Secondary glazing

[Alwayslearning22]

Anyone any experience with secondary glazing for sound proofing reasons?

I live in a noisy environment mostly teenagers late at night making a lot of noise.

Although I have a new home the windows are the cheapest there is out there with trickle vents. 
I’d love to be able to relax at night and not be tormented by loud screaming. 
 

im considering installing in my bedroom and sitting room. 
Will It help my situation I wonder? 

Edited October 15, 2022 by Alwayslearning22

[Russdl]

I’m sorry to hear that, very depressing. We used secondary glazing in our previous house to try and dampen road noise, it worked to a limited extent, sadly for your situation I suspect it will only turn the noise down a little bit but you’ll still be able to hear the little erks. 
 

IIRC I bought a kit online (it was a long time ago) not too expensive and easy to fit. 
 

Good luck. 

[Ferdinand]

Yes - it would help.

 

You need 2 things - a wide air gap and a good seal around the edge.

 

It will not cut other noise routes, however.

[Radian]

It can work very well. When our house was being built we were on site with the architect one day and suddenly a huge racket errupted from over the boundary about 10m away. It turned out to be a large swimming pool behind a blockwork wall, in a building at the bottom of an adjacent garden. It had been built in the field on which our house now sat (and it turned out they also emptied the pool once a year into the field - now our newly turfed lawn, but that's another story).

 

Anyway, archy immediately specs up secondary glazing on that elevation, a simple batten frame put up just inside the window reveals with a plastic framed glass pane with rubber gasket on plastic hinges at one side. and with a little sliding latch on the other. Very effective with a gap of about 10cm to the original DG unit. The noisy family dissolved away and we have since taken the secondary units out as new owners of the property are much more considerate.

[Alwayslearning22]

Thank you all for the replies. 
I was looking online and there is companies who supply a special soundproof glass which is 8mm thick but I would imagine this would be quite expensive. 
Would a 150mm gap between my windows and the secondary glazing suffice? I could just get the standard glazing which is 4mm I think 

I don’t want to spend a lot of money and still hear them though. 

Edited October 15, 2022 by Alwayslearning22

[Roundtuit]

We used secondary glazing with standard glazing in our bedroom on a listed building facing a busy road.  We probably had a 150mm gap, and the difference was amazing;  I wished I'd done it 3 years earlier.  Sealing any gaps around the frame is key.

[Ferdinand]

100-150mm gap should be fine.

 

8mm glass may be surprisingly cheap - remember how inexpensive large shower screens can be. Try a little local glazing man if you have one.  Whatever you use, check the safety requirements. Might plastic get too dusty?

 

We had secondary glazing (for draughts in a listed building with original Georgian sash windows) which was just sized and edge polished sheets of toughened glass, which we fixed up with mirror hinges for the winter then took down again. We just used a circuit of foam to block the draughts and cushion. 

[Alwayslearning22]

Glad to hear the positive replies.

Gives me hope that I can improve my situation. 

anyone know how much a unit costs?  I should add my window is 2m by 1.5m width. 

.When fitting do I need to seal the gap around the frame with acoustic sealant? Or will any sealant/foam do? 

My front door is one of those foam filled composite doors so I may need to change that too. To improve things overall. 
 

Edited October 16, 2022 by Alwayslearning22

[Roundtuit]

I'm going back probably 10 yrs, but I think a vertical sash unit approx 900mm x 1400mm was around £300 at the time.

 

We used https://clearviewsg.co.uk

I have no connection, other than using them, but they were great for advice on spec and measuring up etc.  I see they have an online price calculator so that might be worth a try.

[Alwayslearning22]

ThAnks for the replies I’ll have a look at clear view for a quote. 

[SteamyTea]

I knocked up some secondary glazing a few weeks back.

Just cheap styrene sheets, cheap moulded timber, cheap foam W seals, all held together with double sided tape. 

I have timber framed so just drilled and screwed them in place.

Apart from reducing draughts (which is what I wanted) the noise reduction has been dramatic. The neighbour that goes to work at 3 AM is not public enemy number 1 now (though may still squirt some expanding foam up the big bore exhaust).

 

I did this as a proof of concept, may redo them a bit prettier next year, shall see how much energy I save first.

I think the 14 windows did not cost me 200 quid.

[Alwayslearning22]

Thanks for the reply.

Can I ask how much of an air gap did you leave? My house is also timberframe. 
 
I like the sound of the diy version. Only thing I'm concerned about is my house has trickle vents and and a mechanical ventilation system. so I think I need to keep those vents open. I was thinking of getting horizontal sliders and just closing them in the evening when the noisy kids come out. 
 

do go have any pictures of your secondary glazing? 
 

I need a solution fast those kids are driving me bonkers every evening and keeping my baby awake

[SteamyTea]

8 hours ago, Alwayslearning22 said:

do go have any pictures of your secondary glazing

Not the best picture.

I just screwed into the main window frame, not the opener, that would not have stopped the leaks. Gap is around 25mm.

I don't have trickle vents, there are enough holes in the house as it is.

 

[Alwayslearning22]

Thanks steamytea. I might try fixing something up like yours. Thank everyone for the help 

[SteamyTea]

Start with a couple of small windows.

22 minutes ago, Alwayslearning22 said:

Thanks steamytea. I might try fixing something up like yours.

[SteamyTea]

@Alwayslearning22

Not sure what you tried in the end, but last night was the first proper storm to hit since I secondary glazed.

Here is a few screenshots.

First is weather map, then two of the sound meter.

First SM is on the window cill, second is about a metre from the window.

Not very noisy.

 

 

[Alwayslearning22]

On 01/11/2022 at 08:10, SteamyTea said:

@Alwayslearning22

Not sure what you tried in the end, but last night was the first proper storm to hit since I secondary glazed.

Here is a few screenshots.

First is weather map, then two of the sound meter.

First SM is on the window cill, second is about a metre from the window.

Not very noisy.

 

 

Wow that’s very good for DIY secondary glazing.  I am very impressed. 
so I didn’t get round to doing it yet but it’s on my mind every night.  
My only concern with it is my house only has the trickle vents for ventilation , so I’m afraid I might cause an increase in humidity. 

[SteamyTea]

18 minutes ago, Alwayslearning22 said:

My only concern with it is my house only has the trickle vents for ventilation , so I’m afraid I might cause an increase in humidity. 

Yes, humidity can be a problem, but a much more manageable one.  You can leave a notch around the trickle vents, it is only plastic and wood than needs shaping.