soundproofing against aircraft noise

[craig]

Just bought a new townhouse...

& to our surprise, there's quite a bit of air traffic noise first thing in the morning & at dinnertime, plus intermittently all day long. No airport for miles, but lots of planes & helicopters to & fro.

We have sliding glass doors in the bedroom & living room. And there's no attic - a flat roof & high ceilings in the bedroom & living room.

The windows are already double pane. Will special soundproof windows help?

Can we put something on the flat roof? Or is a creating a new recessed ceiling the way to go?

Please help. Thanks.

[Boborther]

Craig,

You could staple some of the Mass loaded vinyl to your existing ceiling. You'd caulk the seams and around the perimeter of the (MLV), then we would recommend a layer of 5/8" fire code drywall be installed right over top of the MLV. This would be a very effective combatant against the airborne  aircraft sounds that are penetrating your ceiling areas.
As far as the windows, you could consider a window insert from a Company like Magnet Seal, Sound Guard, or Milgard. These inserts fit into the existing window frame and will generally add from 25 to 44 STC points to any existing window. The Magnet Seal plexiglass insert that is only 1/8" thick offers a 29 STC. I am not sure about the other companies.
Craig, keep in mind that double paned windows are not necessarily soundproof windows . Many times the double panes are for the thermal effect and not necessarily for soundproofing.
 I do hope this has helped you. If you need further advice or have more questions, please repost and I will get to your questions or concerns as quickly as possible. Thanks Craig.


Bob Orther
Super Soundproofing Sales/Technical Associate.
Ph: (760) 749-7049    FAX: (760) 749-6384
URL: www.soundproofing.org
e-mail: boborther@soundproofing.org
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