Acoustic Windows & Doors for a Quieter Home

From traffic and lawn mowers to construction and barking dogs, we battle to keep unwanted noise from our homes every day. Noise pollution disrupts your ability to work from home, relax and get a restful night’s sleep. Exposure to noise is associated with many stress-related health problems, including high blood pressure, sleep deprivation and reduced productivity. Although windows and doors can’t be completely soundproof, there are several ways to significantly reduce unwanted noise, creating a more peaceful home environment that we all want.

What Are Acoustic Windows?

Acoustic windows, sometimes called soundproof windows, have specially designed insulating glass units that minimize the transfer of external noise into a home. Features such as dual- and triple-pane glass, laminate glass and dissimilar glass are the most commonly used options for creating sound-reducing windows and doors.

Frame material is an important consideration for acoustic windows. Simonton fusion-welded vinyl windows and doors provide excellent sound insulation. All operable units feature advanced weatherstripping that forms tight seals when they are closed to help reduce infiltration of outside noise.

How Noise Enters a Home

Airborne noise travels in waves that can pass through building materials, including walls and windows. Old windows and doors are especially vulnerable to noise infiltration. Units with aging glass, worn-out weatherstripping and deteriorated caulking make it easier for air and sound waves to enter the home.

Unlike single-pane windows, all Simonton vinyl replacement windows and doors feature a dual-pane insulating glass unit (IGU), which helps reduce the level of sound infiltrating from the outside. Windows and doors with specialized sound control glass can help keep unwanted noise from entering your home.

Acoustic Glass Options

Many features contribute to optimal acoustic performance, including the frame material, specialized glass, how tightly the window seals when shut and the quality of the installation. The following are the most common glass options used to configure a sound-control window or door.

1. Laminated Glass – The durable laminate interlayer sealed between two layers of glass absorbs sound waves and greatly reduces sound from traveling through the glass.
2. Dissimilar Glass – Sometimes called offset glass, dissimilar glass incorporates panes of different thicknesses within the IGU. This configuration blocks a wider range of sound waves than panes of equal thickness do, with one pane reducing low-frequency sounds and the other reducing high-frequency sounds.
3. Triple-pane Glass – Three panes of double-strength glass that form two separate insulating air spaces, enhancing sound-dampening performance over dual-pane windows.
4. IGU Thickness – The air space between the glass panels typically ranges from 3/4″ to 1″ or more, with wider IGUs providing greater resistance to sound transmission.
5. Non-metal Spacer – The Super Spacer® all-foam, metal-free spacer reduces noise transmission through an IGU compared to windows and doors with traditional metal spacers.
6. Increased Glass Strength – Single-, double- and triple-strength glass differ in thickness and help reduce sound vibrations, decreasing the amount of noise that enters a home.

The Simonton 5500 Collection is available with triple-pane and laminated glass for sound abatement. Simonton DaylightMax® and Madeira windows offer offset and laminate glass for sound control. The Madeira Collection also offers Eco3 triple-pane glass options for thermal insulation and sound reduction.

How are Sound Control Windows Rated?

Window and door sound performance is measured by Sound Transmission Class (STC) and Outdoor-Indoor Transmission Class (OITC) ratings, which indicate how effectively they block sound. Higher ratings provide better noise reduction.

• Sound Transmission Class (STC) is the most widely recognized rating system for evaluating sound control. It quantifies a material’s ability to limit sound transmission at mid- to high-frequencies, including typical sources such as speech, radio and television.
• Outdoor-Indoor Transmission Class (OITC) is a newer rating system for evaluating sound control performance. It specifically measures how effectively a material blocks lower-frequency noise, including sounds from traffic, aircraft, trains and industrial operations.

STC Ratings and Sound Reduction

With various features working together to provide the best possible soundproofing windows, it is important to understand that even a small change in the STC rating can make a big difference.

For example, a Simonton 5500 Double Hung window with an average STC rating of 34 can reduce exterior noise by up to 43%. This level of performance can bring louder outdoor noise down to a comfortable range, typically around 60 decibels. Reducing noise by 10 decibels cuts the perceived noise level to about half.

How Sound‑Control Glass Reduces Noise Levels

What are the Benefits of Acoustic Windows and Doors?

Choosing replacement windows with acoustic glass provides numerous long-term benefits for a home and the entire family.

• Reduces intrusive noise, making your home more peaceful and giving you the quiet you need for productivity, deeper sleep, reduced stress and greater comfort.
• The advanced glass systems used in sound-abatement windows and doors decrease noise while enhancing thermal efficiency, which can help lower your energy costs.
• Laminated glass offers the added benefit of increased security for your home. While acoustic windows and doors are more expensive, the daily benefits, along with the added resale value, help offset the cost.

Discover more information about Simonton sound control windows and patio doors on our Get Started page, where we discuss window styles, why vinyl, design options and more. Or use the Find Your Perfect Window Tool to complete our step-by-step walkthrough and find the ideal window and door that meet your home’s performance and design needs.

When you’re ready to purchase Simonton windows and doors, visit our How To Buy page to find the various ways to purchase our products to meet the needs of your home project.