THE SOLUTION
No matter where you are, Singapore is this small and dense; there will be always be people living near you and there will be noise. Thus, the solution is to contain the noise. Windows and doors are the primary channels for sound to enter your room or house. Having a good window and door is considered half the battle won against noise. A normal aluminum window is able to withstand a reasonable infiltration of wind, rain, heat and sound. However, a soundproof window perform even better by having a thicker frame, precision locking mechanism, durable accessories and most importantly improvised medium (i.e multiple layer of premium glasses)
UNDERSTANDING NOISE
Like other measurements, Noise is measured by Decibel (dB). A normal talking conversation is around 60Db as compared to a vacuum cleaner that is measured at approximately 85Db. The increased noise (dB) results in an increased amount of stress for the brain, and muscle (energy) to fend off the noise while multi-tasking to continue with our own activities. The pain threshold for human ear starts at about 125 dB where one will experience a sharp physical pain in the ear however prolonged lowered dB noise can also have the same effect.
SOUND TRANSMISSION CLASS
STC (Sound Transmission Class) is an integer rating of how well a partition (medium) attenuates airborne sound. For instance, let’s say we have a 100dB source from one side of the wall. And the reading on the other side of the wall is 75dB. The transmission loss will be 25dB. Therefore, a higher rated STC wall or window will help to reduce noise infiltration more effectively.
