Reducing outside noise with Window Savers
In addition to reducing energy costs, Window Savers can dramatically help reduce outside noise in your home. Rooms facing a playground or a busy street can often benefit from utilizing heavier Plexiglas or acrylic in their Window Savers. We recommend 1/8" thickness for most applications, but our magnetic system will handle any thickness up to 1/4" with the simple addition of hanging pins to support the extra weight. See our FAQ page on oversized windows.
By our actual test, standard 1/8" Plexiglas achieves 9.5 db noise reduction. This is equivalent to 45% sound reduction. When 3/16" Plexiglas is used, further reduction to 14 db occurs, equaling a 67.5% reduction. The best acoustical performance is attained by using 1/4" thickness.
To check our figures, we queried two leading manufacturers of acrylic sheets. With a 2" air gap, they reported decibel reductions by frequency, as follows:
A friend of ours is an acoustical engineer and he accounts for the differences between ours and the manufacturers' results in this manner:
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Our test methods and equipment were primitive.
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Manufacturers sometimes stretch their data.
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We are very conservative in our claims.
Please note the good and bad news:
Bad news: Your Plexiglas cost will most likely rise in proportion to its increased weight. Second, even heavy Plexiglas can't stop the low-frequency rumble of a truck. It takes a masonry wall to do that.
Good news: The noise reduction you will achieve will be almost entirely at the mid-to-high-frequency end of the spectrum. These are the children's squeals and rushing traffic sounds that jangle ones nerves.
