Window solutions and traffic noise

1uk3y

Hey,
In September we purchased a new build house on the corner of the development with the front of the house facing onto a B-Road with a 20mph speed limit. The developer did fit sound attenuating vents into the front windows but the reality is that cars drive past often double the speed limit and it really does boom and swoosh when they do!
It's not a busy road - which i think is part of the problem as we have periods of silence then the swoosh of a car or a lorry. Its also quite an enclosed road with our houses on one side and a wall/fences lining the other which kind of channels/encloses the sound. Im my previous flat we lived about 20m off a very busy road/junction and the swoosh was more constant all day but the sound had lots of space to disperse and we got used to the constant slightly fainter din. I'm sitting here now and haven't heard a vehicle for 10 minutes, for instance so its easy to notice when you do!
Its the same in the middle of the night - it can be silent for an hour and then a big lorry may smash down the road and swoosh and boom the whole house!! I have tried a few things;

Firstly, we have double glazed windows with sound attenuating vents. the panes are 4mm/20mm spacer/4mm standard thermal K glass which does reduce the sound by about 25db. Basically if i open the front window and test the noise I get a reading of about 70db. Then, when i close the window the readings go down to 45db at peak. Unfortunately, this is just within regulation guidelines but can be enough to disrupt sleep. The problem is the frequency of our traffic - over time, long periods of silence brings down our 'average' noise levels over 8 hours which is how it is tested before they build the estates for planning purposes. This is compounded by the fact that we have a front and side window in the bedroom.

In the living room its better, hedges seem to disrupt the sound slightly and with TV on the noise from traffic is imperceptible.

We have thermal, heavy curtains in the living room and bedroom and this doesn't seem to offer much in the way of an improvement. When tested there was half a decibel in it! Generally, you need a 3-5db reduction for your ears to perceive a real difference. 7-10db reduction would provide a perceived 'half as loud' reduction.

I was quoted £600 to simply replace the glazing panels (just glass) in the 2 bedroom windows (8 panels at no bigger than 50x50cm) with Pilkington Optiphon acoustic glass at 6.4mm thick with a 18mm spacer and 4mm K glass. This 'apparently' would have increased a 25db sound reduction to 33db - providing me with the 'half-as-loud' reduction. Laminated glass is the way to go for sound reduction as the PVB layer inside is softer and is better at absorbing sound - just look at what happens when a laminated window is smashed, its a dull and contained sound.

DIY secondary glazing was by far cheaper - (duration.co.uk) £350 for 2 windows with 6.4mm laminated glass. This should offer a further 30db reduction on top of the reduction through the double glazing which should significantly reduce the noise! I have ordered this and will let you know how it goes when i fit it!!

(Can i just put in my opinion on triple glazing for sound proofing? - It is not designed for this, it will improve one thing only and that is the thermal U values and heat retention! If you google it, lots of people have found No difference at all in noise reduction when upgrading from double glazing. Technically, the central panel acts to resonate the incoming sound more, often amplifying it and its too thick to upgrade to 6mm or laminated glass so normally triple glazing can only be made from 4mm k glass)

cheers,
Luke.

JohnB47

I think replacing the window seals (they're actually called gaskets) might solve the problem. A friend just moved in to a flat and there's a considerable gap around the gaskets of somemof the windows and they let sound in very noticeably. Can you see a gap in them, or feel a draft coming in?

Gaskets are readily available, although you need to know what type suits. Not sure how difficult it is to replace them.

Swipe

I bet the OP has now become accustomed to the traffic noise. It does take a few weeks to get used to, a bit like a ticking clock.

1uk3y

Yeah, you do tend to get used to the noises eventually. I certainly tolerate it much more than when I moved in, I'm just very sensitive to noises and quite a light sleeper!
I know somebody who lives under the Birmingham Airport flightpath and they said that at first it was unbearable but they soon got used to the swooshes every 8 minutes.

phoebe1989seb

We replaced the old decayed Victorian wooden sash windows in our last house with new hardwood reproduction sashes with acoustic glazing. Our house - a stone built Georgian house with 18" thick walls - was on a rural A road with 30mph speed limit that most road users ignored, preferring to drive at 60mph

The acoustic glass made little or no difference and neither did thick, interlined curtains. I'm very intolerant of any intrusive noise - I absolutely hate the sound of ticking clocks which keep me awake if I have to sleep near one.

Had we not sold up - in part because of the road noise, but also because of traffic causing the house to vibrate - we'd have installed secondary glazing, which imho is the only thing that would have improved the noise situation......

bexs2247

Swipe wrote: »

I bet the OP has now become accustomed to the traffic noise. It does take a few weeks to get used to, a bit like a ticking clock.

I am a bit more used to it than I was but its still quite noticeable especially when I am home on my own. We are getting quotes for a new bay window in the lounge (6mm Glass) and a new composite front door as quite a bit of noise comes into the hallway. Prob will get the front two bedroom windows done too.

We are also thinking of getting some fence panels along th front of the house soon..

It's all down to the cost though at the moment

capeverde

with double glazing insulation values reach a point of diminishing returns after an air gap of 28mm, but with sound the greater the gap the better. That is why airport hotels always have double glazed windows with a secondary window to the inside of the reveal. You also need to have differing thicknesses of glass, so 4mm on the outside and 6 or 6.4 on the inside or SDG as this acts to break up the sound waves.

sashman

agree with last post.


two or three sheets of glass same thickness lets noise of a certain frequency straight through two different thicknesses reduced it (6.4mm lam and 4mm)


plus noise reduction is best when glass is 200mm apart, for heat loss its better when 20mm (air filled) and 8/12 etc for argon or Krypton gas


lastly don't forget vents, they all let noise and dirt through!

Timpchill

I am in a similar position just moved in with 65dBA of traffic noise from cars passing at 30mph. What I have found may ve of use to others. Firstly, do the windows close properly? Mine didnt until I replaced the window-stays (hinges) which i a twenty minute job. Then, I found gaps outside under the cill, between the frame and the cavity closer, between that and the wall and between the head if the window and the lintel above. On the upstairs windows the wall was not closed off above the lintel either. Inside there no sealing either between the window and cavity closer or that and the reveal. Nothing was picked up on survey despite some gaps being 10mm or more. Have a really good look. Use the back of your hand to find cold drafts. Use a torch at night to see if any unexpected light shines through. If cold air and light are getting through then sound will breeze through. Ensure integrity of seals outdide and inside as the enclosed dead airspace helps even if not filled with foam. If you do use expanding foam make sure it is the sort for windows and doors as the other stuff risks distorting frames. I got 10-15dB improvement even with the atrocious quality of windows I was working with. Good luck!

Le_Kirk

Wow, you registered just so you could post on a year old thread and advise someone to buy your product. Ddid you read the forum rules when you signed up. I have clicked the SPAM button .