sunrise windows technical bulletin AWS
SUNRISE WINDOWS TECHNICAL BULLETIN NOISE REDUCTION GLASS OPTIONS Unwanted noise from transportation (planes, trains, trucks, etc.) and neighborhood activities (lawn mowers, barking dogs, etc.) makes sound reduction an important consideration when replacing windows and doors. Sound control is influenced by the frame, sash, glass, weather stripping, installation and home/building envelope acoustics. Because glass makes up most of the window surface, selecting the right glass package is an important step in making your home a more relaxing and peaceful retreat.
How to Measure Sound Sound starts with vibrations that make the surrounding air vibrate. These sound waves carry noise into your home through and around windows and doors. Noise reduction is most commonly measured using a Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating. The STC rating has been around since 1970 (ASTM E413) and was designed to provide a performance rating for noise from talking, television, radio and office equipment through interior wall partitions. Today, STC is the most common rating used to measure sound control for windows and doors. A second rating, the Outside/Inside Transmission Class (OITC) was first published in 1990, and was designed to measure exterior façade elements including windows and doors that are subjected to noise like motor vehicles, aircraft and trains. Despite being a better indicator of the noise reduction building codes are trying to address for windows and doors, OITC is a less commonly used. When comparing performance, the higher the rating, the less noise you’ll hear using either STC or OITC. But STC and OITC are not the same. When comparing sound performance, be sure to compare STC-to-STC or OITC-to-OITC.
Sunrise Noise Reduction Glass Option Sunrise has offered noise reduction for some time using laminated glass which provides the added benefit of security glazing which keeps debris outside the home. NRG offers comparable noise reduction using a different IGU construction.
NRG 3⁄16”
Thick
OUTSIDE HOME
Laminated 1⁄8” Thick
INSIDE HOME
1⁄8”
Thick
OUTSIDE HOME
NOTE: Due to thicker (heavier) glass, triple pane size limitations apply for NRG and Laminated glass options, as shown by the bold line in the price book.
1⁄4” Thick
INSIDE HOME
SUNRISE WINDOWS TECHNICAL BULLETIN NOISE REDUCTION GLASS OPTIONS
How To Select Noise Reduction Glass Things to consider when selecting noise reduction glass: • Thicker glass (weight per square foot) reduces sound transmission. • Sound transmission decreases slightly as the glass area (or percentage) increases compared to the frame/sash area. • Dual pane insulated glass units (IGU) work best when the two lites of glass are different thicknesses. • Laminated glass is more effective at reducing sound than plate glass of the same overall thickness. This is because laminated glass has a PVB (polyvinyl polyvinylbutyral) inner layer sandwiched between two pieces of plate glass. • Insulated triple pane glass units are very energy efficient, but with 1” or less overall IGU thickness typically provide the same or less sound reduction than dual pane units. • Gas filling with argon and/or krypton has an insignificant effect on the overall STC rating of an insulated glass unit. • V-Groove glass is the best grid choice for sound reduction. Typical grids can vibrate and carry sound waves through the IGU. • The lower the air infiltration rating, the less vibration transfers through the sash/frame weather strip joints.
©2016 All rights reserved. Sunrise Windows, Ltd.
• The STC rating of the wall is just as important as the window. Because wall square footage is typically greater than windows, a window with a higher STC rating than the wall will have limited impact on noise reduction. • If a home’s walls and/or roof are poorly insulated, noise reduction glass will have minimal effect on the overall sound transmission into a room. • STC ratings for insulated 2x4 walls typically range from 33 to 39, with 36 being the norm today. • For a window or door, the STC rating for a total unit is typically several points lower than the center-of-glass (or glass only) rating. When comparing options, be sure to compare total unit value to total unit value. • Full-frame replacement is beneficial since it allows you to insulate the window rough opening. In pocket installations this can be an issue if there is no insulation between the original window frame and the wall because sound will continue to vibrate through the uninsulated pocket. • When replacing an old wood window with a storm window, be aware that this combination tends to perform fairly well in sound reduction since the space between the storm and the window IGU tends to be well over 1” which improves STC performance.
SRWD-NRGTB 012216
How to Measure Sound Sound starts with vibrations that make the surrounding air vibrate. These sound waves carry noise into your home through and around windows and doors. Noise reduction is most commonly measured using a Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating. The STC rating has been around since 1970 (ASTM E413) and was designed to provide a performance rating for noise from talking, television, radio and office equipment through interior wall partitions. Today, STC is the most common rating used to measure sound control for windows and doors. A second rating, the Outside/Inside Transmission Class (OITC) was first published in 1990, and was designed to measure exterior façade elements including windows and doors that are subjected to noise like motor vehicles, aircraft and trains. Despite being a better indicator of the noise reduction building codes are trying to address for windows and doors, OITC is a less commonly used. When comparing performance, the higher the rating, the less noise you’ll hear using either STC or OITC. But STC and OITC are not the same. When comparing sound performance, be sure to compare STC-to-STC or OITC-to-OITC.
Sunrise Noise Reduction Glass Option Sunrise has offered noise reduction for some time using laminated glass which provides the added benefit of security glazing which keeps debris outside the home. NRG offers comparable noise reduction using a different IGU construction.
NRG 3⁄16”
Thick
OUTSIDE HOME
Laminated 1⁄8” Thick
INSIDE HOME
1⁄8”
Thick
OUTSIDE HOME
NOTE: Due to thicker (heavier) glass, triple pane size limitations apply for NRG and Laminated glass options, as shown by the bold line in the price book.
1⁄4” Thick
INSIDE HOME
SUNRISE WINDOWS TECHNICAL BULLETIN NOISE REDUCTION GLASS OPTIONS
How To Select Noise Reduction Glass Things to consider when selecting noise reduction glass: • Thicker glass (weight per square foot) reduces sound transmission. • Sound transmission decreases slightly as the glass area (or percentage) increases compared to the frame/sash area. • Dual pane insulated glass units (IGU) work best when the two lites of glass are different thicknesses. • Laminated glass is more effective at reducing sound than plate glass of the same overall thickness. This is because laminated glass has a PVB (polyvinyl polyvinylbutyral) inner layer sandwiched between two pieces of plate glass. • Insulated triple pane glass units are very energy efficient, but with 1” or less overall IGU thickness typically provide the same or less sound reduction than dual pane units. • Gas filling with argon and/or krypton has an insignificant effect on the overall STC rating of an insulated glass unit. • V-Groove glass is the best grid choice for sound reduction. Typical grids can vibrate and carry sound waves through the IGU. • The lower the air infiltration rating, the less vibration transfers through the sash/frame weather strip joints.
©2016 All rights reserved. Sunrise Windows, Ltd.
• The STC rating of the wall is just as important as the window. Because wall square footage is typically greater than windows, a window with a higher STC rating than the wall will have limited impact on noise reduction. • If a home’s walls and/or roof are poorly insulated, noise reduction glass will have minimal effect on the overall sound transmission into a room. • STC ratings for insulated 2x4 walls typically range from 33 to 39, with 36 being the norm today. • For a window or door, the STC rating for a total unit is typically several points lower than the center-of-glass (or glass only) rating. When comparing options, be sure to compare total unit value to total unit value. • Full-frame replacement is beneficial since it allows you to insulate the window rough opening. In pocket installations this can be an issue if there is no insulation between the original window frame and the wall because sound will continue to vibrate through the uninsulated pocket. • When replacing an old wood window with a storm window, be aware that this combination tends to perform fairly well in sound reduction since the space between the storm and the window IGU tends to be well over 1” which improves STC performance.
SRWD-NRGTB 012216
