Will Double Glazing Reduce Noise from Outside?

How Can Double Glazed Windows Block Out Excess Noise?

You’ll experience a huge difference when you install double glazed windows in your home. You’ll find that traffic noise is greatly reduced and even if you live close to an airport or train station, you’ll be able to get a much better night’s sleep and enjoy a healthier living environment. However, it’s important to be aware that double glazing isn’t actually soundproof.

When noise hits single glazed windows, the pane vibrates. This causes the air on the opposite side of your window to vibrate and this passes on the sound to the ears. When you add an extra sheet of glass with double glazing, the amount of vibration is hugely reduced and this reduces noise exponentially.

Also, when double glazing is properly fitted there aren’t any gaps or cracks around the window to allow noise to come through. The sound hits the sealed frame which prevents the vibrations from getting through, while the Argon gas between the two window panes has different properties when it comes to handling soundwaves when compared to regular air. Since the panes don’t make direct contact with each other, the soundwaves become dampened, which makes your home much quieter inside. In fact, double glazed windows are capable of reducing sound levels by as much as 31 decibels. Nevertheless, they won’t be completely soundproof.

Is There A Better Solution Than Double Glazing?

While double glazing is effective, it isn’t a complete solution to the problem of excess exterior noise. There is, however, another option which can be more effective – acoustic glass.

An acceptable level of outside noise is around 35 decibels. However, traffic causes noise levels to increase dramatically to about 70 decibels, whereas if you live near an airport, you could find noise levels as high as 100 decibels or more. When this is coupled with the fact that we all want larger windows to enjoy the benefits of natural daylight as much as possible, this creates a major issue for homeowners. Normal glass cannot insulate noise well and even double glazing can’t completely resolve the problem, especially if you live very close to a loud source of noise. This is why acoustic glass has been developed.

What Is Acoustic Glass?

When you have acoustic glass installed, noise disturbances can be significantly reduced. It is made up of at least two glass sheets which are bonded together using at least one and possibly more acoustic interlayers. Every glass pane within an acoustic glass door or window has been laminated using PBV layers (polyvinyl butyral) which forms a strong hydrocarbon bond inside the glazed unit. As a result, acoustic attenuation is improved since the glass becomes less elastic and an additional noise dampening and reducing layer has been added to weaken the sound when it travels through glass.

Why Choose Acoustic Glass?

If you’re keen to reduce noise levels inside your home to the maximum level, you should certainly consider replacing your standard windows with acoustic glass. It is capable of considerably reducing outside noise, particularly if you live near a busy area like a motorway, train line or airport or if you are close to a park or school. If you use acoustic glass in roof or overhead glazing, you’ll find that rain impact noises are also greatly reduced.

You can also use acoustic glass in meeting rooms and office partitions inside a building to insulate interior sounds. As an added advantage, acoustic glass will hugely improve the glazing strength of your windows, adding even more security together with better energy efficiency.

Acoustic glass is available in a wide choice of window finishes and styles to suit your home, whether contemporary or modern. This means you can enjoy a much greater level of noise reduction with minimal ongoing maintenance and without ever having to compromise on the kerb appeal of your home. It’s never been easier to keep your property looking and sounding good!