpet hold it down? I don't want to pull all this apart twice because I rushed the first layer.


On the doors, don't chase full coverage. The stampings and ridges are allready stiff, so butyl there does almost nothing. What actually matters is sealing the holes. Cut smaller pieces and put them over the service holes and cutouts in the inner skin so the door acts like one sealed enclosure behind the speaker. That did more for midbass in my old coupe than any amount of material on the flat sections did. So, deaden the big flat areas, seal the holes, and don't waste sheets riding over every rib. Roof is not overkill, but think of it differently. Butyl up there is marginal, a layer of closed cell foam is where the value is, mostly for heat and stopping that drumming tinny sound. If you've got foam already, use it up top and save the butyl budget for the floor.

On order of operations, you've basicly got it, but one thing to watch. MLV directly on top of butyl can actually rattle and buzz against it, which is worse than no MLV at all. You want a soft decoupling layer between the two, which is where your closed cell foam earns its keep. Butyl down, foam over it, MLV last. Keep the foam joints butted tight and taped so the MLV never touches bare metal anywhere. For the MLV itself, seams are everythign. Overlap the joints and seal them with proper MLV tape or even butyl tape, and do the same where it meets the firewall and wheel tubs. Sound will find any gap and sneak through, so a loose flapping edge basically undoes the work in that spot. Lay it in relaxed, don't stretch it tight, and let the carpet hold it. A few screws or clips through it into the floor is fine too, just put a dab of sealer under the fastener head so you're not punching leaks in your barrier. Last tip, roll your butyl properly. Keep rolling untill the roller marks go flat and shiny. Half pressed-down butyl is where the squeaks come from two years later.

I went through this on my sedan a while back and realized the material is only half the battle. You still have to deal with the panel flexing against the body structure. I used isolation mounts for the door skin itself after the deadening was done. It was the difference between a damped panel and one that was truly quiet. If the mounting point is still transferring vibration, the foam and MLV are just handling the wrong frequencies. Make sure you have a tight fit and secure mounting after you apply everything.

I totally agree with the part about the panel flexing against the body structure. That was a big lesson for me when I did my last project. Even with isolation mounts installed, I found that a thin bead of butyl adhesive applied around the base of each mount really handled the remaining vibration. Without that extra bit of stick, I was still hearing a low-frequency hum during bass testing. It helped turn that vibration into just a damp, muffled feel instead.

I think the heat issue is gonna be the biggest headache for most people doing this. If you layer all that vinyl and foam, the cabin's gonna get pretty hot, expecially if the coupe sits in the sun. I'd suggest running some extra inspection on the climate control lines before you start, just to make sure those gaps aren't going to melt or restrict airflow. Also, when you're dealing with those tight curves on the pillars, make sure your MLV doesn't bunch up or shift later.

Update: tried the smaller pieces over the service holes in the doors like the first reply said, and it goes on way cleaner. Big sheets were fighting every ridge. Still stuck on the MLV though, laid it loose in the trunk and it slides around when I push on it. Do you glue it down or just let the carpet trap it in place?

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