Frustrated with new windows and no noise reduction

Crowie77

Hello all.

I am new to the forum but hope someone may be able to point me in the right direction.

We have had a complete set of doors and windows replaced in our house ( not cheap) and as we live on a road we opted for glass with an acoustic film/ covering to help with the noise. Initially the reduction in noise was great and all was good but about 2/3 months the noise seems to have increased significantly in the house ( no other changes to make road busier). It's like the windows have settled and not been sealed enough/ correctly.

The builder who fitted has been back out and told me it's all fine but I can't understand why the noise has got louder.

Stupidly I didn't use a FENSA registered company but have got a certificate from the council but they will not assess fitting.

HELP. Where do I go from here???? Any advice gratefully received.

Furts

If your windows are upvc this is not an ideal solution to traffic noise. If they are poor quality pvcu then this makes matters a little worse. Basically, the plastic profiles are hollow, and the cheaper window profiles have less plastic chambers. To kill sound one needs mass, and there is almost none with pvcu windows - timber would be a better bet, as would different glass thickness, and triple glazing.

Trickle vents let in a lot of noise so these need consideration when replacement windows are specified in noisy locations. Do you have these vents? Are they open or closed? Do you need them?

Upvc windows should receive a full sealant bead to the inside and outside faces where they abutt the walls. (That is silicone "mastic"). This is a legal requirement. Yours may be missing, or inadequate, or the windows may have settled, so the sealant may have cracked.

Ideally, when the windows were fitted all gaps at the sides would have received cavity wall repairs (if you have cavities) and the gaps fully sealed with a flexible sealant. Both would help to prevent noise transmission.

It sounds like you did not receive good advice on your windows, (no pun intended). nor good workmanship.

Hope some of this may set you thinking on possible answers to your post.

Norman_Castle

Agree with the above about properly sealing any air gaps. Traffic noise increases with wet roads. We had a few very dry months. The roads are now wet. Is this part of the problem?.

DaftyDuck

... about 2/3 months the noise seems to have increased significantly in the house...

Is it, boringly, simply, that you are getting more used to the quieter house, and therefore noticing the noises more? I agerr with NC above, wet roads are noisier as well.

Certainly double-sealing of the surrounding gaps on installation is essential, as is an acoustic layer within the uPVC frame. Sorting this out post-fix is neither easy nor cheap.

Furts

Perhaps for wider attention to all mse users and consumers is the following:

It is common practice with replacement windows for the fitting to be sub contracted to self employed fitters. These fitters are required to buy their own pieces of plastic trim to fit down the sides of windows, their own cans of expanding foam (which is relatively cheap)and their own tubes of silicone sealant (which can be relatively expensive)

Consequently it is common for the fitters to scimp on the sealant, and leave excessive gaps underneath this (this saves time and minimises their expenditure on sealant.) It also goes some way to explain why one often sees trims instead of sealant (money saving) and expanding foam being used to fix windows (this is quick and cheap)

I suggest Crowie77 reflects on their window fitters and takes a close look at the depths and coverage of the sealant. Peel some back in places and take a good detailed look!

Hope this helps.

Crowie77

Thanks all- some interesting points to consider.

The noise issue has been an issue for some time so don't think it is the wet road scenario. I do wonder if I've just got used to it and now over analysing.

I suppose what would be good is an independent review- if someone could assess and say - installed correctly and all is ok I will accept that it is just me and have to get a grip!!! Is there such a person that could do this? Or would I be looking at an expense??

Interesting comment about the 'filler' used- as I believe it was expanding foam that was used.

Furts

Crowie77 wrote: »

Interesting comment about the 'filler' used- as I believe it was expanding foam that was used.

As a general rule windows should be mechanically fixed - think screws in simple terms. Expanding foam should be used as a gap filler, but sometimes there is nothing to fix a window head to so expanding foam may be used here.

The reality is the many windows should, and could, be fixed to a far better standard but the fitters are "on a price" and the customer does not know, and frequently does not care,what standard of work ensues.

The situation is laughable and inexcusable. Consumers buy into the concept of "Home Improvement" and can end up with window fitting that is inferior to that of the original windows. Even the windows might be worse in some ways - your old wooden frames (if that is what you had) would have been better for noise reduction than modern "Home Improvement pvcu"

Norman_Castle

Upvc windows should receive a full sealant bead to the inside and outside faces where they abutt the walls. (That is silicone "mastic"). This is a legal requirement.

Do you have any links showing this as a legal requirement.

Furts

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Do you have any links showing this as a legal requirement.

Building Regulations.

drusilla

Just to let you know a bit about our bay windows and how they have been fitted.

OH has been doing some replastering/boxing in around the windows so has taken the seal/trim covering where the window joins the wall away.

He was rather [STRIKE]p**d off [/STRIKE]:mad:surprised to find that the fitters had blocked in the gap with box profile from other window frames (cut up pieces so not even filling the whole 3 inch gap). He had to fill the spaces himself with a load of expanding foam before he put the trim back. The difference in sound from outside is quite staggering!

You may have a similar issue.

thebaldwindowfitter

Furts wrote: »

Building Regulations.

quote (That is silicone "mastic")

no it doesnt state that silicon sealant should be used inside and out it states that the sealant should be appropriate to what its being applied to ie caulking is generally used inside