Written By: Brad Campbell | September 21, 2022
Dealing with excessive outside noise in your workplace can really take a toll on your wellbeing and productivity.
Whether you can’t sleep at night or you and your employees are unable to concentrate, noise pollution is no joke.
One of the biggest reasons why you may be hearing too much noise coming into your building is that your windows are not doing enough to block it out.
While there’s no such thing as 100% soundproof windows, there are steps you can take to turn your windows into noise reduction windows and greatly reduce the excess noise coming in through them.
Windows play a big role in how much noise you hear inside your property for the same reason they affect your energy efficiency — windows act as an insulating barrier between the outside and inside of your business.
Just like different types of insulation are more or less effective at reducing the transmission of thermal energy, different types of windows are better or worse at blocking out noise.
In general, the more panes of glass your windows have, the less sound passes through them. If you have single-pane windows, you will hear much more outdoor noise when you’re inside than if you have double- or triple-pane windows.
If you have dual- or triple-pane windows with a gas infill between the panes, that’s even better for noise reduction, as it’s more difficult for sound to pass through gas than air.
Even though there’s no such thing as soundproof windows, that doesn’t mean you can’t make your windows more noise-reducing.
There are many types of noise reducing window inserts and the like on the market, but the best way to soundproof your windows is to add a pane of glass to them, especially if you have single-pane windows (which do next to nothing to block out noise).
You might be thinking something like: “But what if I don’t have the budget to replace all my property’s windows with noise reducing windows?”
Well, don’t lose hope just yet. There’s another option available that’s much more cost effective: retrofitting your windows with noise blocking polycarbonate glazing.
Although polycarbonate glazing is primarily intended for security retrofits, it can also be used to add a pane of glass to your windows, thus making them more insulating, sound blocking, and secure — all in one.
A retrofit glazing solution means that you don’t have to remove or replace the existing glass. Instead, we attach the new security glazing right on top of the existing glass, using low-profile security framing that fits into or onto the existing framing.
Since it is much faster and less labor intensive than window replacement, and doesn’t require an entirely new framing system, a retrofit solution tends to be far more affordable.
To anyone looking for an affordable and effective solution for noise reduction for windows, we highly recommend a polycarbonate security glazing retrofit.
Besides the benefit of noise blocking, this type of glazing retrofit provides a range of other benefits that make it a worthy investment.
The exact amount of noise your new polycarbonate noise reducing window inserts blocks will vary depending on the thickness of the glazing.
However, polycarbonate is renowned for its noise blocking abilities, which is why polycarbonate barriers are often built next to highways, bridges, and other heavy traffic zones.
Polycarbonate acts as a sound reduction barrier, absorbing excess noise and making the lives of anyone on the other side much more pleasant.
Polycarbonate is also known for its strength and durability. In fact, it’s virtually unbreakable and, with the right coating, is highly resistant to scratching and marring.
Combined with the fact that it looks and feels like regular annealed window glass, these characteristics make it the perfect all-in-one solution for reducing noise and improving safety and security.
Unlike some types of noise blocking window inserts, like acoustic foam barriers, polycarbonate doesn’t block out natural light or reduce visibility. So, you can continue to enjoy all the benefits of your windows, without all the annoying noise.
Riot Glass, LLC’s ArmorPlast® line of polycarbonate glazing shields is ideal for reducing noise pollution in commercial facilities and high-end residential properties.
Whether you have single-pane or double-pane windows, you can add a layer of ArmorPlast® to them to block out noise and improve indoor comfort for you and your people.
For noise reduction, we specifically recommend AP25, which is our flagship containment-grade (non-ballistic) polycarbonate security glazing.
AP25 can be over-glazed, or mounted outside of, almost any existing window or other glass surface (including glass doors) to greatly improve the noise blocking abilities of the glass, as well as provide all the other benefits mentioned above.
Not only will you notice the difference immediately in terms of productivity because of the reduced noise, but you should also see the resulting improved energy efficiency of your property.
Ultimately, all the benefits of a polycarbonate security glazing retrofit make it an investment that can pay for itself.
Contact us today for more information about how we can help you reduce noise pollution with our retrofit security glazing. A consultation is free, and we can work with your local glass contractor anywhere in the country to get our products delivered and installed!
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