Noisy neighbours, excessive road noise or owning a property on a flightpath, can all have a significant effect on long term on a person’s health, well-being and quality of life. The cumulative effect of not sleeping soundly combined with constant excessive noise, can negatively impact all age groups making soundproofing windows a wise investment both in terms of health and property value.
There are various methods we can adopt here at New Forest Joinery to reduce the noise levels inside your property. For noisy neighbourhoods or for properties close to main roads, we often recommend sound proofing your sash windows by installing acoustic glass which can make a considerable difference to reducing the external noise within a home.
As you may be aware, we measure sound intensity in units called decibels (dB). Every millimetre of acoustic glass used within a sash window can reduce noise by one decibel, significantly improving the quality of life for occupants within a property. Plus, it only takes a 10dB reduction for the human ear to perceive a sound as being half its original volume. However, the increased thickness that acoustic glass requires means that when making and installing it, we need to ensure the windows have the largest depth possible for optimum soundproofing effect.
This does mean that it is only an option for customers who are choosing to replace their sash and casement windows entirely (including the box frame). Existing window frames cannot be retrofitted to accommodate the new window sashes when using acoustic glass. For customers wanting to retain their existing frames and simply replace the glass, we would recommend using vacuum insulated glass, which we will come to later in the blog.
The benefits of acoustic glazing
- Noise reduction and the impact on health. Our acoustic glass will make a dramatic difference to noise levels helping to create a quieter, calmer home environment for you to relax in. The average noise in a busy London street for example, is 60dB, and noise over 45dB can interfere with sleep patterns. The World Health Organisation states that those living with noise pollution of over 55dB are likely to suffer health problems which will dramatically impact a huge portion of London’s 9.3 million residents.
- Security. Acoustic glass is almost impossible to break through making it a great choice for improving a home’s security and keeping intruders from entering your home. The PVB layer keeps the glass bonded even when broken, and its strength prevents the glass from breaking up into large hazardous pieces.
- Greater thermal performance. As well as noise, customers can also choose to improve the thermal performance of their windows by opting for double glazed acoustic glass. The space between the two thick panes of glass will be filled with argon gas and a warm edge spacer. You’ll not only reduce the amount of heat lost through your windows, but you’ll benefit from lower energy bills too!
- Increased property value. Transform the appeal, value and day-to-day experience of any property – fantastic selling points for homebuyers.
Vacuum insulated glass
For customers wishing to retain their existing box frames, but still reap the reduced sound and heat loss levels achievable with double glazed sash windows, vacuum insulated glass may be the answer. Unlike conventional double glazing consisting of two glass panes placed apart and filled with inert gas or dry air, this type of glass technology banishes the air gaps to create a vacuum instead.
Simply put, conventional double glazing consists of two glass panes placed apart, with the space between the panes filled with either dry air or an inert gas. This gas reduces the heat flow through the glass due to its low thermal conductivity. The wider the gap between the panes, the lower the heat transfer, resulting in the overall thickness of double glazing to be no more than 24mm for it to be thermally efficient.
Vacuum insulated glazing offers a unique approach where the air between the two panes is extracted, creating a vacuum. This means it can offer a thermal performance greater than triple glazing within its ultra-thin profile. A vacuum is extremely efficient at diminishing heat losses via conduction and convection. Unlike a traditional double-glazed unit, the gap between the two glass panes can be reduced considerable to an over all thickness of just 6.7mm!
Its slim figure, makes vacuum insulated glass easy to retrofit into existing timber sash windows and doors and has proved revolutionary for owners of period homes, listed buildings and homeowners within conservation areas where, until now, these dwellers often needed to sacrifice thermal and acoustic performance for the sake of protecting the aesthetics and originality of their property.
Why choose New Forest Joinery?
All our work is made bespoke for you and your requirements. We love working with wood and take great satisfaction in the smallest details. The versatility of wood combined with our outstanding craftmanship, and passion has seen us build a reputation for high-quality joinery within our local area of Hampshire, and receive regular word-of-mouth recommendations from our previous customers, demonstrating our excellent track record for exceeding expectations.
We’re a close-knit team that genuinely cares. Our highly experienced team boasts more than 100 years’ combined joinery experience so there’s not a lot we don’t know about crafting beautiful sound proof sash windows, doors and other bespoke joinery projects.
Whether you live in a built-up area or want some peace from your noisy neighbours, we can help you reduce noise pollution. We don’t just measure your space to create bespoke sash windows, we measure noise, logistics and your aesthetic choices too. If you are interested in a sash window glass upgrade, give us a call and we’ll chat through all the options with you.
