Hi,

I'm about to make some decisions to replace all windows of my house for sound proofing purposes, the problem is the my contractor told me it's always best to replace with double glazing windows that is push out type, however, I do have a serious problem with this, my house grills, all of them are fixed outside, so I can't install the push-out type double glazing windows, the only option is sliding windows.

So would I inquire your experience whether does double glazing sliding windows make a lot of difference on sound proofing?

Any comments are appreciated.

Thanks!

thanks guys, but I am more concerned on the sound proofing, whether a sliding window's sound proofing is as good or nearly close to a push out type window?

Well, I would reckon double glazing windows not only reduce heat and act as insulator, but it's as good as reducing noise too. I used to stay in UK for a year, and just outside of my UK apartment, is a big highway, the double glazing windows however, acts superbly to block any incoming noise when u shut it.

Perhaps, you might wanna look out for other contractors, sometimes contractors are afraid that after installation and we still can't accept the noise level we won't pay the money. Thus, they might have come out with some disclaimers upfront.

I've done some research into this subject too, I find that many glass or windows installers at least in my Penang area, are not so knowledgeable in acoustics. To have a good noise insulation for double glazing, the installers must understand that any glass thickness is prone to certain range of noise frequency and it will bypass that noise, so the installers nees to install two different thickness of glass (one outer the other inner), so that when certain frequency of sound waves attenuates the first layer of glass and penetrates, the sound wave will be blocked by inner glass of different thickness due to different character of attenuation proneness.

Unfortunately, they do not have a degree in acoustic engineering.

Anyway, I can understand that the gaps of sliding windows are bigger than the push out windows, that's due to the rollers beneath (aka the sliders), recently I met one windows installer, he told me that he can get hold of some furniture frame structures and modify it to hold glass, and when the windows shuts up completely, there is basically no gap at all, the downside to this is that, you need to have one either left or right window to be permanently fixed and not slide-able at all. I'm yet to see any truth to this, but this modification requires big investment, initial quote was already more than RM 750 for a standard window.

BTSW,

Looks like I found a partner to this lonely deserted topic...

By lacking any sound knowledge of acoustics, I don't think our "Malaysian contractors" are gonna comprehend the word, "asymmetric". So it's actually pretty simple, of course it's not the right way of answering a text book thesis or dissertation paper answers in acoustic terms. You might just have to tell the contractors in pretty layman term that instead of using the same thickness glass on the outer and the inner, they'd just have to use a different one. E.g. 5-12-5, means 5 mm then separated by 12 mm air space (or vacuumed or argon-ed) then another layer of 5 mm, so instead of the conventional "symmetric" values used on the twin 5 mm, just order one at the outer as 5mm and the inner at 4 mm, that to me, completely changes the attenuation property.

There are still some fancy ideas on doing this, you could have gotten a laminated glass specially made to improve sound proofing and make use for all of them on the two different thickness double glazing. But not sure bout the costs though.

The windows installer I met that day told me he would do a vacuum central on the large air space, not sure how good he can do that though, coz I wouldn't wanna see condensation built-up in there as some mind-twisting tormented artistic displays or some mini aquariums showing up after several years of use. Nevertheless, whether vacuum or argon, they're almost as good for noise insulation, the differences in actual value using either vac or arg lie on the thermal insulation qualities, this I assume.

Conclusively, the installer told me the RM 750 is the price for standard, I assume standard means 4ft x 5ft? But of course my windows are bigger than this measurement, so he'd yet to come back to me for a real quote, and... it's been three days already... Oh and yes, asymmetric or not depends on your call on glass thickness so long as the thickness does not run out of the provided profile. And how much is yours / sqft? Not sure my contractor can go down to KL I presume just to check out or to install your unit though.