How much can you really reduce the noise through your window?
How much you can reduce noise coming into your house depends on what you have now. If your home has old single glazed windows, you will notice a difference simply by adding new double glazing windows.
As described above, noise reduction also depends on how your home is constructed and the main entry point of the noise
Sound is measured by the strength (amplitude) of the waves in decibels (dB)
Standard single pane | Up to 29dB noise reduction* |
Standard double glazed pane | Up to 33dB noise reduction** |
Noise reducing double glazed pane | Up to 40dB noise reduction** |
* Pilkington Technical Bulletin
**Everest Independent testing
The table above is based on laboratory testing, where the glass is tested in isolation. In real life, there are other factors that might be leaking sound into your home, so we can only offer this as a guide and not a guarantee.
In ideal circumstances, you can expect up to 11dB difference between a single pane of glass and a noise reduction window. This might not seem like very much, but decibels are calculated to a scale that means every increase of 10dB doubles the perceived loudness of sound. Therefore, noise on the other side of a single pane of glass is twice as loud as a noise reducing window.
It’s important to note that noise reduction windows will not make a room silent. They can make a considerable difference to the quality of life in your home, but we don’t claim to make a home soundproof. And you may have to address other issues that are leaking sound into a room.