Can You Stop the Sound of a Speeding Bullet Train

3 minute read

I live in Draper, Utah. The community began as a farming town over 100 years ago, and is now home to more than 50,000 residents. It only made sense with the growing population to include a TRAX line in the master development plan.

This past summer the line was finished and testing began. Eventually after a lot of hard work, the train system opened for business! This has been a great addition to our transportation system, allowing for students to commute to their schools, business people to go to work, and for many to enjoy their entertainment without the worry or expense of a car.

While most celebrated, some home owners thought that the prospect of trains running throughout the day and into the night, is down right awful. The reason? Sound. Currently the trains zoom by many homes without any noise protection. Trains expel a screeching gust, every 15 minutes, 18 hours per day. There are hundreds of families now affected by the ghastly screech, until the sound wall is installed by the city.

Last night, I was speaking to a neighbor, who happens to live adjacent to the TRAX line. This gentleman bought his home 15 years ago. It was in a quiet suburban neighborhood. The property site is on the upper slope of the east Valley, so they have a beautiful view of the city and surrounding area. Now they are bombarded with the train in their backyard. When asking him about how it was going, he said,

“Not so bad. I can hardly hear the train while I am inside. Last year we had the new vinyl windows installed in our home. So, unless I am in my bathroom, I can hardly hear it.”

While maintaining a quiet composure on the outside, nodding my head with an assuring smile, the dialogue in my head went something like this, “What? You can hardly hear the train? You don’t feel like you are going to be barreled into by a massive, speeding bullet every time the east bound TRAX screams by? All because of your new windows? Awesome!!”

There’s the secret to the noise barricade provided by these amazing windows. While the double pane offers some noise resistance, the true sound barrier is offered by the vinyl frame. The vinyl will absorb the sound rather than transfer it through the frame with vibration like an aluminum or steel counterpart. In situations where more sound reduction is desired, there is an additional feature available called offset glass. Offset glass is when we double the thickness of one of the two panes to disrupt sound waves. The inconsistent size disrupts the sound wave transmittance, causing the noise levels to decrescendo before it penetrates into the home. Both window types offer a quiet alternative to other noisy aluminum windows.

If you are need of sound reduction and are not sure if replacing your windows is the right way to go, visit the TRAX station. Close your eyes and try to imagine the challenge of wafting off to sleep with that racket. If the upgraded vinyl frame is good enough to knock the sound out of train, its good enough to quiet pretty much anything else you can hurl at it. Call Advanced Window Products today for your free estimate on sound eliminating windows. Not only will you love what you see, but we think you’ll love what you don’t hear too!