It’s incredibly difficult and expensive to COMPLETELY sound proof a room or home, and most people don’t need that level of noise reduction. However if you live in a busy or urban neighborhood you may find that you need more noise reduction than the average home offers.
You may not even realize how much noise reduction you need until after you move into the home, as you only experience the home for short intervals during the daytime for walk-throughs and showings. Or maybe you’ve lived in the same home for years, but a new construction project is breaking ground just behind your house.
Sometimes homeowners will find that their new neighbors are much louder than the ones who just moved out. Or perhaps the park on your street begins hosting soccer tournaments and free concerts. There are many reasons why you might be interested in pursuing some sound proofing options for your home.
If your home is well-constructed then you hopefully have a fairly sound-proof home. One way to increase the soundproofing of your home is to look at your windows. Of course simply changing the windows will not automatically reduce ALL of the background noise for your home, but it can improve the noise reduction.
Soundproofing is measured and rated by the Sound Transmission class. At 25 you can hear normal conversation through a wall, which is very low soundproofing. Loud sounds are blocked around 50, and anything 60 or higher indicates amazing soundproofing. Double-pane glass have better ratings than single pane (usually about 26-28 for single and 28-32). Triple pane glass is sometimes thought to be more soundproof, but that’s actually not the case. Triple pane glass windows are closer together, meaning they don’t block the sounds as well. Though triple pane glass is not more soundproof than double pane, it is more energy efficient. So you get more energy efficiency with the same sound proof levels as double pane.
How Can You Sound Proof Your Windows?
One way to improve your soundproof rating is to laminate your windows. Laminating windows means adding a layer or two between the panes of glass. This will increase the cost of your windows, but the added benefit is that it will decrease the amount of solar ultraviolet rays from fading your drapes, fabric, and furniture.
The other option you have is using dissimilar glass. When you have double pane windows there will be two pieces of glass. Instead of making them the same thickness, you can actually soundproof better by using two different sizes of glass. For example you could use a 1/8” pane and 1/4” pane together. Dissimilar glass windows have been proven to be almost as soundproof as the exterior walls of your home, so the effect will be a drastic improvement in noise reduction.
Before you make any decisions about your soundproofing needs make sure you consult the Utah window experts at Mountain States Windows & Siding. They know everything about windows, your home’s exterior, and making your home the comfiest possible place to be. Call them today for a free consultation about window types, sound proofing, and the particular needs of your home.
