ᐅ Improving Sound Insulation of Windows

Hello everyone,

Is there a way to improve the sound insulation of windows afterwards? I once read something about films, but I’m not sure if they really help. I was told that windows with better sound insulation have a special gas in the panes. Would it be possible to "upgrade" this later?

Thanks in advance

Is there a way to improve the sound insulation of windows afterward? I once read something about films, but I don’t know if that really helps. I was told that windows with better sound insulation have gas in the panes. Would it be possible to retrofit this?

Hello Gerd,

Retrofitting is generally always possible; the question is what makes sense! An insulated glass unit with the construction 4 float / 16 spacer / 4 float has 32 dB, while an insulated glass unit with the construction 6 float / 16 spacer / 4 float has 36 dB!

The film might be feasible, but I don’t think it’s a good approach. The film will certainly reduce clarity.

Gas in the chambers?? For all windows with a Ug value from 1.3 W/m² only one noble gas is used in the spacer!

Argon: (Argon (from ancient Greek ἀργόν “the inactive element,” due to its chemical inertness) is a chemical element in the periodic table with the symbol Ar and atomic number 18. The colorless and odorless inert monoatomic gas is the most common noble gas in the Earth’s atmosphere)

or

Krypton: (Krypton (from ancient Greek κρυπτός kryptós “hidden”) is a chemical element in the periodic table with the symbol Kr and atomic number 36. The colorless and non-toxic noble gas occurs in small concentrations (about 1:1,000,000) in the air.)

In general: Sound insulation = heavy materials = poor insulation
Thermal insulation = light materials = poor sound insulation

Best regards,
Thorben Müller

Hey @Müller SV,

Thanks for the reply. We have the following glass: thermal insulation glass with a U-value of 0.6 Thermix WK.

I checked again, and gas should also have been used in the insulation, so I probably can’t change that. Another difference is the film between the two outer panes, its thickness, and the distance between the panes. Since I can’t change that, the only option would be to add another pane on the outside, but I’m not sure if that’s possible. I was looking for a relatively cost-effective solution, affordable compared to a complete replacement.

M. Gerd schrieb:

I was looking for a reasonably cost-effective solution. Cost-effective compared to a complete replacement.

How about roller shutters or window shutters? They can be installed with limited effort.
Are you sure the noise isn’t coming through the wall?

As the most cost-effective measure, I suggest wearing earmuff hearing protection according to DIN EN 452.

I consider the exterior wall, even with 24cm (9.5 inches) aerated concrete, to be hardly the weak point; windows are definitely worse in any case.

Roller shutters/shutters... installed on the outside afterwards?
At least 20,000 EUR will be needed for that.

Why not install an additional interior window in front of the affected windows? I once studied such a building, and it was quite effective.