Interested in the STW hives experiences please…..looking at a buying a house that ticks lots of boxes EXCEPT being plonked next to a rural 50mph road. It’s a Victorian cottage with single glazed bay windows that would appear to be suitable for secondary glazing. The traffic noise from indoors is very noticeable, and I’m wondering just how effective secondary glazing has been in others experience for reducing traffic noise. Any other potential noise reducing tips such as effectiveness of sealants around original window frames would be much appreciated too….. Candid advice to just walk away from this property will also taken on board! Thanks in advance…….

They can be a pain if ever you want the outside windows open, also beware if the outide windows have a stay to keep them open, remember its ther before closing the window, or smash.

How have you found the noise reduction project?

either double-glaze it or put up with it. Secondary glazing is pap!

Only thing is a bay window could be anywhere from £500 to £1k to do.

depends if you think the house is worth it, and will be able to afford to double glaze. If so go for it, if not it’ll drive you nuts.

Walk away. The noise is never going to anything other than just about bearable. That’s no way to live IMO

How have you found the noise reduction project?

I put the secondary in myself using a kit sold by Polysell, and they worked well, left about 5 inch gap, seal around the frame with mastic ,and fill inside of gap with insulation board.

I dont think polysell make them anymore ,but thesse have taken on the manufactuer

http://www.uksecondaryglazing.co.uk/index.asp?index=active
Thick curtains help at night.

Unless you have no ventilation you will hear the road

I lived in a rental next to a road and you didnt hear it The dg windows had zero ventalation and the air brick had been blocked off , house constantly damp, i asked landlord and she said , yeah i did that to stop the noise- end of my 6 months we parted company,

Wouldnt buy a house that i couldnt open the windows in the house and sit inside without hearing traffic,

Even a trainline would be preferable.

I live on a 40mph road and the DG we had put in has had a noticeable effect on the volume. I wouldn’t write the property off on the noise as you do get used to it.

Thanks for replies everyone, and especially project for most relevant info so far. Highclimber thanks for the positive feedback too, but Although double glazing apparently helps, lots of research to date indicates that it’s not as effective for noise reduction …….secondary glazing (100-150 mm gap) relative to road noise experiences please…….just to get everyone back on track. Thanks!

FWIW I have DG and live on a 30mph road. I enjoy construction traffic passing through at 5.30 am as well as heavy duty farm vehicles through the night. My windows rattle and, I kid you not, sometimes my mattress vibrates. 😯 Can’t open a bedroom window, not even in Summer.

Not planning on staying here, my grumpiness has reached an all-time high. 🙂

Some years ago I moved from opposite the marble steps at the old Arsenal ground to a detached house in a Northants village. I was astonished to find the village location noisier, you can’t escape the noises of traffic and tractors. You get used to it but DG helps. I now live straight onto a park with no road and am loving the silence.

lived in birmingham in a listed building above paradise circus with secondary glazing. It worked, in that the traffic noise was reduced a lot – but it was still pretty noticeable, particularly on a saturday night! It will help, but don’t be under any illusions that it will completely block the noise. If you have any difficulty sleeping with a noisy environment, its a no.

As above too – when it got hot we had to just buy and use a fan – opening the window was lovely but you had no chance of sleeping!

We have secondary glazing on a bay window; whenever we open the inner to adjust the blind that sits in the middle the increase in noise is very noticeable indeed. Our windows with secondary glazing do seem much better at keeping sound out than the double glazed ones, even though they’re obviously not as warm.

I’ve got Everest secondary glazing helping me forget I live on a busy road as I snuggle down to sleep right now. It’s like night and day compared to the single glazed sash windows without it. Can still open the sashes fine for a bit of fresh air.

I live on a busy road, 30mph but used by lorries, buses and emergency services. the heavy stuff is by far the worst so it’s worth considering the type of traffic.. I have DG and (cheap-looking, if it makes a difference) secondary and can still hear it. I rent at the moment but after living here for a while I’ll never buy a house on a busy road. Helps if you can sleep at the back of the house too, it’s more noticeable at night. Having said all that, I am used to it and can now sleep through anything, so if it’s your dream house you’ll probably adjust, plenty of people do!

I’ll see your traffic noise and raise you Heathrow flight path. We have a Victorian house under the main flightpath at Heathrow (about 300 planes a day at < 2000m). BAA offered free proper secondary glazing for bedrooms (we’re in the noise zone). However the requirements for trickle ventilation are that a special active inlet needs to be correctly fitted to allow the correct passage of air despite the sealed window. The faff and architectural sacrilege meant we decided not to go ahead.

You get used to the noise pretty quickly (7 days), or not at all.

Awesome detailed feedback people…..thanks so much for taking time to share.Hadn’t thought through night time in the summer so that’s a great heads up. It’s going to be a tough call!