Hearing road noise in the front bedroom
Discussion
I have single pane sash windows that are 2m from the A77 which has around 350 trucks a day go past. They start at roughly 4am for the Cairnryan ferry.
I'm used to it now but it took quite a while, around 3 months I think.
A neighbour has secondary glazing over her single pane sash windows and the difference is massive. Way better than any double glazing or triple could be. If you pick carefully for secondary glazing you will hardly notice it, certainly won't be 'offensive'
I keep meaning to get around to it but I'm used to it now and there is a bypass coming soon.
I'm used to it now but it took quite a while, around 3 months I think.
A neighbour has secondary glazing over her single pane sash windows and the difference is massive. Way better than any double glazing or triple could be. If you pick carefully for secondary glazing you will hardly notice it, certainly won't be 'offensive'
I keep meaning to get around to it but I'm used to it now and there is a bypass coming soon.
Howard Leight Laser lite earplugs. I buy them in huge boxes, and they work a treat. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-Pairs-Howard-Leight...
Normally a sparrow tweeting 3 streets away would wake me up, but with these I am out for the count in no time - and my Bose alarm clock radio reaches about 75% volume before it wakes me up. And it is VERY loud even at 50%.
The man deserves an award, they last about a week of use per pair unless you are an ear-waxy freak, and shut out everything.
Normally a sparrow tweeting 3 streets away would wake me up, but with these I am out for the count in no time - and my Bose alarm clock radio reaches about 75% volume before it wakes me up. And it is VERY loud even at 50%.
The man deserves an award, they last about a week of use per pair unless you are an ear-waxy freak, and shut out everything.
shady lee said:
We had the same, road noise sounds like waves on a beach with standard glazing lol
I'd forget triple glazing as a acoustic solution, the dB drop is minimal to a double glazed. Triple is more of a thermal thing from what I can gather.
Secondary glazing will be silence, but can be fugly as hell.
Or what we did was replace the glass units with "airport spec" glass.
This is made up of 10/12/6.4 rather than 4/20/4 in a standard glass.
Not cheap, but very easy to fit.
Heres a video of ours
https://youtu.be/wdVKel7gFUs
Wow. That is impressive. I'd forget triple glazing as a acoustic solution, the dB drop is minimal to a double glazed. Triple is more of a thermal thing from what I can gather.
Secondary glazing will be silence, but can be fugly as hell.
Or what we did was replace the glass units with "airport spec" glass.
This is made up of 10/12/6.4 rather than 4/20/4 in a standard glass.
Not cheap, but very easy to fit.
Heres a video of ours
https://youtu.be/wdVKel7gFUs
dazwalsh said:
As above make sure the window closes fully on its seal, try pulling the window towards you when it is already closed and see if you notice any difference in noise levels.
Gaps around the edges of the window will also let a LOT of noise in, check there is expanding foam present and that the exterior has been sealed against the brickwork.
Our windows looked fine, and it's pretty quiet where we are, but vehicles and even people walking past talking, seemed to come in more than I expected. Then one very windy day I happened to notice a draft coming though the seals on one of the opening windows. So I taped around the window with masking tape and it made so much difference I've left it there.Gaps around the edges of the window will also let a LOT of noise in, check there is expanding foam present and that the exterior has been sealed against the brickwork.
That's a massive reduction in noise!
If you don't mind me asking, what sort of price uplift are you talking compared to "decent" double glazing?
My house used to be owned by a cop (Northern Ireland) and a lot of the downstairs rooms are blast resistant/bullet resistant, so great at keeping the noise down.
You can do what you want to it - throw bricks, punch it - it just feels like a brick wall. It's very thick (32mm, solid) and weighs per M2 about what I think a paver would weigh - so very heavily built frames, surrounds, etc.
The upstairs isn't though, I'd be really interested in having airport spec stuff fitted even just listening to your video!
If you don't mind me asking, what sort of price uplift are you talking compared to "decent" double glazing?
My house used to be owned by a cop (Northern Ireland) and a lot of the downstairs rooms are blast resistant/bullet resistant, so great at keeping the noise down.
You can do what you want to it - throw bricks, punch it - it just feels like a brick wall. It's very thick (32mm, solid) and weighs per M2 about what I think a paver would weigh - so very heavily built frames, surrounds, etc.
The upstairs isn't though, I'd be really interested in having airport spec stuff fitted even just listening to your video!
If it was me I would try cheap things first
move bedrooms
Thick double layer curtains (are they called that)
Ear plugs
My worry with further glazing is that it's big expense and you still might feel the same
I'm ok with consistent noise but sudden loud noise makes me jump out the bed !
move bedrooms
Thick double layer curtains (are they called that)
Ear plugs
My worry with further glazing is that it's big expense and you still might feel the same
I'm ok with consistent noise but sudden loud noise makes me jump out the bed !
guindilias said:
That's a massive reduction in noise!
If you don't mind me asking, what sort of price uplift are you talking compared to "decent" double glazing?
The upstairs isn't though, I'd be really interested in having airport spec stuff fitted even just listening to your video!
It's around double the price of a standard DG unit, and about twice as heavy if not abit more.If you don't mind me asking, what sort of price uplift are you talking compared to "decent" double glazing?
The upstairs isn't though, I'd be really interested in having airport spec stuff fitted even just listening to your video!
One thing I did was properly re gasket the frames too. You can get replacement gasket off eBay very cheap. I also used acoustic expanding foam around the window.
He airport spec is 10mm outside pane, 12mm argon filled thermal spacer cavity, then a 6.4mm inside made up of 3mm, laminate,3mm glass with a planitherm+ coating for thermal efficiency.
Hope this helps.
I will reiterate though, if you want actual "silence" then secondary glazing is the one.
But ours is so quiet I can hear my tinitus more than anything else now lol
Pheo said:
We had double glazing installed but with special acoustic glass. This has proved very effective, the rooms are virtually silent with the windows closed. We are near to the Brighton main line, and now never hear the trains due to the windows. From my research this is better than triple glazing as it’ll block a broader range of sound frequencies than triple, which can make things worse.
This also has the potential advantage that you can probably swap the existing double glazing units rather than paying for completely new ones.
Secondary glazing will be even more effective again but looks a bit pants.
Some secondary is obtrusive and ugly. However there are discreet solutions as used in listed buildings etc. A quick google "stormwindows" seems their selling point is discreet solutionsThis also has the potential advantage that you can probably swap the existing double glazing units rather than paying for completely new ones.
Secondary glazing will be even more effective again but looks a bit pants.
I feel I must do something about the windows in my home. They're very draughty and you really notice it in the winter. They're double glazed with aluminium frames and they were put in over 30 years ago. I don't want to replace them right now, but if I can do a few cost effective few mods to get by, that would be great.
I guess a lot of the draughtiness comes down to the seals, but I don't know what sort of seals to get. Are they all the same?
I've also noticed condensation in a few windows. I guess this means the argon has escaped. Can they be regassed or is it time for new windows?
I guess a lot of the draughtiness comes down to the seals, but I don't know what sort of seals to get. Are they all the same?
I've also noticed condensation in a few windows. I guess this means the argon has escaped. Can they be regassed or is it time for new windows?
shady lee said:
Highly doubt it will be argon if they are that old, the gasket can be bought on eBay.
You will need to remove a unit the see the shape and check on eBay for the same.
Surely you don't mean re-gasket the glass unit itself? Don't you mean the compression seal in the opening part of the window?You will need to remove a unit the see the shape and check on eBay for the same.
Mr Pointy said:
Surely you don't mean re-gasket the glass unit itself? Don't you mean the compression seal in the opening part of the window?
That's up to you to be honest, you could replace the glass units that are broken down, whilst doing that replace the gasket that touches the glass on both sides.Then you can replace the seal on any openers too as you say.
Personally I'd be tempted with windows that old to simply replace the whole lot with modern uPVC and A rated glass.
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