The Benefits of Acoustic Glazing For Your Windows
Acoustic glazing is an excellent addition to any home or business, helping to reduce noise and enabling you to have a good night’s sleep. It has a range of other benefits too such as impact safety, UV protection and energy efficiency.
Usually, acoustic glazing windows are constructed using two lites of glass sandwiched together with a layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB). This prevents the panes from shattering and creates excellent sound-dampening properties.
Noise Reduction
Whether it’s traffic, construction or a noisy neighbour, noise is a growing problem in modern cities. Luckily, you can reduce the amount of noise that enters your home with acoustic glazing.
Acoustic glass is a thicker, laminated version of double glazing with a bonded internal layer that absorbs a considerable amount of sound. This can be a great way to reduce the level of noise outside your property by up to 70 dBs.
Acoustic laminated glass is typically used where noise reduction is critical, particularly where high levels of traffic, planes or vehicles are prevalent. It is also effective at reducing noise when it is combined with other soundproofing options such as triple glazing, argon and krypton filling or vacuum seals between the panes.
Sound Insulation
Whether you are building a new house, converting an old property into an office or creating a quiet and welcoming environment for living, working or learning, sound insulation is essential. Good acoustic glazing will help to muffle the sound of horns honking, rain clattering or loudspeakers blaring.
A common way of achieving better acoustic performance is by increasing the thickness of the glass. A 12mm thick pane is much more effective at reducing traffic and other low frequency noises, while there is little difference in the sound reduction of a 6mm or 4mm pane.
Often a laminated pane will be used, sandwiched together with an adhesive such as polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA). This method of laminating two lites of glass can improve the STC rating of double-glazed units, by providing a space between the two lites.
Thermal Insulation
Insulation is a material that is used to prevent heat from seeping in or out of a building. It can be found in insulated bottles where you keep cold water or hot coffee and in appliances like refrigerators, pipes, or automotive internal combustion engines.
The type of insulation you choose will depend on the climate in which you live. Generally, a higher R-value will mean a better insulation performance.
Thermal insulation can be a simple and inexpensive way to save energy in homes or businesses. It is also useful in industrial applications where it can be applied to pipework, cooling and heating systems, and process fluids.
Two of the most popular types of thermal insulators are rock wool and glass wool. Both of these are made by mixing silica (sand), additives, and recycled glass to produce fibres that are bound by a solution and then heated to 200o to give them strength and stability.
Visual Appeal
Acoustic glass, while not quite the sexiest material to adorn your home or office, still packs a few bells and whistles. One of the biggest draws of this technology is its ability to keep your occupants and their guests comfortable. Moreover, the high-tech insulator is designed to withstand the punishing heat and humidity that inevitably occurs in modern homes and offices. Besides, the technology can be incorporated into heritage-style windows, such as sash windows, to create a bespoke modern marvel in its own right.
The most important thing to remember when implementing this technology is to choose a quality installer who has your best interests at heart.