Laminated Glass & Road Noise

taytoman1

Hi

I recently got our double glazed windows replaced in our new house with 28mm double glazed glass in uPVC frames (4 mm glass/ 20mm spacer with argon gas/ 4mm glass).

However, there is still a significant road noise problem, and I am disappointed with the result

I have been told that if we put in panes of different thickness, this should improve the situation, esp if one of them is laminated.

Is this true, and is it necessary to have one of them laminated, or would just putting in two panes of different thicknesses do the job?

The relevance is that apparently a laminated pane looks different to normal glass, and this would involve changing all the windows at the front as opposed to just the bedroom window

Carlow52

taytoman1 wrote: »

Hi

I recently got our double glazed windows replaced in our new house with 28mm double glazed glass in uPVC frames (4 mm glass/ 20mm spacer with argon gas/ 4mm glass).

However, there is still a significant road noise problem, and I am disappointed with the result

I have been told that if we put in panes of different thickness, this should improve the situation, esp if one of them is laminated.

Is this true, and is it necessary to have one of them laminated, or would just putting in two panes of different thicknesses do the job?

The relevance is that apparently a laminated pane looks different to normal glass, and this would involve changing all the windows at the front as opposed to just the bedroom window

I cant answer the questions you ask, however have you considered the different paths wherby the sound can be getting in:
roof/wall vents/between window frame and wall/under windowsill?
Can you describe your house a little/
block/TF/2 storey/bungalow/higher-lower than road

I would spend some time exploring these issues/looking for possible airpaths before contemplating replacing the windows again.

I have worked with sound since '75 and I ALWAYS get the sound level measured before any soundproofing work is done so as there is a base line because it can be very subjective.

I have had a number of cases like yours where the work reduced the sound level but client was not happy.
Am not being off hand with the next comment but a lot of sound issues are in peoples heads and I am not referring to the old chestnut of loud versus light snoring:)


The key to sound management are reduced airpaths and higher density materials.

Sound needs a medium to be transmitted, hence why in space nobody will hear you snore:D
Take the simple example of a drum: how is the sound transmitted?

Mellor

To be honest, I thiunk you misunderstood the product you were installing.
4mm panes in double glazing is quite small, and isn't going to be very resistant in its self.
Also, differences installation (ie how good a seal at perimeter) wil have the biggest impact, most likely.

taytoman1

Thank you both for responding

All I want to do is reduce the noise- I know full well it can't be eliminated. The house is a 4 bed detached house about 40 feet from the road, which is at right angles to it. The house was built about 12 years ago, so is quite modern and is in good nic.

The front of the house gets more noise for some reason, and both the main reception room and main bedroom which is above it have bay windows (ie 3 sided windows), and the bedroom bay as a small inverted V decorative "mini roof" over it which projects at a right angle from the main roof (thats the best I can describe it). There is insulation in this mini-roof, but its very hard to inspect.

THere are not any other correctable factors other than the windows ( the vents are small) that I can make out.

Essentially, just to rephrase my badly phrased question: is 6.4 mm lam- space -4mm toughened glass better than 6mm toughened- space - 4 mm toughened, all in a 28mm unit, for noise reduction?

busman

taytoman1 wrote: »

Essentially, just to rephrase my badly phrased question: is 6.4 mm lam- space -4mm toughened glass better than 6mm toughened- space - 4 mm toughened, all in a 28mm unit, for noise reduction?

I personally don't know but was told by somebody that 6.4 lam is better because of the increased security! Just my 2 cent worth of free advice ;-)

Paul

kitser

a few pointers for you. sometimes they don't do a great job of insulating around the bay windows. do you have an air vent in the wall to the left or right of the bays. if you do, that will be the main cause of the noise..

6.4 mm laminated is better for noise than 4mm, but not by a hell of a lot. 6.4 mm looks no different than any other glass. glass is glass.

triple glazed is probably your best bet. so you'd have a unit 4/8/4/8/4 = 28
triple glazed you can't hear the rain hitting the outer glass, best advice is to get the worst room done only.

you need to check that hinges are working proper and all seals are good.

frag4

hello
I have installed glass in 2 pubs a few years back and after talking with the glass supplier and the sound engineer we agreed on 28mm units (max that would fit the profile) with 6.4mm lam/ super spacer/8.4mm lam. which breaks up the sound wave.
the units are installed in the frame on neoprone packers not plastic.
the windows then sit on the cill on 4mm neoprone packers and is pumped with a neoprone silcone (can,t rember the name but its made by Soudal)
In replacement windows the windows cant touch the outside revel which are cut back by 5mm and sealed with the Soudal silcone.
In new build the fixing lugs must be nailed to the outer wall as the sound hits the frame and is transfered to the inner wall by the lug.
Its about stopping a bit here and a bit there.
triple glazing is not as good as the 6.4mm lam/ super spacer/8.4mm lam comb but like 3glazing very dear.
Look to spending any money on pumping the wall??