Secondary Glazing Advice

[MummyGeo]

I am new to the forum, so I hope I am posting this in the right place.

I am after some advice on secondary glazing, if anyone knows if this is the best option and if anyone can advise on a company to use (I live in Merseyside/Lancashire).

Our problem is namely noisy neighbours - a lot of car door slamming, late nights and neighbours going to work early. It's not so much an issue to us, but we have a little boy who is not a good sleeper anyway and he is continually getting woken up and our nerves are in tatters. We have tried dropping hints to the offending parties and even had a polite word, but nothing is changing.

We have some spare cash and are thinking that secondary glazing in his bedroom may help dampen the noise (we already tried a "window plug" using acoustic foam - didn't help.

The window (from memory) is about 1.4 x 1m so have no idea how much this would cost. I don't think the window that is in now is fitted very well, but it is double glazed.

Does secondary glazing work? Can you recommend a company?

I had heard some people say it makes high pitch noises louder? and as we have a lot of car horn honkers too, don't want to make it worse.

Thanks

 

[stevethejoiner]

I cant help you with who to get to install SDG, but I can give some advise.

Secondary glazing is the best option for sound insulation, it is actually better than sealed unit double glazing but only if installed correctly.

Sound will easily pass through a single piece of outer window glass and enter the room. A second piece of glass (SDG) will reflect a lot of the sound back where it bounces around between the two pieces of glass until it either goes back outside or into the room. So you have to stop this bouncing effect and absorb the sound waves. To do this you have to fit and acoustic material to the window reveals between the outer glass and the SDG. The wider the distance between the outer window and the secondary unit the better as the wider the reveal the more acoustic absorbing material you can fit.

If as you say your existing double glazing is not that good you may get a noticeable sound improvement if you renew the draught gasket as sound travels well through draughty gaps.

 

[gissle]

I have seen bad secondary glazing, which causes condensation, and have always believed that a normal double glazed window to be better.

However, my parents recently had seconday glazing fitted (used a local reputable glazier) and it is great, helps with sound and insulation.

Basically a quality double glazed window will be good and secondary glazing will be good, as long as you use a reputable quality firm.

 

[stevethejoiner]

I have seen bad secondary glazing, which causes condensation, and have always believed that a normal double glazed window to be better.

However, my parents recently had seconday glazing fitted (used a local reputable glazier) and it is great, helps with sound and insulation.

Basically a quality double glazed window will be good and secondary glazing will be good, as long as you use a reputable quality firm.

I agree you should use a reputable company, basically that goes with anything you have done by others in your home, but have to disagree about SDG causing condensation when not fitted properly or badly. In fact I would go as far as to say, if it were fitted badly (ie draughty) that it would improve any condensation issues as well fitted and draught proof SDG will be worse by reducing ventilation in the building.
It's that same old problem, we make the humidity in our homes with cooking, washing etc, and often do not ventilate to remove it. Glass does not make condensation.

 

[gissle]

Actually it could have been the outside glazing that was leaking therefore causing condensation between the two panes? Anyway in this one case they did get condensation between the panes.