Environmental noise is more than an annoyance. Continued exposure to excessive noise can interrupt sleep patterns, with impacts on overall health. Additionally, studies show that 90 percent of noise comes through windows, not walls. Anyone who has ever installed double-glazed or storm windows knows that adding that second layer of glass makes a room quieter. The sound of traffic, airplane noise, or a neighbor’s leaf blower suddenly becomes less noticeable.
It’s not the extra glass that blocks sound as much as the air between the layers, which distorts and reduces sound as it travels from one barrier to the next. That’s why residential double-glazed windows with an airtight seal lessen the impact of exterior noise. The air pockets in most are /” to ¾” thick, moderating heat exchange, of course, but also blocking more sound than a single-pane window does.