There are three important elements to good soundproofing: Sufficient mass + a minimum 2-inch air gap + a good seal.

Sufficient mass – The acoustic glass we use is 1/4″ thick. It’s made from laminating two 1/8″ thick pieces of annealed glass to a flexible adhesive membrane made of polyvinyl butyl, to form one solid piece of glass. The flexible membrane keeps the glass from vibrating from sound waves and helps dissipate the energy of sound waves. The mass (weight) of the glass absorbs sound. The general rule of thumb is that the heavier the material is, the more it can absorb sound. And, of course, the opposite is true: the lighter the material, the less it can absorb sound. We use laminated glass instead of acrylic plastic because it is over twice as heavy as acrylic plastic, thereby absorbing much more sound.

A minimum 2-inch air gap – The two-inch air gap we prefer is not a magic number but a good rule of thumb when trying to stop sounds you find annoying. The bigger the gap, the more sound waves are trapped.

A good seal – The seal of our soundproofing window inserts is important because sound can act like water, seeping through openings. Our infiltration rate is less than .01 cfm/lineal foot, which meets the requirements of the  International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

First of all, most double-pane replacement windows are designed for energy efficiency, not for sound abatement. Soundproofing requires mass + air gap + seal. Double-pane windows are made with two thin panes of glass (very little mass), held slightly apart (insufficient gap), and have spaces around the sashes so that they can easily slide up/down, side-to-side or inward for cleaning (insufficient seal for sound). The small gap is often filled with an inert gas like argon to provide resistance to energy transfer and moisture. But all gases have almost no mass (because they are gas), so they can’t physically stop sound. Due to these inherent limitations of standard replacement windows, some manufacturers now make soundproof replacement windows to tackle sound and energy issues. (See below)

Soundproof replacement windows, sometimes called triple-pane windows, are made with different designs and materials than standard replacement windows. Sometimes they use laminated glass (like our soundproof window inserts), but the air gap is limited in size because the window has to fit into the standard wall thickness. STC ratings for soundproof replacement windows are usually 38-40. The cost is usually twice that of our soundproofing window inserts, with a 48 STC rating.

It usually takes a day or less for most residential properties. Commercial buildings vary significantly in size. We can do small retail strip center suites in one to two days. Office installations vary from a day to a week, and hotels can take up to three weeks.

In most instances, they are barely noticeable from the inside and can’t be seen from the outside at all. Our interior window inserts have a very small frame measuring slightly less than an inch. Standard frame colors are white, ivory, light grey, or dark bronze. If those colors are not a close match to your window frames, we will paint them to a close match.

Our materials have been in real-life conditions for over 40 years without degradation. Plus, our windows are warranted for as long as you own your home. The warranty is transferable when you sell your home.

Yes. We custom-make windows to fit most shapes and sizes.

Yes. We have two solutions for sliding-glass patio doors: our standard window inserts or an additional laminated glass sliding door. Our standard magnetic windows can be removed each time the sliding-glass patio doors are used, which, if used frequently, is inconvenient. However, an additional laminated glass soundproof sliding door best matches the function of your existing sliding-glass patio doors by allowing you to open them conveniently.

In most cases, we have room to install window inserts behind the existing window treatments and keep the window treatments inside the window opening. If necessary, we can move the window treatments to the upper edge of the window opening. There is usually no cost to reposition window treatments. Some exceptions are motorized blinds/shades, custom valences, blinds that are embedded in the existing window’s glass, etc.

Our windows are glass, so there are no special cleaning requirements.

Our warranty lasts as long as you own your home and is transferable when you sell your home.

There is no limit to the size of multi-paned windows we can handle. For one-piece picture windows, we can go up to 5’X10′ in a single piece. If you have a very large window that you would like to access frequently, we recommend dividing the window insert to make it easier to handle.

In some cases, stairwells and elevators restrict the glass size we can bring to your unit. In this case, you will need an insert of two or more sections.

Our 1/4″ laminated glass inserts reduce noise by an average of 85%. The percentage is based on 65dB of outside noise, which is the maximum loudness in decibels of typical city ordinances.

When professionals install exterior storm windows, both the soundproof type with laminated glass and the standard kind, they must penetrate the seal so moisture can escape. Typically, they drill holes called “weep holes” in the bottom of the storm window frame to allow moisture to flow out. Otherwise, the inevitable moisture build-up may damage the exterior of the window. Of course, a loose seal will let sound in, significantly reducing the effectiveness of exterior storm windows.

Traditional exterior storm windows are often quite noticeable from the outside. Most homeowners associations in Texas will not allow exterior storm windows for aesthetic reasons.

Laminated glass is made from two 1/8″ thick pieces of annealed glass, held together by a flexible adhesive membrane to form one solid piece of glass that is 1/4″ thick. The membrane keeps the glass from vibrating with sound waves and helps dissipate the energy of sound waves. For example, car windshields are made of laminated glass with tinting added. Laminated glass has an STC rating of ~35 by itself. When installed in conjunction with your window, the STC rating can be up to 48.

Laminated glass is not the same as double-paned glass used in standard windows. Double-pane glass is two pieces of 1/8″ glass held apart (not touching as with laminated glass) by a small gap filled with inert gas. Double-pane glass is designed for energy efficiency. The small space between the panes filled with gas acts as an insulating barrier to energy transfer. But the panes of glass can easily vibrate with sound waves because there is no flexible membrane to eliminate vibration. Plus, the gap between the panes is unfortunately too small to act as an effective sound trap. Many customers find out the hard way that double-pane is not the same as laminated glass and are very frustrated when their double-pane replacement windows do little to fix their sound problem. The STC rating of single-pane windows is ~23, and the STC rating of double-panes is only ~27, so there’s very little difference in sound reduction.