Three Diy Projects To Keep You Busy This Winter

The cold Winter months always give us Cabin Fever. But all that downtime is a great time to get in the garage and tackle tasks that will seem much more inconvenient when the weather gets warm.

We’ve got three DIY garage projects to keep yourself busy (and get your ride ready) as you anxiously await Spring weather.

1.) Just like Winter, Think Quiet and Cool:

Not only has quality sound insulation been shown to reduce in cab noise by 80 decibels (literally the sound level of your vacuum) the installation process of laying sound deadening mats has a zen-like element, making it an ideal task to combat Cabin Fever.

It’s hard to overstate the difference sound deadening makes – especially in classic truck restorations. Sound deadening products have been around for decades and continue to improve in both effectiveness and ease of installation.

One tried-and-true favorite is Thermo-Tec’s Suppressor Acoustical and Heat Control Mat. The 70 Mil thick material offers superior sound dampening control to reduce road noise, rattles, engine noise, and any other noises that are bothersome. Plus, the Suppressor features a foil surface that provides direct protection from radiant heat up to 2000 Deg F and direct temperatures up to 300 Deg F. Install on your firewall, floorboards, or doors and tackle heat and sound with one product.

Installation is easy -- with a high temperature adhesive backing, simply trim and fit. 

Pro tip: Use a mat roller and seam tape to perfect the process.

3.) Sleeves, Please!

Radiant heat in your engine bay can wreak havoc on wires, hoses and cables – and the hot summer months are not the time to think about heat protection.

Fortunately, you can defend wires, hoses and cables against heat’s damaging effects with protectant sleeving. But not all sleeving products are created equal.

 For example, Thermo-Tec’s Express Sleeves are so easy to work with, you have no excuse NOT to use them. Simply pull apart the material, wrap it around the wire and press the sleeving closed (think Velcro). No need to disconnect wires, etc to install.

And as easy as Express Sleeves are to install, they are just as effective, the Mylar foil and high insulation material reflects more than 90 percent of radiant heat up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Added bonus: They are fireproof, fire resistant, and can be custom ordered to fit any application.

2.) Boot Camp

Because Spark Plug Wires and Boots both create heat and are exposed to damaging radiant heat from other components, traditional heat shielding products only address half of the problem.

To protect your spark plug wires and boots against both radiant and conductive heat, look for a dual-purpose product with shielding material on the exterior and insulating material on the interior.

Thermo-Tec’s Spark Plug Wire Heat Shield protects from both radiant heat and penetrating conductive heat. The exterior surface reflects over 90 percent of radiant heat, while the inside of the shield is composed of a silica-based material that stops the plug’s heat from effecting other components. Thermo-Tec offers options in 2 and 4 layer protection, and customizable sizes are also available.