What Is Mass Backing and Is It Worth It? ACC Auto Carpet
What Is Mass Backing?
Mass Backing is an upgrade option offered by Auto Custom Carpets (ACC) when replacing your old auto carpet. Mass Backing is a 45 Mil (0.045") layer of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) which is a rubber-like material that adds heat and sound deadening to your new carpet installation. The EVA material is heat bonded to the back side of the carpet material prior to the molding process so the Mass Backing is evenly applied to the entire piece of carpet and then helps hold the shape of the kit after being pressed into the floor pan mold.
A carpet kit with Mass Backing is going to be heavier and more rigid than a kit with the standard polyethylene backing, this allows the molded carpet to hold its shaped contours better for an easier installation process while also adding a more luxurious fell underfoot.
Mass Backing Vs Poly Backing
The standard backing that comes with our replacement carpets is a lightweight polyethylene material. It allows the carpet to hold its shape after the molding process but is not designed to add any heat or sound insulation. Both styles of carpet kits come with jute padding (unless otherwise stated in the product details) in the same areas that the OEM carpet featured, in some cases the jute padding is loose in the box while in others it is attached to the under side of the carpet.
Below is a breakdown of the scenarios that a vehicle owner should take into consideration when making the decision between poly back and mass back auto carpet.
Reasons to get poly back carpet:
- Lowest possible cost.
- Allows for the owner to apply their own volume/style of insulation to the floor pan.
- Do not need heat or sound deadening.
- Do not want the added weight.
Reasons to get Mass Back carpet:
- Improved molded form retention.
- Improved sound deadening.
- Improved heat insulation.
- Easier installation - no need to add extra insulation to the carpet kit and jute padding.
- Adds a solid waterproof layer between the carpet and the floor pan, allowing the owner to wet vac the carpet if needed.
Mass Back Vs Dynamat
For owners looking to add more insulation than the jute padding alone, the go to option is some form of the Dynamat sonic and thermal solutions. The Dynamat process involves cutting their material to fit the specific sections of the vehicle you wish to insulate and sticking the material in place using the attached adhesive. The carpet kit would then be installed over the Dynamat covered floor pan. The drawback to this method is that it is far more labor intensive than the Mass Backing option. Each section of the floor pan needs pieces of Dynamat material cut to fit, cleaned to remove residue that would effect the adhesive and then removal of all air pockets. In the case of the Mass Backing, a large part of this extra work is not necessary due to the insulating material being affixed to the carpet during the manufacturing process.
Is Mass Backing Worth It?
One of the most frequent questions we get from customers is "Is Mass Backing worth it?". The honest answer is that it is completely dependent on the nature of each carpet replacement. If you want to swap out an old carpet for the lowest possible cost or you have insulation already installed in the vehicle then the poly backed carpet may be the way to go. If you want the upgraded underfoot feel, increased sound and heat deadening and a slightly easier installation process then the Mass Backing is what you need. Ultimately, the majority of customers who have seen both options usually recommend the upgraded Mass Back option stating that the benefits more than justify the additional cost.
Click here for more information about our auto carpet kits.
For the ultimate luxury experience pair our Essex Material with our Mass Backing.
*Unfortunately mass backing is not available on any cut & sewn carpet or vinyl flooring kits*
