Cars have become much nicer places to be over the last 40 years, thanks to huge advances in the technology used for engines, transmissions, suspension, body assembly and even styling to make them cut through the air more smoothly. But one of the biggest factors in making cars more comfortable has been huge advances is in-car insulation.
Years ago cars had basic bitumen sheets laid down over flat sections of the car’s floorpan and, much like the suspension and braking technology of the time, it was rudimentary and had limited effectiveness. It was stiff and brittle, and required heat to make it flexible but that would release toxins.
Today, we have far more advanced “constrained layer vibration damping sheets”, which are sometimes incorrectly mislabelled “Dynamat” (which is just one manufacturer of these products). Basically, modern sheet insulation is designed to cover the entire floor of the vehicle, as well as the door panels and even under the dash or in spare wheel wells. It provides a more flexible product that is far more capable at shielding the cabin from heat, as well as absorbing vibration and outside noise.
