In order to silence the
noise from outside, especially if the house is in a rather noisy area, for
example on a very busy street, it is worth investing in soundproof windows.
Really quiet windows
should have RA2 (formerly Rw) acoustic insulation equal to 40-50 dB. The larger this indicator, the windows
will be a better barrier to sounds. However,
when choosing soundproof windows, it is first necessary to find out what type
of noise is dominating in the area and what is its intensity. In the countryside and on the
outskirts of the city, we need only 30-32 dB standard, in the city center the
RA2 window will be at least 35 dB, while living next to the motorway or
airport, the ratio should be even higher, eg 45 dB.
Window construction
The acoustic insulation
of windows is determined by its construction and materials used for its
production. The window will
effectively suppress sounds coming from outside, if it was made on a wide, at
least 70 mm profile, built of 4, 5 or more
chambers. Such a profile must be
adequately reinforced with steel or thermal reinforcements, which further
improves its sound-absorbing properties. In
addition to the profile construction, the window tightness is also important. Here, the influence is, among others the type of gaskets used, or the
thickness of the fittings locking.
Insulated glass
The construction of a
composite glazing, i.e. the type and thickness of component glass, the distance
between glass panes and the type of gas filling this space, also has a very
large impact on the acoustics of the window.
Windows, in which a
greater emphasis is placed on acoustic insulation, usually have glass packages,
consisting of several panes of varying thickness - similar glass panes, at a
certain sound frequency, fall into each other in resonance, which significantly
reduces their sound insulation.
Good acoustic insulation
is also demonstrated by windows with sandwich panels consisting of two or three
glass panes connected by PVB foil and those with laminated glass panes, a
special resin that absorbs sounds.
Better sound absorption
of windows is also achieved by increasing the distance between glass panes and
filling the space between the panes with heavy gas (eg krypton, xenon or
sound-absorbing sulfur hexafluoride).
diffusers
Acoustic insulation of
windows may worsen the use of diffusers in them. The perceived deterioration of the
acoustic properties of the window is greater, in the case of ventilators
installed in small windows, in small rooms. The
higher the room volume, the less the deterioration of acoustic insulation is
felt.
In order for the windows
to attenuate the sounds well and at the same time to provide air to the
interior, it is worth choosing acoustic diffusers with a damping material, eg
sound-absorbing foam.
Assembly
It should be remembered
that even the quietest window is not able to effectively suppress noise if
errors were made during its assembly. Therefore,
this stage of investment should be carried out precisely and with the use of
appropriate materials, such as expansion tapes or foams. Even small negligence, during
assembly, can destroy all the effort put into ensuring silence, inside our
homes.
