If you and your family are suffering from outside noise penetrating your home, then you’re likely looking for any solution that will stop it instantly. Things like neighbors mowing their lawns, dogs barking, and traffic passing by can really damper your quality of life in your own home.
One solution that we get asked about all the time is impact windows for sound-proofing their home. The reality is: impact windows don’t cancel out noise completely from the outside world, but they do make a significant difference in the amount of ambient and distracting noise that tends to seep in.
Why Is So Much Noise Coming From Outside?
The main reason you’re likely hearing so much noise from outside is due to your windows. Older windows have a hard time deflecting sound pollution, allowing sounds to easily penetrate through and disrupt your day to day live.
While we would love to enjoy the benefits of noise-canceling windows, they simply don’t exist yet. Instead, all windows abide by a sound transmission class, or STC. STC measures the amount of noise that’s able to pass through a window. Standard windows typically have an STC of around 25-29. Impact windows have an STC of 45 or higher due to their construction.
STC and What Can Be Heard At Each Level
25: soft speech can be clearly heard and interpreted 30: normal speech can be clearly heard and interpreted 35: loud speech can be clearly heard and interpreted 40: loud speech can be heard but not interpreted 45: privacy threshold 50: loud sounds can be faintly heard 60+: true soundproofing
How Do Impact Windows Soundproof Your Home?
While standard windows are typically constructed from a wood frame and a single pane of glass, impact windows offer significant upgrades. The frame is usually constructed from either aluminum or vinyl which prevents cracking, splintering, or rusting. The outer layer of glass is tempered, providing a significant boost in energy efficiency, and the interior heat strengthened impact glass helps to dampen the noise outside and thus raises its STC dramatically.
In addition to its ability to lower ambient noise from outside, impact windows:
Improve HVAC efficiency
Reduces UV and heat entering home
Defends home against high winds, storm pressure, flying debris, and intruders
Insulates your home
What Noises Do Impact Windows Reduce?
When it comes to impact windows installed in your home, you can expect them to significantly reduce:
Street traffic
Car alarms
Construction
Planes
Trains
Loud music
Neighbors talking
Dogs barking
Enjoy Peace With The Window Guys
If you’re looking to enjoy some peace and quiet in your home, then the Window Guys have your back. To learn more about impact windows and receive a complimentary consultation with our experts, simply contact us online or give us a call at (561) 598-6295.
Why You Shouldn’t DIY Impact Resistant Glass Windows
Upgrading your windows to impact resistant glass is a great way to enhance your home’s curb appeal and defense. Your home shouldn’t have to suffer from subpar windows any longer. When purchasing impact resistant glass for your home, you’ve probably been considering if you can save and skip on the installation services provided by an impact windows supplier. While you certainly could DIY your impact windows, we strongly recommend against it. Even if you’re a highly experienced DIY-er, impact windows require significant technical know-how to install properly. Three of the main reasons why you should never DIY your impact resistant glass are:
You Can Only Size Them Once
Projects like building a wood deck for your backyard are great for both the emerging and seasoned DIY-er. If you make a mistake, you can drive over to your local hardware store, pick up the necessary supplies, make the necessary repairs/updates, and continue on. That’s not the case with impact windows. Despite its name, impact glass is still glass, and an improper measurement or cut could spell disaster. You’ll find yourself spending more on new pieces of impact glass than you would if you had just trusted in an experienced installation team.
Poor Installation Can Ruin Their Effectiveness
When you decided to upgrade to impact windows, you probably made the decision with the idea in mind that your current windows just weren’t cutting it. Whether your home was too hot/cold when it shouldn’t have been, or exterior noise was just constantly seeping in, you knew it was time to make a switch. An improper installation could lead to impact resistant glass that is just as underperforming as your current standard windows.
Incredibly Difficult And Dangerous For One Person
Make no mistake: impact windows are remarkably difficult to install, and can be very dangerous if installed incorrectly. Impact window installation is, at minimum, a two-person job. It’s practically impossible for even one highly skilled DIY-er to accomplish alone, and can lead to dangerous situations. When placing the impact window in its frame, if not sealed properly it can potentially fall out of its frame at any given time.
Impact window installation becomes even more difficult with multi-story homes, as you’ll likely have to have someone on the roof to help install it correctly.
Count On The Impact Window Installation Experts At The Window Guys
The expert installation team at The Window Guys has the knowledge, experience, and tools necessary to provide you with a flawless installation. Improper installation can lead to your windows voiding warranty—our team makes sure that isn’t the case. Contact the Window Guys team today for a free quote and see how easy working with our installation team can be!
