Noise Reduction & Noise Control using Glass

Loud or unpleasant sounds from outside can create an unrelaxing atmosphere and an unpleasant living situation. Luckily, noise reduction is not difficult to achieve during building works. At Nuline Windows and Doors, we offer a range of different glazing solutions to resolve your noise problems.

Generally speaking, the glass used in your house has one the most dramatic effects on the level of noise entering your premises.

There are four main ways to reduce noise through glass selection:

1. Thicker Glass - Improving the thickness of the glass further dampens low frequency noises such as traffic.
2. Laminated Glass - Glass accompanied with a clear laminate film interlayer is particularly effective in noise reduction as compared to monolithic glass of the same thickness. This is our standard single glazed option.
3. Double Glazing – Standard double-glazed units do not provide effective noise reduction on their own (for double glazed units to be effective, they need to have large 50-100mm air gaps whereas normal double-glazed units have air gaps of around 16mm). However, if a double-glazed unit incorporates thicker glass, a laminated sheet, varying thickness on each side or optimally a combination of these, double glazed units can be very effective at controlling noise.
4. Noise Reduction Glass (Hush Glass) – Another option is a new glass technology called the hush glass. Hush glass is a laminated piece of glass that uses a unique interlayer that effectively reduces noise. This means that thinner and lighter glass can be used while maintaining a sufficient acoustic performance.

Below are two tables detailing common sound levels and recommended levels of noise in different environments as well as sound insulation data for different types of glass (double glazed units not shown due to the number of combinations available):