Last Updated: July 6, 2021
Why would anyone want to learn “how to break a window quietly?”.
Don’t get me wrong!
There are many urgent situations when breaking a glass becomes unavoidable.
For instance, in case you have lost your keys or if you are locked out of your home. Breaking a window and climbing in would be the fastest way to enter your home in an emergency situation.
Similarly, losing your car keys or forgetting your pet inside your car are also such scenarios. You may be compelled to break a glass window to get in. Breaking glass is loud and attracts a lot of attention. It can alarm your neighbors and they may call the cops.
Thus it behooves you to learn how to break glass without noise.
How To Break A Window Quietly?
Breaking a windowpane is possible but can be a harsh experience. You would not want to startle everyone in your neighborhood from the noise. Anyone can get a wrong impression that may lead to various problems.
You will require proper tools if you plan to smash a glass window without making noise.
Use the following techniques and you will surely be able to get through:
1. Using Household Tools
To start this guide on how to break a window without noise, we’ll start simple.
This method of breaking glass without making noise requires nothing but a couple of household items, and that’s it!
Use Duct Tape
Cover the entire area of glass that you want to break with a thick layer of duct tape. Don’t leave any evident places. This will prevent the glass shards from shattering around and will minimize the noise produced.
Duct tape will also provide a malleable cover. It will minimize the collision sound of a hammer or any other tool of this sort that you plan on using. It is preferable to tape the area near the handle so you can easily reach it.
Set Thick Blankets
After taping the glass, it is best to set down a thick blanket under the glass. The tape will catch all the blown shards of the glass. But it is better to be double sure. The blanket will catch the escaped pieces. It is also a good material to reduce noise when soundproofing apartment door.
Add A Thick Pillow
Place a thick pillow or similar object on the glass. Tap in gently with the hammer or any other tool. This will reduce the sound to the least.
This method is highly effective. The duct tape will muffle the sound by keeping the glass pieces together. Blankets will catch all the escaping shards. Conversely, the pillow will lessen the impact noise of the hammer.
2. Using A Glass Breaker
The perfect, or rather ultimate for shattering glass quietly and effortlessly is a glass breaker, the name leaves no room for discretion.
The point is hard and can shatter the glass easily without making much noise. Adding some blankets under the window will assist by gathering all the shattering glass shards.
A home window glass is thin and can be smashed without applying much force.
How To Break A Car Window Silently?
Car windows are made of specially tempered glass. They are designed to be unaffected by abrupt force. Mere banging on the window won’t do a thing. It requires distinctive tools and techniques to soundlessly break through a car glass window.
By knowing how to quietly break a car window, you may be able to better deal with an emergency situation.
Try some of the following methods:
1. Use An Emergency Hammer
You should always have an emergency hammer in your car. It can be quite handy during crises.
The dropping shards might be a bit noisy but not too much.
You can find the hammer at any number of auto stores at a moderate price; it will be a worthy investment that can save a life.
2. Use A Porcelain Bit
In extreme distress, when you don't have any mallet to smash the window of a car, there is no need to panic or go wild searching on Google for how to break a car window silently.
Simply throw it towards the window with some pressure. It will inaudibly shatter the tempered glass into small pieces. Tempered glass has much pressure on the inside, thus it breaks easily with little force.
3. Use A Steel Center Punch
A steel center punch is a small device with a pointy head. It can be used to smash a car window in case of urgency, much like the emergency hammer. It is highly affordable and does not demand much effort to operate.
The official use of a center punch is to make indentations in specific materials. But it works impeccably for shattering the glass of a car window because of its structure.
Due to its lightweight and compact nature, it can be easily stored in the glove compartment of an automobile. The tempered glass contains a lot of tension, so a steel center punch can break it without any effort.
4. Use A Spark Plug
Simple methods like using duct tape are not much effective against car windows. A car window is made up of tempered glass which is tougher and doesn't collapse easily. Any guide on “how to break a car window without making noise” will attest to this fact.
It consists of a ceramic part that is the white non-metallic portion and a metallic portion. The plug can be used to break the glass rather quickly.
The best part is that the glass shards don’t shatter. The trick is to not just hitting the glass with the spark plug blindly, instead, target the corners as the pane will break easily from here.
Avoid the center as much as you can.
The tool does a much better job than a hammer despite its smaller size.
5. Use An EMT Device
An EMT device is a handy knife constituted of three different pieces: a glass breaker, a seatbelt cutter, and a steel serrated blade. It is a multipurpose item that is easily affordable. Being small in size it can be stored easily.
However, if you are operating it for the first time, it is better to get familiar with it before using it.
Precautionary Measures
Though the process of breaking glass seems quite easy and straightforward, anything can go wrong. Thus, it is better to prioritize your safety and follow all the precautions.
Initially, you should completely learn the basics of how to break glass quietly and then focus on the bits that can cause you bodily harm.
Check The Type Of Glass
Before breaking the glass, it is important to check if it is a “safety glass” or not.
Knowing the nature of the glass to be broken can prevent a lot of damage. The technique you use should completely fit with the type of glass you are confronted with.
The safety glass is much quieter and safer than the average one, thus you should apply less force on such type of glass.
However, common glass types will require a little more force.
Here's an overview of different types of glass:
Protect Yourself
The best way to protect yourself is to wear defensive clothing like long-sleeved shirts and safety glasses. Gloves will help you prevent getting pierced by broken shards. You can also wear protective boots. If you don’t have any, be sure to wear at least your shoes.
It is best to use what you have for safety, i.e. you could wrap your hands with some thick cloth for extra protection.
Your Frequently Asked Questions, Answered
How do you break glass without making noise?
It is very much possible to break glass without producing any sound. The above-mentioned sections highlight the problem perfectly. All the methods and tools are perfect for smashing glass, both simple ones and the type used in cars.
Will a spark plug break a window?
Spark plugs are small but sturdy, they have a pointy ceramic piece that can be used to break a window. Because of its strength and frame, it can smash both an ordinary as well as a tempered glass window. Thus, the answer is “Yes”.
How to break a window silently with a spark plug?
A spark plug can easily and quietly break a window because of its compact shape and structure. The non-metallic ceramic piece of a plug is considerably pointy and sharp. With a swift and moderately forceful strike, the window glass should shatter.
To further reduce the sound produced, it is better to place some thick blankets under the target glass.
Can a center punch break a window?
A center punch is a transportable device that is officially used to make indentations in certain materials. But it can perfectly smash a window glass without making a noise. It is quite effortless to manipulate and requires little strength to operate.
Conclusion
Emergencies are not predictable, they can arise anytime.
With only one solution/option at hand: smashing the glass, things can be a bit tricky. Breaking glass can create a lot of noise which can alarm surrounding people. It can be a bother as no one want cops to be called on them due to a misunderstanding.
It is also not always possible waiting for the professionals to arrive, i.e. if there is a possible fire hazard that needs to be contained.
Hence, it is best to know how to bust a window quietly, but be sure to stay safe and precautious.