Looking to reduce road noise from old double glazing

dr_bogenbroom

Hi,

I’d like to reduce road noise from the windows in my and my son’s room. I understand I won’t eliminate it completely but even turning it down a few dB would be good.

A couple of glaziers are coming out but I want to know anyone else’s experiences as to what product works best i.e. acoustic glass, triple glazing, secondary glazing etc. 

Thanks.

Section62

dr_bogenbroom said:

I’d like to reduce road noise from the windows in my and my son’s room. I understand I won’t eliminate it completely but even turning it down a few dB would be good.

A couple of glaziers are coming out but I want to know anyone else’s experiences as to what product works best i.e. acoustic glass, triple glazing, secondary glazing etc. 

How close is the road, and what kind of traffic levels/type?  E.g. lots of lorries?

dr_bogenbroom

Section62 said:

dr_bogenbroom said:

I’d like to reduce road noise from the windows in my and my son’s room. I understand I won’t eliminate it completely but even turning it down a few dB would be good.

A couple of glaziers are coming out but I want to know anyone else’s experiences as to what product works best i.e. acoustic glass, triple glazing, secondary glazing etc. 

How close is the road, and what kind of traffic levels/type?  E.g. lots of lorries?

The side of my house faces the road - it’s about 7 metres away so pretty much right outside. We do have quite a few trees between us and the road. It’s an A road that goes from a 30mph to 40mph just after our house and splits into 2 lanes. The lane on the opposite side is 30mph single lane.

It’s probably mostly cars but there are quite a lot of big lorries which are what bothers us.

gwynlas

Installing secondary glazing using perspex panels cut down a lot of road noise in a listed terrace on a busy road I lived in.

dr_bogenbroom

gwynlas said:

Installing secondary glazing using perspex panels cut down a lot of road noise in a listed terrace on a busy road I lived in.

Was that a DIY job?

Albermarle

gwynlas said:

Installing secondary glazing using perspex panels cut down a lot of road noise in a listed terrace on a busy road I lived in.

I stayed in a small newly renovated hotel earlier this year, and the room windows were adjacent to a busy A road junction.
It was an older building with recessed windows  . They had fitted new Upvc double glazed sash windows and then sliding perspex secondary glazing on the room side of the recess. It really kept the traffic noise to a murmur. Of course the problem would be not being able to have the windows open on hot summer nights, or have to put up with the noise.

kimwp

No personal experience, but for nighttime, I think you can get curtains which cut down noise as well.

dr_bogenbroom

Albermarle said:

gwynlas said:

Installing secondary glazing using perspex panels cut down a lot of road noise in a listed terrace on a busy road I lived in.

I stayed in a small newly renovated hotel earlier this year, and the room windows were adjacent to a busy A road junction.
It was an older building with recessed windows  . They had fitted new Upvc double glazed sash windows and then sliding perspex secondary glazing on the room side of the recess. It really kept the traffic noise to a murmur. Of course the problem would be not being able to have the windows open on hot summer nights, or have to put up with the noise.

Yea good point I’ve seen these in hotels also. I think secondary glazing will give best bang for buck rather than replacing the windows themselves as, despite being 30 years old, seem in good condition.

In summer well just run an AC unit if we’re too hot.

Section62

dr_bogenbroom said:

Section62 said:

dr_bogenbroom said:

I’d like to reduce road noise from the windows in my and my son’s room. I understand I won’t eliminate it completely but even turning it down a few dB would be good.

A couple of glaziers are coming out but I want to know anyone else’s experiences as to what product works best i.e. acoustic glass, triple glazing, secondary glazing etc. 

How close is the road, and what kind of traffic levels/type?  E.g. lots of lorries?

The side of my house faces the road - it’s about 7 metres away so pretty much right outside. We do have quite a few trees between us and the road. It’s an A road that goes from a 30mph to 40mph just after our house and splits into 2 lanes. The lane on the opposite side is 30mph single lane.

It’s probably mostly cars but there are quite a lot of big lorries which are what bothers us.

The worst noise from lorries tends to be ground borne - the additional weight (compared to cars) vibrates the ground and that 'noise' transmits readily through the solid ground into the foundations and walls of buildings.  If that is the principal cause then changing the windows won't necessarily achieve much, you may need to look into sound insulation on the walls in your son's room.

The change of speed limit may also be a factor - some people accelerate harshly as they approach/pass the point where the limit increases, and that can generate more than normal levels of engine/exhaust noise.  Getting the speed limit boundary moved might help - but the highway authority may need a lot of persuading to do it.

It might be worth paying for a specialist noise survey and options report if the problem is serious enough.

Otherwise, the way in which the windows are fitted can be just as important as the type of glass used.  You need to find a company that understands noise issues rather than one wanting to flog upgrades to their standard windows for a premium price.  Also worth considering trialling some heavy oversize curtains first to see if that has any effect on noise levels.

dr_bogenbroom

Section62 said:

dr_bogenbroom said:

Section62 said:

dr_bogenbroom said:

I’d like to reduce road noise from the windows in my and my son’s room. I understand I won’t eliminate it completely but even turning it down a few dB would be good.

A couple of glaziers are coming out but I want to know anyone else’s experiences as to what product works best i.e. acoustic glass, triple glazing, secondary glazing etc. 

How close is the road, and what kind of traffic levels/type?  E.g. lots of lorries?

The side of my house faces the road - it’s about 7 metres away so pretty much right outside. We do have quite a few trees between us and the road. It’s an A road that goes from a 30mph to 40mph just after our house and splits into 2 lanes. The lane on the opposite side is 30mph single lane.

It’s probably mostly cars but there are quite a lot of big lorries which are what bothers us.

The worst noise from lorries tends to be ground borne - the additional weight (compared to cars) vibrates the ground and that 'noise' transmits readily through the solid ground into the foundations and walls of buildings.  If that is the principal cause then changing the windows won't necessarily achieve much, you may need to look into sound insulation on the walls in your son's room.

The change of speed limit may also be a factor - some people accelerate harshly as they approach/pass the point where the limit increases, and that can generate more than normal levels of engine/exhaust noise.  Getting the speed limit boundary moved might help - but the highway authority may need a lot of persuading to do it.

It might be worth paying for a specialist noise survey and options report if the problem is serious enough.

Otherwise, the way in which the windows are fitted can be just as important as the type of glass used.  You need to find a company that understands noise issues rather than one wanting to flog upgrades to their standard windows for a premium price.  Also worth considering trialling some heavy oversize curtains first to see if that has any effect on noise levels.

I couldn’t even get the water board to help me with a shared sewer so I don’t hold high hopes for getting them to change the position of the limit change, but I suppose you don’t ask you don’t get! 

Think we’ll try the curtains first - I’m wary of being ripped off and by chatting to a couple of window guys locally it’s apparent they don’t really have a clue about noise…

FreeBear

Type of existing windows, and do they have trickle vents ?

Single glazed will be poor at stopping noise, and trickle vents will let quite a bit through. If you are looking at replacing just a couple of windows facing the road, and you don't have trickle vents already, you can get away without having them in the new ones. Some installers will tell you that trickle vents are mandatory, they are not unless already fitted. Building Regulations say that trickle vents can be omitted where the windows face sources of heavy noise (e.g. a busy road), and there is also a cop out if you are replacing fewer than (I think) 25% of the windows.

Double glazed will cut down on noise, and triple glazed is supposedly better.