There are a lot of benefits to living in an urban area in or near the city centre. The commute to and from work is often shorter. There are plenty of amazing bars and restaurants nearby, and great entertainment and clubs too. Being in the urban core, though, also has some downsides. It’s nearly impossible to escape the constant hum of energy and noise from the traffic and the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Over time, the noise can really wear you down and lead to stress. It seems it’s everywhere, and unless you take key steps you’ll still be able to hear what’s going on outside when you are inside your home.
Fortunately, there is a solution that can minimise the noise and restore peace and quiet to your home. Double-glazed windows, which have dual layers of glass and an insulating gap, are designed to effectively reduce outside noise entering a building.
Creates a Sound Barrier
Double-glazed windows are an ideal solution for helping lower the level of noise pollution inside a building. Unlike traditional windows, which have a single pane of glass, these are constructed from two panes of glass that are separated or buffered by insulating gas. The two layers offer a barrier that helps keep external sounds out.
When the insulating gas, such as krypton or argon, is placed between the panes, it serves as a further sound barrier. The space between panes and the gas creates a dampening zone that disrupts the energy of the sound wave that would be travelling through the window. With double-glazed windows and the insulating gas, levels of sound can be reduced substantially.
Insulation is Key
The Insulated Glass (IG) units in double-glazed insulated windows are constructed from two glass panes separated by a spacer bar. The insulated gap that is then created can be filled with air, or with a gas such as krypton or argon. With this construction, a homeowner gets a superior level of insulation which, in turn, delivers enhanced soundproofing, as well as better energy efficiency.
Double glazing forms a barrier that disrupts the transmission of sound waves. Sound travels through material via vibrating particles. The double-glazed design, when coupled with the air gap and gas, creates a discontinuous medium that reduces the energy of the sound vibrations. The sound must go through multiple different mediums of glass, air or gas, and then glass again as it tries to reach the interior environment. Each of these layers further reduces some of the energy of the sound.
Provides Low-Frequency Noise Reduction
Low-frequency noise, such as that from trains, traffic, or construction, is very common in urban areas. This type of sound can travel for a longer distance, and its longer wavelengths allow it to penetrate structures more readily than high-frequency sound. If you only have a single-pane window, low-frequency sound can pass through easily. If you live near a highway, rail system, or industrial zone, you can dramatically improve your comfort at home with double-glazed windows.
Double-glazed windows offer an acoustic and physical barrier that dampens low-frequency sound. The multiple panes of glass and air gap each serve to disrupt incoming low-frequency wavelengths in different ways. Asymmetrical panes, with different thicknesses, also enhance double-glazing’s effectiveness.
Thickness and Gap
The level of noise reduction is directly affected by the thickness of the individual panes and the size of the air gap. With a larger air gap and glass panes that are thicker, you get better isolation of noise. Typically, the air gap would be a minimum of 20mm for the best noise reduction results.
In noisy urban areas, you’ll benefit from thicker glass panes. These are better for blocking sound due to their mass; increased mass makes it more difficult for sound waves to pass through the glass. Different pane thickness can also be used to help reduce high and mid-frequency noise. With asymmetric pane thickness, each of the panes can disrupt different sound frequencies.
Laminated Glass
Another option for noise control is to use laminated glass. This is created when two or more glass layers are bonded with a specialised material, such as Polyvinyl Butyral. In addition to strengthening the glass, inter-layering these materials helps to disrupt the transmission of sound waves.
Construction, traffic, and airport or industrial noise can create high decibel sound levels during the day and night. When you use double glazing along with laminated glass, you can reduce the decibel level significantly.
Having a peaceful environment and comfortable home is key if you want to enjoy your space and look forward to coming home in the evening. If you live in an urban environment, a traditional single pane window system will do little to keep out sounds from traffic, street activity, or construction. When you choose quality, double-glazed windows you can leave the stress of noise behind as you walk through your doors.
