Acoustic Windows for Noise Reduction
Did you know exposure to high levels of noise or repeated exposure to noise can lead to permanent hearing loss or raised blood pressure leading to cardiovascular damage? Take a listen to the video below to hear how much of an impact an 18-decibel difference is.
Throughout the year's many different options have run the market when it comes to acoustic windows from heavy laminated glass, triple pane windows, thicker spacers, etc. After years and years of testing data, we have found an option that gets you the performance you need without breaking the bank or breaking the back of workers who have to lift windows during installation. What we have found is the best option for acoustic windows is to vary the individual lite thickness of the glass within an IGU as well as varying the air space. By changing the thickness of the glass the sound waves will have to modify to move through the glass. Adding in more air space also means the sound waves have more space to move through as dissipate as they go. Sound performance for years has been measured two different ways, below is a quick synopsis of the two.
What is a good STC rating for windows?
STC stands for Sound Transmission Class and is a rating of how well a building partition reduces airborne sound. OITC stands for outdoor-indoor transmission class and is a rating of the amount of sound that passes between the interior and exterior spaces in a structure. STC is no stranger in the window industry for many years to rate windows, but you can see from the definition that it may not be the best measurement for windows. During testing for STC & OITC, the sounds used are different, STC tests between 125 to 4000 Hz and uses interior noises such as talking, television, or typing, OITC tests between 80 to 4000 Hz and uses sounds like train whistles, street noise, or air traffic. The STC measurement has been around since 1961, so for a long time, that was the only rating to measure how windows performed acoustically, in 1990 the OITC measurement came about as a way to rate outside noise.
What is a good OITC rating for windows?
So, OITC is the ideal measurement for Peerless acoustic windows & doors. The next step is determining what kind of rating you need your windows to meet. To start, the higher the OITC rating, the less sound will travel through the window. Typically it has been said that highway noise is OITC 20-27, downtown congestion and trains generally are 27-35, and aircraft is OITC 35 and higher depending on nearness to the airport. Now you can quickly see where the windows will be installed and choose what rating you should be searching for the windows to have.
Regardless of what type of building, there will be some human occupant's health that needs to be considered long term. Think about it for a minute; would you like to work or live in a space where you are continually struggling to stay focused due to exterior noise outside your control? If you are a building owner, poor acoustic ratings could mean more frequent turnover of tenants, or not filling your space at all. Acoustical performance in windows needs to be a factor considered in every window purchase.
For help with acoustic windows on your next project please contact your area sales representative.
