What makes acoustic windows a better option?
Noise-Reducing Windows
The construction of most homes features double paned, un-laminated windows. These come with the distinct problem that they let sound pass through easily. To avoid this issue, acoustic windows can be used instead, since they curtail the amount of sound passing through, in many cases blocking it completely.
Sound is measured in decibels (dB). For the human ear, it is possible to perceive changes in sound as low as 1 dB. To put this into context, a human whisper generally weighs in at 20 on the dB-based scale, while normal conversation stands at around 60 dB. And too long listening to over 85 dB of sound volume can damage the hearing while sounds at 120 dB can get painful to put up with.
In traditional double-paned windows, the glass vibrates to cause transmit the sounds you would rather keep out.
The more the window glass vibrates, the more the sound passes through into the home. Acoustic windows are named so because of their noise-reducing property, which can hugely affect the admittance of unwanted sounds into the interior of the home or office.
Choosing acoustic windows is a good way to ensure that noise stays outside the room. There are different windows you can choose, based on sound-reduction capability. Following are some thing to know about what affects noise reduction.
The mass, area, and stiffness of the glass can decide how much noise stays out, assuming airtight placement.
The thicker a glass, and the more such panes in a window, the better it will be able to block inbound noise transmission from getting through.
Lamination on the glass is favorable for noise reduction. With this, it ceases to matter how thick the pane is.
If the panes are spaced farther apart, less sound will be transmitted through the window.
Noisy Windows
Acoustic windows can also be fitted into frames with the same properties. Generally, this means the glass extending deeper into the frame.
The frames need to have the same surface weight as the pane glass.
All glazing components and frame joints should be properly sealed.
It is good to have an idea of know many decibels of sound the acoustic window can reduce.
Triple pane windows are a common option these days, but they need to be installed meticulously. Learn more about noise-reducing window glass and installation practices, before making a new purchase.