Insulation Foam In Vehicles: Everything You Need To Know

Automobiles without insulation are as good as tiny moving metal rooms. It can take you to your desired destination, but it does not mean you will arrive at your stop comfortably. 

Make your car rides more convenient by investing in high-quality insulation solutions. It helps make your journey more peaceful and temperature-controlled. 

You are guaranteed maximum comfort after installing insulation foam in your vehicle. 

However, today’s technological advancements make it complicated to choose the best foil foam insulation in the market.

Keep this information in mind to determine which works best for you and your vehicle. 

What is Foam Insulation?

This product is basically a low-density elastic polymer or elastomer. It offers a thermal barrier all over a component or in the middle of a heat or cold source and interior space. 

Consider foam foil insulation products as the improved and modern alternatives for traditional options like cellulose or mineral wool. It is also safer to use than formaldehyde insulation.  

What are the Types of Foam Insulation?

Foam insulation commonly comes in the form of spray-on foams, pre-moulded custom shapes, and rigid foam panels. 

You may choose which type of foam to install in your vehicle from these options: 

Closed Cellular 

These foams feature interconnected sealed pores or cells, making it impossible for moisture to seep through. 

This is ideal if you want an effective sound barrier with a higher R-value. 

Open Cellular 

This type comes with interconnected pores or cells that are partially open. It can reduce the noise that passes through. 

It is also an ideal option if you are looking for a solid air and thermal barrier. There may be better choices if you want something to repel moisture. 

Flexible Foams

Flexible foams come with impact-absorbing foams that can bend or flex without cracking. 

Rigid Foams 

It comes with a skeletal matrix that provides minimal flexibility. 

Reticular Foams 

This option has a more open structure with a skeletal matrix featuring a network of interconnecting strands. 

What are the Key Benefits of Using Foam Insulation for Vehicles? 

Foam insulation products offer practical solutions for common issues like temperature and noise control. 

It serves as a heat insulator – solving a couple of problems, including: 

Interior climate

This product helps the vehicle reduce the effects of the sun during hot summer days. 

It can also ensure that the heat remains on your vehicle during the winter. 

Heat-related Problems in the Engine 

Products like pipe insulation foam tubes serve as thermal barriers to help car engines exhaust heat from the floorboards and firewall. 

It can also shield the vehicle from the heat coming from the cabin compartment to make your ride more comfortable. 

What to Look for in Vehicle Foam Insulation?

You need to find these qualities if you’re investing in high-quality foam insulation. 

Foil Laminated

Reliable foam insulation should come with an MPET reflective film or aluminium foil laminate. 

It will serve as the outer skin of the product to make it durable and enhance its ability to reflect heat.  

Fire Retardant 

Always look for insulation products with fire-retardant additives and a self-extinguishing feature. 

It boosts your vehicle’s protection against fire due to high heat. 

Backed with Strong Adhesive 

Your insulation product must feature a pressure-sensitive adhesive to make it easier to install in metal sheets and hard-to-reach areas like air ducts.  

Flexible 

It will be easier to install your foam insulators and foam tubing products on walls and roofs if they are lightweight and flexible.

Sturdiness 

The best insulation product for your vehicle should be able to withstand external factors like chemicals and acids. 

It must also resist high temperatures and repel dust to prevent faster wear and tear. 

How to Find the Best Foam Insulation to Soundproof a Vehicle? 

The qualities of foam insulation also vary for soundproofing. The best ones for automotive sound deadening should come in any of these materials: 

Viscoelastic acrylic polymer

This material comes in a liquid form. It is highly effective in decreasing sound vibrations. 

Butyl rubber 

It is a highly durable, odourless synthetic rubber material that helps boost the insulator’s elastomeric properties.

How Long Can Foam Insulation Lasts? 

Most foam insulation, like the spray foam type made with polyurethane, can last for years. It can tolerate extreme changes in temperature, mould and mildew buildup, and excess moisture. 

The Bottomline 

Learning all this information can help your vehicle withstand extreme temperature changes as well as filter unwanted noise.

Investing in high-quality foam insulators is a must for adequate vehicle insulation.

Products You May Like

[woo_product_slider id="19968"]

5 Key Advantages of Exhaust Wrap Installation

Exhaust wrap installation provides several benefits, be it a race car or the regular ones. You can steer away from potential problems if you can control or reduce the radiated heat from your exhaust system.

It is important to address the myths of using an exhaust wrap before elaborating further on its benefits. Exhaust wrap does not destroy exhaust pipes and headers. Its function is to maintain the heat in the said parts. Hence, the benefits listed below.

1. Improved Work Environment Safety

This is beneficial especially for the racers. Rounds at the pitstop don’t provide the liberty to cool everything off first. Servicing and refueling must be done in a short amount of time. Applying exhaust heat wrap reduces the risk of getting accidental burns on a hot pipe while doing repairs.

2. Enhanced Durability

Heat exposure is considered a big factor in a vehicle’s wear and tear. Fluids, rubber and plastic materials are on the receiving end of its negative effects. Installing an exhaust wrap significantly reduces the amount of heat from the exhaust system – avoiding nearby parts from being saturated.

Constant heat exposure will lead to brittle plastic wiring plugs and fittings. It will also be good for brake and fluid lines to be exposed to less heat as it lessens the heat transferred to the liquid through its metal parts. Rubber hoses and lines will be more reliable too.

3. Pleasant Aesthetics

The exhaust headers’ finish can become visually unpleasant due to so much heat exposure. It doesn’t suit well in a clean engine compartment. Using an insulation wrap on pipes gives it a more pleasing look – especially for aged parts or manifolds.

4. Better Interior Temperatures

The radiated heat from the exhaust can also affect the vehicle’s floorboards and firewall. It is conducted through the panels and straight into the interior. All vehicles may have some heat insulation capabilities but its effectiveness may vary.

Race cars don’t have any insulation to prevent the heat from getting inside. Installing exhaust wraps on headers and pipes will reduce the amount of radiated heat from the system. Firewall and floors remain cooler as the heat cannot transit through to the interior.

5. Greater Performance

The heat insulation benefits of using exhaust wraps increases the exhaust gas temperatures (EGTs) inside the headers and pipes. More EGTs result in an increase in exhaust gas velocities – improving the amount of exhaust gasses being spent from its combustion chambers. The said EGTs also reduce spool time and turbo lag for that faster maximum boost of turbocharged cars.

Lower underhood temperature is also one key benefit. Exhaust wraps help to reduce the air temperature intake as well as the cooler air infiltrating the engine. The effect is outstanding, more so for engines with open-element air cleaner systems.

Why Do You Need Exhaust Wrap?

An engine is specifically designed to work at an ideal temperature. It will perform on its peak power with cooler intake temperatures. There are instances that the car’s cooling system is not enough to maintain the required optimum temperature. This will result in a drastic reduction in power and efficiency due to the engine’s continuous heat exposure.

Too much heat will also strain engine components that are not designed to work on extreme temperatures. Applying an exhaust wrap protects these parts by keeping in most of the heat and not letting it through the engine bay.

Minor Concerns

It is also vital to be aware of a few drawbacks of using exhaust wrap after discussing its benefits. The biggest concern would be in winter time as the engine may take longer to warm up.

It can also trap moisture as water also has its share of negative impact on metals. It can be negated by using quality aluminum or stainless steel but exhausts from such materials can be pricey.

It can also be a hassle in wrapping your headers and pipes with an exhaust wrap. You can consider it as your DIY project but it’s best to be handled by professionals. This job fully requires attention to details. The tape should be wrapped tightly and the surface to be wrapped should be clean – no rust, dirt or oil.

Get Quality Exhaust Wraps at Kool Wrap

It is not just about awesome-looking headers. Applying quality exhaust wrap will provide you more horsepower for your car due to the reduction in temperatures. It will keep the heat in the headers and not disperse it to the other parts of the engine.

Kool Wrap offers the best range of heat protection products. Our excellent exhaust wrap products can guarantee the containment of heat within the exhaust system. It is the reason why we are the most trusted brand by most car enthusiasts in Australia.

Our staff are all car aficionados knowledgeable to discuss your requirements.

Products You May Like

[woo_product_slider id="19968"]

How to Insulate Diesel Heater Exhaust Pipes

Diesel Heaters have become a popular addition to many Caravans and  Camper Vans, especially during the colder months.

Typical Diesel Heater Installation

They don’t use much electricity and they are easier to install than LPG heaters. Diesel is also very easy to buy no matter how isolated you are, and you don’t burn up your precious LPG.

But the diesel heater exhaust pipe can get super hot and damage cupboards and flooring if you are not careful.

Kool Wrap has been contacted by many owners wanting to install their Diesel Heaters and are concerned about this excessive heat. They want to insulate the exhaust pipe as it travels out of the van through cupboards, walls or the floor.

The attached photos show how one of our customers ran his diesel heater exhaust pipe out through his floor and then off to the side of his ute camper. He used our 25mm wide Black fibreglass exhaust wrap or lagging and wrapped the length of the pipe to avoid potentially damaging heat transfer to batteries, flooring or water pipes. The photo below shows the back of the heater and the exhaust pipe goes down through the floor.

Kool Wrap Diesel Heater Exhaust Insulation

Kool Wrap Diesel Heater Exhaust Insulation 2

Our wrap is simple to install and is supplied with stainless steel ball or zip ties.

Black Kool Wrap Exhaust Wrap and ties

Click this link to order.

Call Andrew on 0412 548 609 for more information.

Products You May Like

[woo_product_slider id="19968"]