“My neighbor has a car he loves very much,” Gwendolyn said. “But I have to say that I don’t. When he’s out there working on the engine, revving up the motor – it goes through the whole house. And it gives me such a headache!”
If you’re searching for a way to reduce the noise level in your home, one thing to consider is replacing your windows. Older windows, especially single pane windows, don’t dampen sound as effectively as their modern counterparts.
In fact, you can choose replacement windows based on their ability to stop sound. There are two different measurements to consider, based on your needs. STC stands for sound transmission class and is used more for measuring higher frequency noises such as voices and barking dogs. OITC stands for outdoor-indoor transmission class and was developed to better measure low-frequency noises such as airplanes and traffic.
STC and OITC numbers tend to range between 20 to 50. Ideally, windows are selected to have the same level of sound dampening ability as the walls of your home. For siding-clad homes, this number tends to be between 20 – 30. If you have a brick or stone home, expect the number to be 50 or greater.
If your home has a lot of windows, you may want to step up the sound dampening rating of your replacement windows. On the other hand, if you only need to replace a few windows, it can make sense to choose a lower level of sound dampening.
Your Hanover replacement window contractor can help you choose the replacement windows that meet your sound dampening goals as well as upgrading the look and comfort of your home. Gwendolyn had chosen windows specifically to keep the noise levels down, and was thrilled at the result. “I just don’t hear that vroom, vroom, vroom all the time any more,” she said. “And saving money on the fuel oil bill was a nice added bonus!”