Car Heat and Sound Insulation
Looking forward to insulate your car? Here is the ultimate guide on the common materials used for heat insulation and sound insulation in Kenya; either on SUVs, Matatus, off-road vehicles, fresh produce cargo vehicles or just the ordinally personal cars.
The main reasons why people do car insulation in Kenya is to stop the disturbance from the engine noises and heat, ensure privacy in your car, make it cool in the hot weather and keep it warm in the cold weather. Insulation also makes the car sound system to improve as well as avoid vibrations of the metal parts as mainly done in matatus.
Fresh-produce vehicles are insulated to control the temperature of the fresh cargo e.g. meat and horticultural products. Petroleum lorries are insulated to control the temperature of the petroleum products avoiding possible explosion.
Common Materials used in Car Insulation in Kenya
i) Fiberglass Insulation Blankets
Fiberglass insulation blankets has gained lots of popularity in Kenya due to is low cost. It’s also excellent in sound deadening and thermal insulation. The glass wool is able to absorb the noises from within and outside the vehicle making a good sound insulation material. The high R-value of fiberglass Insulation makes it good for thermal insulation.
However, fiberglass insulation is best used when its is sandwiched between metal parts to prevent from getting wet during washing or off-road situations.
ii) Styrofoam (Polystyrene Foam)
Styrofoam has been used for a long time in Kenya in the matatu industry to prevent the vibration of metal parts due to loud music systems and constant driving for more than 12 hours a day which can lead to tear and falling of parts. Styrofoam is good in sound and thermal insulation. It keeps the noises from the undercarriage and engine down for the people inside the vehicle.
However, Styrofoam is not waterproof thus should not be put in places coming into contact with water.
iii) Polyethylene Foam
Polyethylene foam, like Styrofoam, is quite popular especially in the matatu industry where it is put between the sheets to prevent vibrations. It has good sound absorption and stopping qualities as well as good thermal insulation. PE foam sheets are readily available in Kenya.
Polyethylene foam unlike Styrofoam is flexible and waterproof. It also comes in sheets that are sometimes laminated with aluminium foil to improve thermal insulation.
iv) Armaflex Sheet
Armaflex is a closed-cell insulation material that is mainly applied in HVAC and air-conditioning systems. In the car insulation, Armaflex is used as heat shield especially on the off-road or camping vehicles. It is waterproof making it suitable for cars in wet regions as it will not support moulds or bacteria. Armaflex is also long lasting and has excellent thermal insulation capabilities ensuring the car is kept warm and sound proof.
v) Mineral Wool
Mineral wool (rock wool) is a dense insulation material with excellent thermal and sound insulation properties. Though commonly used in industrial applications like boilers and buildings, some vehicles use rockwool for insulation in Kenya. However, these are mainly the industrial goods vehicles that carry specialized goods such as fresh produce or chemicals that require low temperature storage.
For any reason you are looking forward to insulate your car in Kenya, and East Africa, the above are the most common materials that are used in the insulation of cars in Kenya. For your applications please contact our materials experts for professional advice on the material to use. Call +254 722 207 509, to contact engineers at Kingsman Eng. & Industrial Insulation.