Windows play a major role in letting light and fresh air into the house. Depending on the material used in making them, they can be vulnerable to breakages and other types of damage. This is mainly applicable to glass windows, which is a common design in most houses.
The unsound structure of these kinds of windows exposes them to high chances of incompetency unless they remain airtight. Depending on their quality, you may want to consider the thought of keeping them soundproofed by using plastic film.
There are a lot of factors with such initiatives to pay attention to. One of them is the removal of air gaps from the perimeter of the window frame. The glass film’s thinness may cause problems in this. Some styles and brands continue to vibrate because they are too thin.
Windows’ primary purposes are to manage indoor and outdoor temperatures as well as to keep out loud noises. Most other materials, with the exception of those manufactured of PVC, rarely match these requirements.
An ultimate remedy to blocking noise from your house is by using a special film created to enhance any window’s audio quality. It is a new brand in the market and its features are discussed in the following context.
What is this New Kind of Soundproofing Film for Windows?
If you prefer your peace and silence, this is the product to seal your windows with. Likewise, if you are a noisy neighbor who wants to enjoy loud music and other noises without disturbing other house owners near you, this is a good way to soundproof the windows of your unit.
Since its launching in the previous year, this amazing film has seen people going abuzz. Its effectiveness in blocking sounds is visible on all types of windows. The film is transparent and multipurpose, given its capability of barring external noises and playing music without disturbing outsiders, even when your windows are open.
What’s more, it comes with inbuilt speakers, a mechanism that can only be explained using detailed engineering terms that are deeply complex. The engineering community has termed this as a major step in the technological advancement and innovative field, highlighting that it’s a major change from what most people are used to.
A group of researchers and inventors from the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering in Singapore are the brains behind this miracle.
Keeping the windows closed has long been an efficient method of preventing noise from entering the room through the windows. However, with this novel type of film, you may leave your windows ajar to let in light without being concerned about noise. The only time you would see its thin, translucent membrane would be if you tried to pass something through it.
A product like the one described in this section may seem impossible given the struggles you may have had finding the ideal noise-blocking coating for your windows, but it will soon be on the market.
Learn More About the Material
The material used in the creation of the aforementioned magic film is transparent and strong. It consists of a double-layered polymer, surrounding the lamination core. For effective functionality, the film is to be in between a double-layered window. This is a complex activity, explaining why an expert is required for the installation.
This technology is still new and its development is very recent. Getting it in your home may take longer than you can imagine, it’s a work in progress and may be very expensive once it gets into the market.
Despite the delay that may be experienced before the material becomes fully available for use, we can all agree that the technology channeled into this soundproofing technique is one step ahead of the norm.
As we wait for this film to be finalized and come to stores near us, let’s discuss other alternatives that we can use to serve the intended purpose in the meantime.
Window Soundproofing Films Made of Plastic
Plastic is among the most commonly used materials to make window films. It is effective and has been in use for a long time. Compared to the modern technology used in manufacturing the window film discussed earlier, these products don’t match in terms of quality but they play the intended role with the same intensity.
We can say that plastic window films are nothing more than environmental PVC or plastic vinyl sheets. Installing these products is an easy task since they use a clinging technique that doesn’t require adhesives.
The film is famous for its ability to soundproof your windows and improve the density and bulkiness of the panes.
The material can easily be applied through cling attachment techniques, a method that the manufacturers have embraced instead of traditional adhesive installations. The technique is static and reusable.
The most appealing part about plastic films is that you can easily remove them whenever you want and replace them with other types of window soundproofing materials. Using this film on thin glass panes is beneficial to them because it gives the glass an additional layer of material and keeps the window in a steadier shape.
In instances where your window is detached from the frame leaving a gap, you will need to incorporate other methods of soundproofing alongside the plastic film.
Benefits of Using Window Soundproofing Films
In addition to blocking unnecessary noises from coming in or out of your premises, window films play numerous other roles. Among them are:
Blocking UV and Saving Energy
Most manufacturers have designed their products in a manner that enables them to trap heat inside your house and prevent it from escaping through the windows.
Both sound and air can be termed to possess similar attributes, explaining why window films can trap them under the same mechanism. One product that plays this role effectively is the Frost King window films kit. It is generally termed as a weatherproofing film, given its ability to provide insulation and soundproof the windows at the same time. It is sold together with sealing tape.
The installation process is easy and the result is impressive. You can buy it in a single pack, 3-pack, or 9-pack, depending on your budget and size requirements.
Maintaining Privacy
You can enhance the privacy of your house by using window films that are colored or opaque. Such types of films bar people who are outside from viewing the events that are going on inside the house. This is effective especially if you reside on the ground floor where people are likely to have a glimpse through your windows into your rooms.
Opaque films block both the insiders and the outsiders. You can peek through the colored ones to see outside but the people there can’t see you. The Coavas Stained Glass plays this role with utmost efficiency. It is a window-proofing brand manufactured to decorate and provide privacy to your home or church buildings. It has floral designs in different colors and sizes, depending on how big or small the windows in question are.
The product also acts as an insulator, trapping heat inside the house or blocking it from getting in, depending on the current weather.
Coavas Privacy is an opaque product that acts as a decorative film, UV light blocker, and heat controller, suitable for your bathroom and other rooms that require maximum privacy.
Dampening Sound
The primary focus of this article is to point you in the direction of window films that are capable of dampening sound, commonly known as soundproofing window films. A product with such capabilities aims at keeping noise distraction at a minimum. It saves you from the stress that comes with unnecessary sounds outside your house. With the same intensity, it saves your neighbors from noises coming from your house.
Films used in dampening sounds are created in a lighter weight than the windowpane because they are meant to be fitted onto it. A heavy film would add too much weight to the window, causing it to break or shatter completely.
After installing the sound blocking material, you’ll feel the difference instantly as the vinyl used in most films strengthens the spaces within the windowpane and prevents sounds from penetrating through it.
Decorative
Adding a colorful and artistic film to your plain windows is an easy way of giving them a decorative touch. You can achieve this using brands such as CottonColors Brand Privacy.
The film has a colorful appeal that adds a decorative touch to your bedrooms, living room, kitchen, or other rooms that you’d like to decorate. Its uniquely blended shades are also suitable for use in an office.
Here is another brand that functions as a decorative film, while offering you some privacy. It has rainbow colors which are designed in 3D, to help enhance the beauty of your space.
If you are a fan of simple décor, this geometric privacy film will suit your needs accordingly.
How to Level up Windows Soundproofing
There are many other methods that you can adopt to make your windows soundproof. Simple tricks like using vinyl films and sticking them on your window panes may not be suitable long-term.
Outlined are some alternatives that you can consider:
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Clear MLV
The most efficient way to ensure that your windows are soundproof is by using professional pieces of equipment. This reduces the efforts required to get the job done and enhances the effectiveness of the final result.
Attaching a clear MLV to the panes can be accomplished using a special tape that comes with the product. The results include improving your home’s energy efficiency and shielding your ears from external noises.
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Window Plug
Despite being less convenient in comparison to transparent window films, these plugs come with a certain degree of effectiveness. They include acoustic foams, soundproof mats, and wood layers that cover the entire window. One downside to this method is that these covers prevent sunlight from reaching your room.
Window plugs come in handy in places like music studios where total silence is paramount.
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Weatherstripping Tape and Draft Stopper
A weatherstripping tape is used to cover up areas that are left exposed after a soundproofing film is installed on the window panes. It comes with a protective layer that you’re required to peel off before attaching the strip to the gaping parts between the window and the frame. Once these gaps are sealed, the chances of getting sounds penetrating through them are minimized.
The draft stoppers come in handy during winter and other mildly cold weather seasons. They are slid under window and door frames to reduce the airflow into the house. These stoppers can be termed insulators for large spaces under the windows.
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Acoustic Caulk
If your windows were fixed inappropriately, there may be large gaps left between them and the frame. You’ll know this from the noise and air coming into the room through the windows, despite the soundproofing materials that were used on them. Acoustic caulk is used to finish off the remaining job by sealing these spaces.
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Soundproof Curtains
A professionally sound-proofed window should not give you any more problems in regards to letting noises into the room. But, if you notice these sounds after so much hard work, you should consider going a mile further to soundproof them.
You can achieve this by purchasing soundproof curtains. They block external noises and enhance internal audio quality. These curtains also bar extreme light from getting into the room. They can also be used for interior decoration since they come in different colors and patterns.
Are Using Window Soundproof Films Worth it?
After carrying out a detailed analysis of the importance of window soundproof films to your house, we can all agree that you’ll reap multiple benefits from installing these products. Besides, the current brands in the market have recorded plausible results for their users.
Researchers continue to dedicate their time and energy to coming up with modern window films that offer better results in terms of soundproofing, energy retention, and UV light blockage. Modern technology has taken an upper hand in this and you can already tell that new and highly effective soundproofing materials are yet to hit the market.
As we wait for this, you can embrace the readily available materials such as curtains, PVC films, and other products mentioned earlier.
If one product is not effective when installed alone, you can always combine two or more other soundproofing products to enhance their effectiveness.
Further Reading: Affordable Soundproofing Materials?