Single glazed sash windows noise & draughts

leveller2911

variable_luck wrote: »

Thanks, i'm thinking that we might try this out on a single window in it's own room with heavy wooden door, so should be a fairly isolated experiment. It'll cost about 400 to draught proof and replace the two large (cracked) 4mm panes on that one window with acoustic, we can see how effective that is and take it from there I think.

No more than 1 days work for a man , seems a bit expensive to me. If you take out the glazing side of the job to replace sash cords and druaght strip the sashes its no more than 4hrs work. Glazing might take a couple of hours so 8 hrs maximum.

Not sure of the rates around your area but guys round here would charge about £170-200 a day for labour.. How big are the panes of glass?

variable_luck

The windows are big, so he's quoting £250 for the cost of the acoustic glass and the the counter balance weights and labour for fitting etc. £150 for the draught proofing.

leveller2911

variable_luck wrote: »

The windows are big, so he's quoting £250 for the cost of the acoustic glass and the the counter balance weights and labour for fitting etc. £150 for the draught proofing.

Thats a lot of money. To do one large window say 7ft high x 4ft wide the materials (draught strips/brush pile etc ) would be no more than £20-00 and labour would be about 1hour say (£25-00 max) . If you add the cost of a router cutter (£20-00) Total cost of fitting draught excluders only would be around £75-00 max.

Unless I'm missing something he is charging you £250-00 for the glass,weights and re cording the window (Which may be ok ,I'm not sure of the price of Acoustic laminated galss ) and £150-00 to fit some draught excluders which takes no time at all...

Standard 6.4mm laminated glass I'm currently paying £31-00 a square metre so even retail price that would only be around £50-00 sq metre .Has he given you any idea of the cost of the glass alone?..


£400-00 for one window seems high to me.

variable_luck

If I'm understanding this all correctly, it would also be possible to get "slim line" double glazing installed ? Anyone got any clue what this is like ? Is the stuff he said was so thin it wasn't worth the bother ?

leveller2911

variable_luck wrote: »

If I'm understanding this all correctly, it would also be possible to get "slim line" double glazing installed ? Anyone got any clue what this is like ? Is the stuff he said was so thin it wasn't worth the bother ?

"Slim-lite" is a trade name for thin double glazed units made by the company "slim-lite", typically 4mm Softcoat Low E glass, 4mm spacer and 4mm glass and the unit is filled with Xenon gas(better than Argon gas but expensive). For that thickness of unit the U value is around 1.9 which is not that great but still within the Building regulations for new build houses of 2.0 but still too high for replacent windows on existing properties which is 1.5 or under.


Conservation officers sometimes allow them on Listed properties."Slim-lite" units made by the company "slim-lite" are rediculously expensive but you can get them made by a local company much cheaper. The only downside is they are less likely to give you a decent warranty on the units (typically 2yrs) whereas the company "slim-lite" will give them a 10yr warranty. I sometimes think the reason you pay a premium for their units is because within the price they allow for makin a replacement unit if the existing one ever failed. I may be wrong of coarse..;)

Are slim-lite type units (thin units) worth it?. Well as long as they last they are better than single glazing ,including laminated single glazing.I've seen them last 20yrs and 2yrs.

They can be fitted into existing sashes as long as the rebate is at least 7mm high (iirc) otherwise you will see the black spacer bar between the two panes of glass. They are easy to fit : Buytl putty to the back of the rebate, then fit the unit,pin in place.then seal the perimeter with glazing silicone, allow to dry and then either face putty of timber beads. No difference than single glazing really.