All Aboard Florida (AAF), the state’s new commuter railway project, has been given the green light. Preliminary work has begun that will allow the $2.5B express passenger train to run between Miami and West Palm Beach by 2017 and continue its service route to Orlando later that year. Once the entire line is complete, Floridians will enjoy daily transport between Miami and Orlando via 16 southbound and 16 northbound trains at an average speed of 78mph and maximum speed of 125mph, with stops in Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Imagine making the 235 mile trip from The Magic City to The Magic Kingdom in three hours or less!
The AAF project has been fraught with controversy from its conception; opponents citing depreciation of property values, needless cost to the communities it’s meant to serve, and safety risks posed to street and waterway traffic near the rails. Residences along the railway also expect a marked increase in noise 32 times a day as the commuter trains run their hourly north- and southbound routes from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; a distraction that will increase along with the trains’ expected patronage of 5.3 million riders by 2020. The horns equipping AAF trains produce two distinct chords, the P5 and the M5, at sound levels of 96-100 decibels, equivalent to the takeoff of a 747 heard from two miles away; representing a notable change to the style of living in many neighborhoods.
Noise reduction is fast becoming an interest for builders and homeowners alike. Advancing roadways, traffic, urban regions and development of areas convenient to airports, train stations and leisure venues have encouraged the demand for noise control within designated spaces, public and private. Homeowners of residences that were once on quiet streets that have changed over time to accommodate increasing development and traffic are also a growing population seeking ways to improve the level of comfort inside their homes.
Windows represent the most vulnerable points of our homes and, as such, influence the level of sound entering or exiting. Replacing older windows with new impact windows is an effective way to reduce noise in your home up to 70%.
Impact windows are so effective at creating a private, comfortable environment in your home because of their thickness, reinforced glass and framing. Hurricane impact-resistant windows are made of two panes of laminated glass that are sealed together by a layer of impenetrable resin between them. The impact-resistant window’s lamination, double-paned glass and interlayer of resin create a sound barrier strong enough to significantly reduce noise of a jet engine right outside the window. The thicker framing of impact-resistant windows also reinforces your home’s vulnerable points with corrosion-resistant materials that eliminate any compromise to window structure and soundproofing capabilities. Impact-resistant windows are very much like a solid wall, protecting your home’s interior environment from outside noise while securing its privacy by preventing sound from escaping.
Not everyone lives alongside sources producing noise levels of 100 decibels on a regular basis like planes or trains but, for those who do, the reduction of noise that impact-resistant windows provide transforms their everyday lives. John Sanowske, retired pilot and longtime golfing community homeowner located 12 miles west of Miami International Airport, jokes that before installing impact-resistant windows he, “lived on ‘Eastern’ time”; referring to a prominent airline whose flightpaths were directly over his house. Interrupted nights’ sleep, TV programs and telephone conversations were par for the course before his investment in impact-resistant glass windows. Now, the only errant noise in Mr. Sanowske’s home is the occasional clink of happy hour ice cubes and off-key notes his polka band hits during jam sessions in his living room; “‘noise reduction’ my neighbors are thankful for, too,” he quips.
Florida’s appeal is wide reaching; the US Census Bureau reports that, after California and Texas, it is the third most populous state with an estimated 1,000 new arrivals each day. Florida offers a host of benefits that attract all age groups and isn’t solely a retirement state anymore. With a variety of lifestyles, industries and infrastructure developments reshaping the peninsula, the balance of leisurely quietude is surely tipping toward a bustling place to live…and the cacophony that comes with it. It’s possible to have the best of both worlds with impact windows protecting your home investment. From crack of dawn leaf blowers to high speed trains routinely running the railways, impact windows will ensure that your home environment remains peaceful upon your return from a long day’s work or play.
