WINDOWS sound proofing from ROAD NOISE

chargesuck

My house faces a main road which can be pretty busy. The road is higher thank my house and is level with my 1st floor bedroom and lots of heavy road noise from trucks particularly but not cars.

I have already added 2 double glazing windows with a 6 inch gap in-between which reduced the noise dramatically. However, I want to find out how to tackle the low frequency rumbling, vibrating, grumbling noises.

This is definitely coming through the windows rather than loft rafters, seals or walls.

triple glazing is a no go as after some research triple seems to benefit energy saving.

currently, the outside unit is a standard 4mm pane double glazing unit. the inside is a 4m and 6m double glazing unit. Neither units are acoustic windows. before spending on replacing the 4mm windows with 6.4 thick acoustic windows, does anyone have similar experience on best way to tackle this. thank you

benson1980

If you've already added secondary glazing (if I've understood your post correctly) I would say your options, or further benefits rather, are limited. We installed acoustic panes in our previous house and whilst there was an improvement, it was the low frequency rumbles that you describe from HGVs, that we couldn't get rid of and annoyed us. Furthermore, if you are sensitive to road noise which I'm assuming you are, I suspect you may become even more sensitive to it. What I mean is, when we installed acoustic, all that happened in reality was I just became more sensitive to what noise was still coming through so it didn't improve our quality of life as such. We installed solid shutters as well and it still got through.

Having been down this road, if you'll excuse the pun, and spent thousands trying to do the same thing, I'd move if the noise continuously irritates you. Some people it doesn't seem to bother at all. 

chargesuck

benson1980 said:

If you've already added secondary glazing (if I've understood your post correctly) I would say your options, or further benefits rather, are limited. We installed acoustic panes in our previous house and whilst there was an improvement, it was the low frequency rumbles that you describe from HGVs, that we couldn't get rid of and annoyed us. Furthermore, if you are sensitive to road noise which I'm assuming you are, I suspect you may become even more sensitive to it. What I mean is, when we installed acoustic, all that happened in reality was I just became more sensitive to what noise was still coming through so it didn't improve our quality of life as such. We installed solid shutters as well and it still got through.

Having been down this road, if you'll excuse the pun, and spent thousands trying to do the same thing, I'd move if the noise continuously irritates you. Some people it doesn't seem to bother at all. 

A spot on reply. Thank you.
and yes, 2 double glazing units. 1 flush with the outside wall 4mm pane (but was thinking of upgrading to 6.4 acoustic, even 12mm thick Bank Glass but was advised it would be far too heavy for the standard frames) and the other sitting on my window sill with a 6 and 4mm pane. 

Heedtheadvice

Non of this post will make good reading so you may just want to skip it and take note of the above!!

Low frequencies (such as you describe as "rumble" )are particularly difficult to stop. Very much like the same difficulty there is in an acoustically used studio. In that case there are things such as bass traps to reduce reflections and overall structural design considerations as part of the build.

It primarily involves massive structural components that are more difficult to move (aka vibrate), selecting components that do not vibrate naturally as the particular frequencies involved to act as a barrier rather than resonate, using components that do 'move' (again forced to vibrate!) at the problem frequencies and thus dissipate the noise energy by converting to heat, and at low frequencies (long wavelengths!) these items need to be physically big. Low frequencies can actually go around barriers. Plentifull sound absorbers can work really well -consider how quiet it can be in a forest.....

Now in your case that will prove very difficult to get rid of the noise.

Firstly one is very insensitive as to where the noise is coming from at low frequencies. You may think it is coming via the windows but a slight amount of higher frequency (which we do perceive directionally) may make you think the rumple is coming via the windows but a lot of it could be from a different transmission path.

Much could be coming from the road vibrating and transmitted to you via the ground and through your building structure i.e. your whole house is vibrating. It could be leakage around your windows, through ventilators/air bricks etc. or as the road is high coming through your roof and ceiling.

There is little you can do about the former or the latter except a different house structure.

If it is window vibration then thicker heavier glass might improve things a bit but that involves trial and error (or an acoustic designer!!)  and cost. You already have a resonably good window glazing design but if plastic frames these can allow more sound through compared to wooden ones.

You could try hanging very heavy fabric curtains (or some cheap heavy material as a temporary measure. That can reduce transmission a bit by absorbing some vibrations. Thicker and heavier the better. Not so good when you want daylight. Add as much sound deadening furniture (soft big furnishings) to reduce any room resonances that might be execerbating the problem. Often purpose made bass traps work similarly but these are usually bit quite heavy panels suspended in corners etc. Not very practical or acceptable in a domestic environment

Another thing to try might be to add an internal layer of sound absorbing material to you room's internal walls. You would have to add studding and acoustic rock wool insulation (as least expensive option) and refinish with heavy plasterboard. Not a small job, studding best if acoustically isolated from existing wall to 'prevent' transmissions,...and again will cost, room size reduced, needs to be 100% wall ceiling and floor coverage!!

Properly done (as say in expensive studio design) it can have a significant affect. That would, apart from probably much abortive trial and error, be solution most likely to be of benefit. Would not be easy to get it surveyed/designed, not cheap and likely not acceptable to you. Possible would not even be beneficial at those low frequencies. There are techniques of cancellation similar to those applied in noise cancelling headphones but similarly of dubious benefit compared to cost in the domestic environment.

Really all my post does is reinforce @benson1980 's post in muchmore detail.

Best advice has already been given. Relocate if you are not accepting of a lot of work and expense sad to say as I assume you have not the ability to grow a forest around your property.

 

chargesuck

Thank you for advise and a good read.

you are correct. a lot does come from the ground up, vibrating through the house. I wouldnt mind if it was passing but you can feel/hear the low vibe/frequency before the arrival of the vehicle and then also when passing.

I have in fact recently had installed 75 llaylandi thick furr hedging up by the road in front of my and neighbors houses. I will have to wait a couple of hears for full growth but hopfully that will also help deaden the sound of engine revs.

I thought about having a roll of thick material seen on Amazon, that could be rolled down from OUTSIDE above in front of the window  during hours of sleep. the similar mechanism they have in Italy to block out sunlight but a sound deadening material however that seems a bit too over kill. I would give it a go though.

Section62

chargesuck said:

My house faces a main road which can be pretty busy. The road is higher thank my house and is level with my 1st floor bedroom and lots of heavy road noise from trucks particularly but not cars.

...However, I want to find out how to tackle the low frequency rumbling, vibrating, grumbling noises.

As already said, this kind of noise is almost certainly coming through the ground and structure, not through the windows.

The only way of stopping it is to have near total 'decoupling' between the road and your living space - which effectively means demolishing and rebuilding in almost all cases.

If you've not lived there long then give it more time, you may get used to it.  If you've given it time and not got used to it then moving is the only realistic option.