New Double Glazing Installed but Issues with Noise

[daveyb1234]

Hello,

Having recently bought a house we reffered back to the full survey we had done which suggested the current double glazing had blown and therefore was ineffective.

This was definitely the case and therefore we have just had new double glazing put in throughout the whole house which is A Grade spec (gas in the gap between the two window panes etc) and looks fantastic. Its made a great difference with the heating as now no heat is being lost and the house warms up very quickly when the radiators are turned on.

However we have a niggle in the fact we live next to a busy road and seemingly the noise from the road has now become louder since having the new windows installed. This has left everyone scratching their heads as the fitting looks to be correct, the windows are clearly very high quality and the heat retention of the house has improved tremendously.

The only thing I could possibly think of is that we have now have a larger part of the window that can be opened, so possibly the seal when you close the window isnt as effective over a larger area?

I can also confirm the previous windows were very poor quality, thinner glass than we have now and around 15 years old and letting in cold left right and centre.

Does anyone have any idea how this could be possible and what can be done to rectify it?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

If the windows and fitting is better than before then the increased sound must be imagined.

 

[crank39]

If you have any areas that are clad with trims make sure they are filled with expanding foam, covering gaps with plastic trims is quite normal in the pvc fitting trade but extensive amounts due to poor measuring should be foamed otherwise there will be heat loss and noise coming through, the noise you hear would be similar to having a top opener open slighty like on its night vent. You can probably even hear people talking on the other side of the road

Ask the installers to come back and check behind any trims they've fitted, my hunch is they'll refuse as they know they haven't done so so you may have to insist quite firmly

 

[daveyb1234]

Cheers for that crank39,

When you say trims do you mean like a thick black tar like substance that looks to have been injected all the way round?

This appears to be round all of the windows on the outside but obviously I cannot see if any foam has been used underneath it.

The installers are coming back to check the windows as they believe they have done a good job and they are quite a reputable firm. I must admit the house has never felt warmer so it is quite confusing.

If I get them to check the sealing/trims of the windows is it easy for them to pull this out and put the foam in or is that quite a large job?

thanks.

 

[daveyb1234]

Quick look on the internet and Ive found what Im talking about is called caulking?

So there is no plastic trim all windows just have this caulking substance around them. Is that something quite normal or acceptable?

 

[crank39]

Lol caulking is an american term for sealing.

Can you post any photos on here of the inside or outside of the windows you feel you can hear noise through

As for the company...it wasn't yorkshire windows was it?

 

[Gazman16]

Caulking/sealing is fine and good that they haven't just slapped huge trims everywhere as most company's do.
Do you have trickle vents fitted? They would let alot of noise through.

Its still possible that some foam could have been used behind the sealent.

 

[daveyb1234]

No it wasnt Yorkshire Windows, it was a firm with a good reputation around the area who id rather not name on the social forum!

I thought caulking was a bizarre term! Anyway please find attached the photo of the sealant, it is like this round all windows with no obvious gaps. Also as you can see its sealed against Yorkshire stone so never going to be a straight line!

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No trickle vents anywhere so Im guessing its maybe just the fact there isnt any foam muffling some of the sound. Im guessing this is impossible to fix without taking the windows out and inserting?[/img]

 

[Gazman16]

Black silicone is a bit of an odd choice but looks fairly neat. Can you show a pic from the inside?

 

[daveyb1234]

For your viewing pleasure here's a full shot from the outside and one from the inside. Like I said in a previous post they are coming back out to inspect but I just want to ensure I have the firepower to throw at them in terms of if theyve made a botch!

If they need to look under the sealant or put foam underneath is that a big job?

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[Gazman16]

Not a huge job, They wouldn't need to remove the windows.
Could you do one more pic showing the whole of the inside including the surrounds?
It looks like huge trim/window board all around the inside but hard to tell from that pic.

 

[crank39]

Is this the window giving you trouble?

On such a big sash (opener) check for compression on the rubbers with the window shut and a bit of A4 trapped, only put the paper in about an inch so it doesn't foul on any of the workings and give a false impression, with the window shut try pulling the paper with your finger tips, it should have some resistance but will pull if you try harder

The places to check are across the top in the middle, without closing wedges to pull the pvc together this can be an area where the gasket doesn't even touch the plastic, do the same down each side too, tall sashes suffer from a bow and putting your ear to the area can show up noise

 

[daveyb1234]

Thanks both again for the advice. I have tried the A4 paper thing just now and yes it is as tight as anything I can't even pull the paper out even with just a a little bit of the paper in.

Here is a final shot of the window, again hard for you to see with everything being white but yes there is like a white trim a few centimetres long running alongside the window, this is the same on all the windows and the previous windows we had had something similar.

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• daveyb1234
• 30 Sep 2013
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I am taking from all this advice that we are reckoning beneath the trim and sealant there is not enough foam material and therefore that is what is causing the noise to come through (I did notice when the old windows were ripped out that old foam material was discarded and maybe wasn't replaced to the same level).

Thanks again for all the help, when they come back to look at the windows I will explain this and see if they insert foam and re do the sealant.

 

[s60tsy]

was the door changed?

 

[daveyb1234]

Yes both doors have been changed but I am pretty happy with them. The previous doors were horrendous and the front door you could actually see daylight through (we bought the house about 2 months ago and it had clearly just been left to go to ruin beforehand!)

Obviously when the fitters come back out to check I will get them to check the sealant round the doors too but that for me is a none issue.