Your home is your sanctuary, your refuge from the challenges of daily life out in the world. As such, it should be a place where you are free from intrusive outside noise. Along with protection from weather elements, dust, and dirt, providing safety from animals and insects, and security from crime, one of the fundamental functions of a well-built home is shielding from noise pollution. Having high-efficiency windows is essential to all the above functions of the home, including protection from outside noise.
Window Features for Optimum Noise Reduction
While an entirely soundproof window is not a realistic expectation, the features of the ideal frames and the best window glass to reduce noise can help minimize outside noise entering your home. Here are the key features of today’s best noise-resistant residential windows:
Stronger / Thicker Glass Panes
Naturally, thicker glass panes in home windows help minimize external noise transfer into a home. When thicker window panes are added to exterior doors with multiple glass panels, the home is better insulated against temperature changes and noise pollution.
Double Panes
The best noise reducing windows are built with two or three panes of glass, all treated for maximal sound insulation and filled between panels with inert gas that is heavier than air. This is today’s best composition for external noise mitigation. Sound-blocking glass may also be laminated to enhance impact and noise resistance.
High-Quality Window Frames
Top-quality energy efficient windows have frames that increase protection against temperature changes and reduce noise transfer through windows. Efficient sound-insulating windows are manufactured with the best framing materials, including wood and high-grade insulative vinyl.
Quality Installation for Acoustic Benefits
Even with a comprehensive combination of sound-blocking window features, without quality installation, the best windows for noise reduction and energy efficiency cannot be fully effective as temperature or sound insulators. So, preventing air and noise infiltration must be included in the installer’s performance checks of the window during and after installation.
OITC Ratings for Home Windows
The OITC rating is a measure of the level of sound being transferred between outdoors and indoors. The rating is based on decibel (db) levels between frequencies from 80 Hz to 4,000 Hz. The higher the rating number, the better the window’s performance in reducing the level of low-frequency noise (like road noise) that enters a home. With proper installation, today’s best house replacement windows can reduce external noise in a home by over 50%.
Best Noise-Reducing Residential Windows
So, the best windows for reducing the transfer of outside noise into a house are also the best windows for reducing heating and cooling waste. Look for energy efficient windows.
Energy Shield offers the southwest U.S. region’s best value in exceptionally energy-efficient, dust and noise-reducing windows for home installation. All of our windows have the Energy Star® label. Our window installation specialists are factory-trained and hold industry certifications.
