Additional guidance about soundproofing your home

When they are properly specified, fitted and maintained closed windows can be very effective in reducing noise. However, additional measures might need to be taken in some noisy environments, especially where windows need to be opened frequently for cooling and ventilation purposes.

Practical advice as to how to improve the performance of windows, and to minimise the need to open them, is given below.

Plug any air gaps in or around your windows

By running your hand around the frame, feel for any small air draughts to find any air gaps around your windows that are letting noise in. These can be in the frame or between the glazing and the frame.

Depending on where they’re located, you should fill the gaps using acoustic caulk or weather stripping.

Install inserts or secondary glazing

There are a wide range of acoustic window inserts available. These are typically a temporary acrylic window that fits inside your existing windows and is often held in place with snap fittings or magnetic strips. If the noise intrusion is more significant, you will be better off installing proper secondary glazing. Secondary glazing is a separate unit consisting of a single glazed pane within its own frame and is fitted on the room side of your existing windows and sealed around the edges.

Replacing glazing units

There are a wide range of different glazing units which have very different performance with regards to noise control. Changing the glazing units is therefore something to consider if you are trying to prevent noise intrusion where the noise is entering from outside through closed windows.

The performance of glazing units depends upon a number of factors including the glass type, pane thickness, pane separation distance, whether the gap between panes is filled (is there a vacuum, or is it filled with air or argon) and whether there is any lamination/lining or the panes and unit with sound absorbing materials.

The acoustic performance of the window is described by the weighted sound reduction index (Rw) and the higher the Rw value, the better that element performs in reducing sound transmission.