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The Truth About Sound Deadener Paint
Author: Eric Dellolio
Last Updated: February 9, 2024
Read Time: 6 Minutes
The Truth About Sound Deadener Paint
Author:
Eric Dellolio
Last Updated:
February 9, 2024
Read Time:
6 Minutes
Author: Eric Dellolio
Updated: Feb. 9, 2024
Read Time: 6 Minutes
If you’re looking to reduce the sound in your car, one of the options you have is sound deadening sprays. Spray on sound deadeners and soundproof paint are convenient choices because of how quickly you can apply them. But how do they do at reducing noise in your car?
In this article, we've gone under the hood to get you the truth about sound sprays so that you can determine what’s right for your vehicle. And no, we’re not above cheesy puns. That one was pretty bad though.
If you’re looking to reduce the sound in your car, one of the options you have is sound deadening sprays. Spray on sound deadeners and soundproof paint are convenient choices because of how quickly you can apply them. But how do they do at reducing noise in your car?
In this article, we've gone under the hood to get you the truth about sound sprays so that you can determine what’s right for your vehicle. And no, we’re not above cheesy puns. That one was pretty bad though.
What are Sound Sprays and Paints?
When browsing the vast caverns of the internet, you're going to find a variety of different liquid products advertised as soundproofing solutions. Below are some of the most popular types of soundproofing products available today.
SOUND DEADENING SPRAY
One of the most convenient and affordable options available is a spray on sound deadener. This sound deadening car spray comes in either a bucket or a can. You don’t need to be a professional to apply these products. All you have to do is throw on the proper eye and respiratory protection and begin using the product on your vehicle.
Soundproof spray is useful because it allows you to stop rattles and vibrations in areas that otherwise would be hard to cover. Sprays also will enable you to coat your car without any seams or gaps, something that cannot be said for sound deadening mats.
If you’ve already stripped the car to the metal, you should be able to spray sound deadening onto an entire vehicle in just a few hours. Most of the time will be spent waiting on the liquid to dry. Liquids are by far the easiest way to stop noise from vibrating metal if you do the right prep and have the right equipment. The best car soundproofing sprays provide both noise and heat insulation, and come in a bucket. There’s variety in bucket quality, but they tend to all be more effective than aerosol can deadeners.
Aeresol Spray Can Deadener - DO NOT USE
Speaking of...the products in a can are more convenient for small surface areas and cheaper, but you get what you pay for – they are much less effective due to the can’s nozzle being too small to spray true sound deadening polymers. We would never use sound deadening spray in an aerosol can.
SOUNDproof paint
Soundproof paint is not recommended for use in vehicles, as it's not really designed to keep out the primary noises you face in cars (like road noise). You usually see this product used on walls in homes or in commercial spaces like hotels. While this product may look very similar to a liquid deadener – they both come in similar sized buckets and advertise reducing noise – they are intended to solve entirely different problems. Liquid deadener is designed to stop vibrations and reduce noise from rattling metal whereas soundproof paint is designed to increase a wall’s mass to reduce the amount of noise that can pass through it.
For tips on how to reduce sound through walls, check out our article!
NOT SURE WHAT PRODUCTS YOU NEED?
Take our quiz to find out exactly what product you need.
The Pros and Cons of Liquid Soundproofing Products
Since soundproof paints are not often used in vehicle applications, we wanted to spend a little bit more time comparing the two that are: aerosol can sound deadening sprays and liquid sound deadening.
| Aerosol Sound Deadening | Liquid Sound Deadening | |
| Primary Use | Deaden metal; stop noise from vibrations | Deaden metal; stop noise from vibrations |
| What's in it? | Liquid rubber | Water, viscoelastic acrylic polymer |
| How is it sold? | In an aerosol can | In a paint bucket |
| Does it work? | Some, but the nozzle is a limitation | Yes, that metal is dead |
| Will it stop heat transfer? | Minor impact; rated to 300 F | Moderate impact; rated to 400 F |
| Does it smell? | Badly; spray it outside | Minimal at application; dries odorless |
| Should I spray it on my clothes? | Only if you want to smell like burnt rubber | NO! Hard to get off fabrics |
| Do you need tools? | No, very convenient | Requires spray gun, brush, or roller |
| Cost per Sq Ft (1 layer) | ~$1.25 per square foot* | ~$1.90 per square foot*** |
Spectrum Sound Deadening Spray Will "WOW" You
If you’re like us, a list of pros and cons can still leave you struggling to figure out which product is best for your vehicle. We think our Spectrum liquid applied sound deadener is pretty awesome, but you know…we’re biased because we formulated it and it’s our baby. It stops vibrations and doubles as car heat insulation.
Second Skin could offer you a sound deadening spray in a can, but we’ve chosen not to because the physical limitations of an aerosol can mean that it couldn’t meet the high performance expectations we require of all our products.
But if we had to give you the other side of the story, we’d say the aerosol can products are a good option if you have a small surface area to cover, the rattling isn’t too bad, and you want something very easy to apply. There! That’s all you’re getting from us. Sorry Spectrum, we didn’t mean it! You’re the best.
Final Thoughts on Liquid Sound Deadening
Although sound deadening sprays that come in an aerosol can are convenient, they likely are not the best option for your vehicle. If you’re genuinely interested in reducing how much structural noise your car makes, you’re going to want to look for the best sound deadener, whether liquid sound deadener or sound deadening mats. We offer a variety of high quality sound deadening mat and liquid deadening products. If you have questions about your project, let us know. Friendly advice is just 2 cents, but we usually don’t collect.