Things you should know about STC rating glass
Well, your home is too close to the road and noise is an issue. These days, we have the technology to harness various aspects of these issues, for example STC rating glass.
Many of the interesting old homes were built on smaller lots and when the little trail that ran past the home became wider, the home lost much of the front yard. It is needless to mention the fact that 8 cylinder engines make more noise than a cart and a pony!
Noise is an aspect in homes and also in yards, but there are solutions. The first place to harness it is in the home. Forget about double insulation and soundproof doors for sale if you have not taken care of the window first, as most of the noise will travel through glass.
Insulated or double glass units are important and using a high STC rating glass is also important. A regular glass pane is generally rated at a 22/25 STC rating, while double glass as in an IGU will have a combined STC rating of perhaps 27-32.
If you are planning to put double glazed IGUs, and you use a high rated STC glass, you will notice a difference in the decibels entering your home. Two panes of glass with a rating of STC 33 each will make the difference you are looking for.
Once you have assisted your internal noise levels, any exterior developments you make to block out the noise will add to these internal developments.
Unless you have semi trailers regularly thundering your front door, most of the noise from vehicles comes from their wheels. This implies that you have to block out noise at ground level. Bushes, work fences or wrought iron fences can be bettered as all these allow noise to pass through them.
Commence with a robust wall or room barriers, five foot high made of brick or concrete blocks. On your side of the fence, plant some trees like a Canadian hemlock, Japanese Yews, holly or the fast growing trees.
In front of these near to your home, plant a row of hedge. Private hedges are conventional favorites for hedging but fir or laurel can also be used. Take advice at the nursery about what type of fir will bush out as you do not want a tall fir here. After a couple of years of growth, you won’t be able to see the wall.
If the noise is also annoying in the front yard, another fountain can be placed in the front, but it should be near to the house, not near to the traffic noise. Try to select a fountain that is moving considerable amounts of water, to have a strong noise, a bit trickle might be lost!