Reducing noise is one of the many reasons that people opt to double glaze their homes. But if you’re looking to replace your windows, and noise reduction is a particular consideration, what should you be looking for?

Within this post we’ll attempt to wade through the science behind noise reduction, and explain the various options to you.

First things first - how do you reduce noise?

Well, fortunately windows are rated based on their ability to attenuate (or reduce) noise. This rating is based on the ‘Sound Transmission Class’ (or STC). A given window’s STC is based on average noise reduction performance across the range of frequencies.

Confused? So were we!

Think about it this way - sound can be measured in a number of ways - for example if you are measuing sound in decibels you are measuring the volume. But, volume does not take into account the frequency (or pitch) of the noise. Interestingly when it comes to double glazing and noise reduction, it’s the frequency which you really need to pay attention to.

High frequency noise is much easier to attenuate (or insulate against). Essentially this means that if the main source of the noise which you wish to reduce is high pitched - e.g. the sound of children playing in a school or playground nearby, then it’s an easier job than if you are looking to reduce low frequency noise e.g. the sound of traffic.

The following factors are key when looking to achieve noise reduction:

1. For each pane of glass you will see a reduction in noise - therefore double glazing will see improved noise reduction versus single glazing, in very noisy areas triple glazing is sometimes utilised.
2. The use of lamintated glass is helpful in the reduction of noise - this is often used in buildings in very noisy areas such as airports.
3. More effective noise reduction may be achieved if the glass panes used are of different thicknesses. If you imagine that the each pane of glass acts as a barrier, the first pain will reduce noise from certain frequencies, but allow some frequencies to pass through. However as the second pane is a different thickness it will reduce noise from the frequencies which the previous pane allowed to pass through.
4. Increasing the airspace between the panes of glass within the double glazed unit can also help with noise reduction.

Perhaps most importantly, if your primary consideration when replacing your windows is noise reduction, make sure that you explain that to the Double Glazing companies which you are getting quotes from. Also, be sure to explain which particular noise it is which is bothering you - e.g. traffic noise, or children playing, as depending on the frequency of the sound which you are looking to reduce, different techniques might be used.

At SEHBAC we’ve over 38 years experience in providing replacement windows and we pride ourselves on listening to our customers and providing them with the ideal solution for them. We’d be happy to talk to you, and explain the options further - why not give us a call on 0800 666 444, or request a brochure, home visit or quote today.

Here at SEHBAC we’ve been building beautiful conservatories for over 38 years. Obviously we’re primarily focussed on the domestic market, but nevertheless you can’t help but be inspired by some of the truly amazing conservatories out there.

Whilst you might not neccessarily have the space (or indeed the budget!) for a conservatory on this sort of scale, it’s fun to dream, isn’t it?

So without further ado, we present our top ten amazing conservatories:

1. Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago

Image credit Senor Codo 

The Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago is over 100 years old. Built over 2 years between 1906 and 1907 it was designed by Jens Jensen in collaboration with architects Schmidt, Garden and Martin. The conservatory is a staggering 18,000 square metres in size and houses a huge variety of permanent plant exhibits.

 

2. Golden Gate Park Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco

Image credit David Paul Ohmer

Located in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the Conservatory of Flowers is constructed of wood and glass. Built in 1878 it is the oldest municipal wooden conservatory in the USA. It houses a collection of exotic plants including a collection of around 700 varieties of orchids, plus collections of aquatic plants and carnivorous plants.

 

3. Bloedel Floral Conservatory, Vancouver

Image credit sillygwailo

Located in Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver the Bloedel Conservatory, was opened to the public in 1969. The impressive structure is 140 feet in diameter and 70 feet tall. The dome is built from 1,490 acrylic glass ’bubbles’ which are illuminated at night. In addition to housing over 500 species of plants - the conservatory also acts as a home to over 100 birds of various species.

 

4. Muttart Conservatory, Edmonton

Image credit sany0050

Located in Edmonton, Canada these four glass pyramids house plants from arid, tropical and temperate climates, whilst the fourth pyramid’s theme changes throughout the year. Designed by architect Pete Hemmingway, these very unusual conservatories were constructed thanks to a donation from the Gladys and Merrill Muttart Foundation, the Province of Alberta and the City of Edmonton.

 

5. The Eden Project

Image credit youMayCallMeSheep

The Eden Project in Cornwall comprises of a number of domes - each of which emulates a natural biome. The domes are contructed from a series of hexagons and pentagons made from tough plastic. Conceived by Tim Smit and designed by Nicholas Grimshaw; the project took 2 and a half years to build.

 

6. Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

Image credit tboard

First opened in 1915, the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory forms part of the Como Park Zoo in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It houses a bonsai gallery, a butterfly garden, and Japanese garden and a magnificent palm dome which is home to more than 150 species of palm in addition to a collection of orchids and bromeliads.

 

7. Franklin Park Conservatory

Image credit tlarrow

Located in Columbus, Ohio and originally built in 1895, the Franklin Park Conservatory contains more than 400 species of plants.  In 1974, the original glass structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

8. The Great Conservatory, Syon House

The Great Conservatory at Syon House

Image credit stevecadman 

Situated in West London, Syon House belongs to the Duke of Northumberland and now acts as his family’s London residence. The Great Conservatory at Syon House was designed by Charles Fowler in 1828. It was completed in 1830 and was the first conservatory to be built from metal and glass on such a large scale.

 

 9. The Palm House

Image credit kyz

Situated in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, and built in 1858 by Robert Matheson, the Temperate Palm House is 72 feet high, and remains the tallest in Great Britain to this day. It was built with a parliamentary grant of £6,000; and is effectively an extension of the first glasshouse - the Tropical Palm House, which was built in 1834.

 

10. The Davies Alpine House, Kew Gardens

The Davies Alpine House

Image credit Jim Linwood

Situated in Kew Gardens, London the Davies Alpine House opened in March 2006. This striking structure allows alpines to be grown in an environment very different to their native habitats, and features automatically operated blinds which prevent the house from overheating which would harm the alpines grown within.

So, what do you think? Is there a glaring omission from our list?
Please let us know in the comments…