Natwerk Designs

Can you add noise abatement/reduction features to windows?

I am buying a condo in LA on a noisy street. The windows are duuble pane but the noise seems to come through the aluminum frames around the glass. There are tracks for screens and I was wondering if I could buy rubber insulation strips and shove them in the tracks where the screens were designed to go? If so should I buy dense/heavy strips or lighter strips? Is there another (better) way to reduce noise?

Public Comments

1. I'm not sure if you have Wal mart there, but I saw some window coverings there that reduce sound. If you don't have Wal mart check anywhere they sell curtains and blinds. You could try insulation, they sell it in cans, its like a foam that dries up. Hope this helps.
2. Your main problem is that glass is a fantastic transducer which means that it will transmit sound right through it. Double panes will not work very well, but if you can put up storm windows on either the inside or outside, you can probably bring the level down a bit. How much, I don't know. If you do that, I would suggest that use vinyl weather stripping all around that to buffer, in part, any movement cause by sound vibrations. A stereo speaker is another form of a transducer and I have hooked up the basics of the stereo speaks directly to the glass and make a speaker out of the glass. Another method of unwanted noise abatement is sound masking. I designed the sound masking equipment for the Burger King HQ outside of Miami. To do it 100% right can be expensive, but now you can buy room units that will do what is necessary. What you need is a pink noise generator and you can buy them cheaply at some electronics stores. What you would be doing is literally adding sound into the room, but not clearly audible sound, just a hiss or a sort. That will not eliminate the sound coming through the windows, but it would make it less obvious. You may have heard of white noise generators - pink noise is white noise run through an equalizer. You will have more noise, but not bothersome noise.
3. Adding strips of rubber will not decrease sound level at all. You should consider replacing window with the soundproof windows. Simple replacement with the vinyl windows will not work either. There are on the market also a widow which are installed on the existing windows fairly effective but a little less aesthetic. Be careful with salesmen, each will claim that his window will reduce noise which might be true but it maybe still not sufficient to enjoy living in your condo.
4. curtians or blinds
5. My neighbors bought some new double pain windows in Orange County right near the 405; the sound dampening was significantly better than the standard windows installed in the other homes. You should look at other types of windows; if you can afford to live in LA, it shouldn't be a big hit. It will also add to the value of teh condo. You can also get window quilts for night time when you want extra dampening. I chose to leave Orange County and move to PA. Much quieter.
6. You can add special laminated panes to the existing glass, add a second window, replace them with new windows like Milgards Quiet Line. For the complete details including vendors, read the source article