Windows for SOUND insulation…..
Quickstep
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
We all know about how to select windows to keep out the cold, but how about windows that keep out sound? Are there certain brands/models that work best for keeping the inside of the house insulated from the noise outside?
Replies
Milgard is promoting a new Quiet Line series. No experience with it, though.
Richard
You may need to contact the manufacturer directly to get them but most mid to higher end window lines have STC ratings available. I know Andersen has "High Performance, Tempered/Laminated" glass available in most regions that has a fairly large increase in the STC over conventional glass. Note this is laminated as well as tempered. The option does not show up in dealer or architectural literature, nor in dealer quoting software, and you must ask for it specifically. Be sure your salesman understands it isn't just plain tempered. It tends to be spec'd and found more often in high wind / hurricane areas. The glass is pretty much automobile window glass, which if you think about, does an impressive job of blocking outside noise. BTW, it's not cheap...
Al
Al, Do you know if that high-performance glass from andersen is good for burgular resistance? I would think if the laminating is thick enough it would be very hard to penitrate.
thanks
No, not really. It's only about 1/4" thick. It handles impact better than standard glazing but it wouldn't hold up to a goon with a crow bar. Keep in mind laminated glass still breaks, it just doesn't shatter into shards when it goes. Think what a smashed windshield looks like on a car, with the small, somewhat rounded pieces mostly adhering to the plastic layer inside.
Al
Thanks Al, I thought the impact resistance of the glass has to do with how thick it is and the thickness of the lamination. Arnt the codes down in Dade County for Hurricanes pretty strict as to how strong glass has to be? I would think a flying object could have near the impact of a crow-bar. Even if the glass breaks, as long as the lamination keeps it together, then no one can get in.
Im kinda surprised a company hasent come out with a burgler-resistant windows.
Well, your average chunk of airborne debris won't stand there striking repeatedly. A discrete burglar probably won't either, but a discrete burglar probably wouldn't be breaking windows to start with.
From what I understand if you normally custom order your windows you can upgrade the thickness of the glass, and go to triplepane. Also I like to float the window in foam so it doesn't direct transmit . I know that it is not a favorite or recomented by the manufacturers. But close attention to detail helps, window foam doesn't blow out to much and if you get a aera that you think is distorting you can adjust it by using a hacksaw blade to reduce the foam or a sawsall blade to remove a little more.
There was an article about 2-3 years ago in either JLC or FHB about some one doing sound control retro fits for house by an airport.
Both JLC (JLCONLINE.COM) and FHB have some free info on the web pages and back isuess and/or articles that you can buy for a nominal fee.
my brother just started renting a place under flight path landing for detroit metro the county did asound control thing here several years ago his consist of double pane thermals with aa traditional storm combonation on the outside works pretty good i can hear on the phone when passes over can't hear him when he's outside. I mean theses planes come in so close to his house I swear that with a pair of binnocluars you could read the tire size
Sound and heat are both tansmitted by molecules bumped into each other. And since some materials (aluminium) do that really well and other things don't (air, and especially inert gases), windows with the highest thermal values will typically also be the best for reducing sound transmission.
Note that, like light, sound will mostly bounce off a shallow surface but a higher percentage will penetrate a surface perpendicularly. So if there is a certain direction (towards the highway or factory) that is a concern, angling the windows could help.
David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
I found if you pulled off the interior trim and foamed the areas around the window that it reduced the noise quite a bit.
LAminated glass reduces osund transmission because it has a plastic layer between two glass panes. The plastic vibrates at a different rate than the glass so a cerian amount of the sound energy is lost. Tempering dose not reduce sound at all. The reason Andesen has a temperd laminated is for Dade County hurricane codes. Milgard's Quiet window was design for retrofit applications around airports. It isn't a particularly attractive design but it does a good job of cutting down sound.
A cost effective way of improving a standard dual glazed window is two different thicknesses of glass. The best is 1/4" outside lite with a 1/8" inside. This acts much like the lami in that the different thicknesses transmit that sound at diffrent rates.
The two largest reductions come from a larger airspace between the glass (up to 4" is optimal) and angling the the two panes away from each other. The only pratical way to do either of these is with two seperate windows.
Check out Vericon's website for info. They are the glass vs. sound specialist.
As far as burgler resistent glass (never say burgler PROOF!) there are some very tough plastic coatings that are applied to the inside surfaces of dual glazed glass that make it very hard to get through. Windowmaster Products, El Cajon, CA. has a product they call Safeveiw that does a very good job. Windowmasterproducts.com
Thanks for your help, I went to the website and couldent find anything on Safeview. Did I mis it? Is it just like a thicker lamination than normal laminated glass. How much does it cost?
thanks
Here's the address that will take you right to the Safeview info: http://www.windowmasterproducts.com/docs/profile/whatsnew.htm#safeview
It is a 6 mil thick clear plastic film that is applied to the glass after it is cut. There is a layer on both the number 2 & 3 surfaces (inside the airspace on a dual glazed window). Cost is similar to laminated glass but you get a stronger unit because they use double strength glass minimum whereas laminated usually uses two single strenght pieces bonded together. While this is strong enough it tends to be fragile when it comes to impact and will crack.
Windowmaster is in El Cajon and if you're not in the south west it won't be pratical to buy from one of their dealers. you might ask them if they know other fabricators doing the same glass in other parts of the country.
Thanks for your help. Do you know any major window companies that offer this glass?? Someone on this board said that you can order Andersens with a tempered/laminated glass, is this similar? I am in SE michigan so California is a bit far.
Well it's time for a little road trip...been a little cold up your way hasn't it?
I don't know of any other companies that are using the same system but I bet Windowmaster would and when you tell them where you are located I'm sure they'll share the info. If they don't let me know and I'll beat it out of them..I've got some friends there.
Andersen's glass is standard laminated that has been tempered (actually it's tempered first then laminated!). Unless it states otherwise this will have an .030 inner layer which isn't nearly as tough as the product Windowmaster is using.
Thanks for your help. I was just hoping I could get this in a good quality window. Andersens have a Large share of the market here, but we also have Pella and Marvin. Yes its cold here, it was 20 today.