If you have been considering replacement windows for your San Diego home, you’ve probably considered the benefits associated with them like increased energy efficiency and safety. However, another factor you may want to consider is sound suppression.
Replacement windows with sound suppression technology aren’t just for homes on busy streets. If you live in an area that airplanes fly over frequently, or in a neighborhood with barking dogs, or if you have neighbors who throw loud late-night parties or who get up way too early on Saturday mornings to mow their lawn, replacement windows with sound suppression technology are for you.
According to Michal Bohm, owner of BM Windows, a replacement window company in San Diego, sound suppression is more important than many homeowners think. He says, “We typically don’t have customers that ask specifically for replacement windows with sound suppression unless they live in an unusually noisy area, but once our customers experience the sound suppression from a high-quality dual pane window, they often comment on the difference it makes in their home. They say things like, ‘We can’t believe how quiet it is in our home now!’ or ‘We wish we would have installed these windows much sooner! It’s so much quieter!’ Windows with sound suppression technology can really change the quality of life and level of comfort inside your home.”
How to Compare the Sound Suppression of Various Replacement Window Products To compare the sound suppression of a window or patio door, first make sure you are comparing the same style of window or door, such as a double hung window, a picture window, or a single slider patio door. You’ll want to compare the sound transmission class (STC) and outdoor indoor transmission class (OITC) numbers for any windows you are considering. These ratings are given by an independent third-party organization.
The higher a window’s STC and OITC numbers, the better the product is at keeping out noise. The STC rating will tell you how good a window is at keeping out all common noises, while the OITC rating specifically measures a window’s ability to keep out low-frequency sounds like traffic, airplanes, or your neighbor’s subwoofer. STC ratings are more common in the replacement window industry, since this is a rating that has been around longer and has been adopted by more companies.
A typical older single pane window will have an STC rating between 18 and 20. A standard dual pane replacement window will have an STC rating ranging from 25-28, and those with upgraded sound suppression technology will have even higher ratings. To give you some perspective on these numbers, a four-point increase in the STC number will provide a discernible improvement in the amount of noise that passes through the window, while a ten-point increase can reduce sound by 50 percent. A standard insulated wall has an STC rating of about 36. There are replacement windows out there that can even match this number. Check out Anlin windows with an upgraded sound package as an example. They have replacement windows with STC ratings as high as 37.
One way replacement windows can help keep outside noise from entering the home is through dissimilar panes of glass. In these types of dual pane windows, one of the panes will be thicker than the other, which will keep a home quieter when compared to single pane or other dual pane windows. For most replacement window manufacturers, dissimilar glass is an upgrade, so make sure you ask your replacement window company about it if you’d like additional sound suppression.
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