Noise control
I live near a busy road and want to reduce the amount of ambient noise.
Will my double glazing reduce noise?
Retrofit double glazing is a fantastic way to increase the thermal performance of an existing home. It also has significant other benefits, such as sound reduction, privacy, reducing the likelihood of condensation, security, solar control and more.
Here we explain how retrofitting a home improves the acoustic performance of a home and how these benefits are measured.
Sound reduction is an increasingly popular aspect of Double Glazing. This need comes from the effect of higher density housing, busier roads, and changes in how family units live.
Sound is a common performance topic because it depends on the individual – we all hear and tolerate noise differently.
The overall improvement in sound reduction in Double Glazing is achieved in several ways. We use a combination of glass thicknesses (the more the glass mass the better the sound reduction), the size of spacers between the glass panes, and laminated glass (two glass panes bonded together with a plastic interlayer) - to reduce inbound sound.
The commonly used measure of acoustic performance in glass is the STC (sound transmission class) rating – this states the level of overall reduction in sound transmission
STC is an average of sound reduction across the range - from low frequency sounds such as traffic, or high frequency sounds being a sirens
Check out the next tab on how double glazing can reduce sound compared to single glazing
How can double glazing reduce noise compared to single glazing?
Sound is measured in decibels:
A whisper is around 30 decibels
A conversation is about 50 to 60 decibels
A truck driving past is about 80-90 decibels
A police siren is about 120 decibels
A loud street noise is rated at 90 decibels and by replacing the single glazing with a high performing double glazed unit, you can reduce the noise transmitted through the glass up to 37 decibels meaning the loud truck or street noise is reduced to the level of a conversation and making it much more comfortable inside the home
An important consideration is that well-sealed windows help optimise sound reduction better, otherwise sound leaks in or out through gaps in the window system.
If sound is a concern contact your local Retrofit consultant and they can help you choose the right combo with your double glazing solution.
Comparing single glazing to our sound solution:
These are indicative values but give you a general guide of how much sound comes through:
Standard single glazing = STC28
Double glazing = STC30
Acoustic laminate double glazing = STC37
As a comparison, a standard wall has an STC of around 55.
Example of how much perceived noise reduction you can achieve from our Acoustic laminate double glazing solution:
60dB external sound level
Retrofit in our acoustic laminate double glazing providing a 37dB STC rating
You could potentially achieve an internal sound level as low as 23dB
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