Windows to minimize road noise - questions

[PininFarina456]

Hi Folks,

This is my first post here and hoping you all can help out. Our home backs to a busy street and we have 6 windows in our master that backs to this street, which only seems to be getting busier. I have heard laminate is the best, but then I've also heard dissimilar glass is also just as good.

Is anyone familiar with Sunrise Windows Vanguard NRG (Noise Reduction Glass)? There's not many reviews for it online and from what I know it is basically dissimilar glass.

Do you think we could tell the difference between dissimilar glass and laminate? Is it worth spending extra on laminate? My concern is having regret that we should have spent more to begin with and gone with laminate, since it is our master bedroom after all.

Also, many window companies don't have STC ratings, like NT windows here in Dallas. Should I avoid these companies and only look for ones with STC ratings.

If anyone has any dealers in the Dallas area who are good installers and would have options for me, please let me know.

Thanks in advance, and sorry for the long post.

[ajaye]

I am not a window professional, but I did work in music entertainment and am a musician/hobbyist audio nerd/acoustics nerd.

First, if you are in an older home, especially with un-insulated walls, air-seal first. It makes a HUGE difference.

You are on the right track with the windows. If they don't have the STC listed ask if they have the numbers. Also pay attention to air infiltration ratings. Sound, like air, will take the path of least resistance. You can have the most acoustically isolating glass unit in the world, but if air (and, in turn, sound) can just go right around it, its doing you no good. This is why air sealing is so important too. The same point ties in with the install. If you have an 1/8" gap around the window frame capped with aluminum on the outside and caulked on the inside but the space is not blocked off from the rest of the wall cavity by either blocking or low expansion foam or something, you're basically creating a giant resonator (a drum) and you may end up even worse off then when you started.

As far as windows themselves, I think your best bet would be getting a recommendation from someone with first hand experience. The different options all help in different frequency ranges, since "traffic noise" is such a wide band of frequencies, you may need more than one type of noise reducing option (both a laminated glass pane and different pane thickness in each pane per window).

[WindowsDirectCinci]

Hi Folks,

This is my first post here and hoping you all can help out. Our home backs to a busy street and we have 6 windows in our master that backs to this street, which only seems to be getting busier. I have heard laminate is the best, but then I've also heard dissimilar glass is also just as good.

Is anyone familiar with Sunrise Windows Vanguard NRG (Noise Reduction Glass)? There's not many reviews for it online and from what I know it is basically dissimilar glass.

Do you think we could tell the difference between dissimilar glass and laminate? Is it worth spending extra on laminate? My concern is having regret that we should have spent more to begin with and gone with laminate, since it is our master bedroom after all.

Also, many window companies don't have STC ratings, like NT windows here in Dallas. Should I avoid these companies and only look for ones with STC ratings.

If anyone has any dealers in the Dallas area who are good installers and would have options for me, please let me know.

Thanks in advance, and sorry for the long post.

The Sunrise window is very nice. Our customers that are requesting sound reduction we generally recommend their STC glass. It is only one point less than laminate and typically much less expensive. I don't think you'll notice one to another. I'd also ask about the warranty on laminated glass, I know of several manufacturers that exclude laminate from there warranty. With the Sunrise NRG and a proper installation the noise level should be noticibly deiffernt. There is a difference in noise reduction and sound proof. One exists the other doesn't

[Windows on Washington]

You would be hard pressed to determine a 1 point STC offset between the two packages to be honest.

If the issue is road noise (i.e. low frequency) there is some empirical evidence to indicate that the offset glazing might work even better in that range.

[PininFarina456]

Thank you for the feedback so far, its very helpful.

I think the hardest thing for me is since this our master, is it better to get laminate since every bit of sound reduction is important, but is it worth the extra $$.

Also, I still haven't found a window company in Dallas, (out of the 5 that have come to my house) that offer stc ratings for there laminate windows. Only the sunrise vanguard NRG windows are the ones I know the STC ratings of.

Any suggestions on other window companies that would have STC ratings for laminate?

[PininFarina456]

The Sunrise window is very nice. Our customers that are requesting sound reduction we generally recommend their STC glass. It is only one point less than laminate and typically much less expensive. I don't think you'll notice one to another. I'd also ask about the warranty on laminated glass, I know of several manufacturers that exclude laminate from there warranty. With the Sunrise NRG and a proper installation the noise level should be noticibly deiffernt. There is a difference in noise reduction and sound proof. One exists the other doesn't

Question for you: On the sunrise NRG windows, how could I confirm they are indeed NRG if I was to get them? Anything I can look for on window, or will the sticker say that?

[masterext]

The Sunrise window is very nice. Our customers that are requesting sound reduction we generally recommend their STC glass. It is only one point less than laminate and typically much less expensive. I don't think you'll notice one to another. I'd also ask about the warranty on laminated glass, I know of several manufacturers that exclude laminate from there warranty. With the Sunrise NRG and a proper installation the noise level should be noticibly deiffernt. There is a difference in noise reduction and sound proof. One exists the other doesn't

Question for you: On the sunrise NRG windows, how could I confirm they are indeed NRG if I was to get them? Anything I can look for on window, or will the sticker say that?

There would be some sort of sticker on the glass. Sunrise make a nice product.

[ajaye]

The Sunrise window is very nice. Our customers that are requesting sound reduction we generally recommend their STC glass. It is only one point less than laminate and typically much less expensive. I don't think you'll notice one to another. I'd also ask about the warranty on laminated glass, I know of several manufacturers that exclude laminate from there warranty. With the Sunrise NRG and a proper installation the noise level should be noticibly deiffernt. There is a difference in noise reduction and sound proof. One exists the other doesn't

Question for you: On the sunrise NRG windows, how could I confirm they are indeed NRG if I was to get them? Anything I can look for on window, or will the sticker say that?

There would be some sort of sticker on the glass. Sunrise make a nice product.

Yup, this is how I determined that I received a different gas fill than what I was told at time of purchasing. My windows were documented on nfrc.org and it literally lists every detail and option you would want to know. Obviously the accreditation organizations don't inspect every window but SUPPOSEDLY the window companies take this pretty seriously because if they do get busted selling a window that isn't to the spec claimed than they can use the certification for a while, I think the guy from Vista told me nfrc.org would kick them out for 6 months if they were found to be incorrect. (He also told me there was nothing wrong with my windows so grain-of-salt-rule applies).

[PininFarina456]

Great info, any feedback on which manufacturers have STC ratings for laminate windows?

[Windows on Washington]

The STC testing is quite expensive, so unless the manufacturer has a bit push for and STC clientele, most in the replacement market do not undertake the testing.

There are some sites out there that you can research STC based on glass package specifics and draw some reasonable conclusions on the STC of a window based on glazing package, but the actual certified STC testing is few and far between.

Your bigger companies like Marvin, Pella, Anderson, Jeld-Wen, etc. will do it. Not sure I would want to use any of those with the exception of the Marvin.

http://www.viracon.com/acoustic