Aluminium Secondary Glazing

Benefits of Secondary Glazing

Sound Proofing / Reduce Noise From Your Windows

The last thing you want when you go home after a long stressful day at work is to have your home invaded by noise from traffic, noisy neighbours, local air ports and the general noise of inner city areas. This noise pollution can be a real disruption to your quality life at your home or place of work. The walls of the property are almost never the problem, especially in older properties where the walls tend to be thicker, your windows are almost always the culprit.

While fitting sound proofing strips in the window surrounds, window plugs, sound proofing mats and even hanging heavy curtains can reduce external noise, it can be quite costly and will only provide a reduction of around 10%, which often just isn’t enough. Replacing existing single glazed windows for double glazing can give an improvement of up to 20% but is expensive and many double glazed windows still experience issues with noise ingress. This can be further improved upon with triple glazing and acrylic frames but for an even steeper cost.

The most effective and cost efficient way to reduce noise ingress and sound proof your windows is to fit secondary glazing, which can reduce external noise by as much as 75 - 80%, when you specify either 6.8mm Laminated glass or 6.8mm Acoustic glass. These types of glass are thicker and heavier than ordinary glass and will go along way to improving thermal performance as well. You can further reduce the noise pollution heard from the outside world by up to as much as 90% when using our double glazed secondary glazing.

Reduce Heat Loss And Save Money On Your Heating Bills

Windows can account for up to 30% of the heat lost from your home. It is important in this day and age to reduce energy consumption in our buildings. Single glazed windows are poor insulators and heat loss is exacerbated if the window does not have effective seals. With heating costs rising all the time, the sooner you fit secondary glazing, the sooner you will start benefiting. When it comes to saving energy, windows and lofts are the prime areas in which heat loss can easily and cost effectively be prevented. Energy Performance Certificates will eventually define a building's Energy Rating and become a factor in the valuation of your property.

Our secondary glazing can reduce heat loss in your windows by up to 50% and will even increase the U-value of your windows as it emulates double glazing. You can specify ordinary Float or Toughened glass, or for even better thermal performance you can specify - 'K' glass, a low e thermal glass. By adding the extra pane of glass in addition to your existing windows - heat loss is dramatically reduced. For extreme circumstances we have a heavy duty system that can take a double glazed unit for the ultimate in thermal insulation - and all without improving or replacing your existing windows.

Draft Proofing Your Windows

Old single glazed windows provide insufficient insulation, poor and sometimes ineffective seals and may not even close properly (due to swelling of old wooden frames). These failures in old windows can lead to cold draughts that are hazardous to your health and damaging to your pocket (high heating bills). You can try fitting standard draft proofing bought from any DIY shop, but many find the results disappointing. For listed properties, conservation areas or rented accommodation where you cannot afford or are not permitted to replace the old windows, many recommend that you fit secondary glazing (more information below). Our secondary glazing system has twin brush seals ensuring a highly effective quality seal. Our secondary glazing will help prevent the draft from your prime windows entering your home for years to come.

Why Is Secondary Glazing So Effective?

The reason secondary glazing is so effective is that like all good sound proofing (i.e. in a recording studio) the best results are achieved where there is an adequate air gap or cavity between the two points of contact (i.e. cavity between the primary window and the secondary glazing). You can use acoustic tiles in the air gap if you wish to achieve maximum sound insulation. We also recommend that you use a different thickness of glass in your secondary glazing than is in your existing windows, this is due to the fact that a different thickness's of glass have different resonation factors. See the guidance tab for more information.

Did you know that over 30% of secondary glazing is installed in windows where double glazed windows are already installed and many of them in new build properties. In inner city areas and on main roads double glazing may not be sufficient enough. For extreme circumstances, we have a heavy duty system that can take double glazed sealed units. Read more...

In Listed Buildings

Listed properties often still have the original old single glazed windows, which provide very poor sound and heat insulation. If you wish to make any alteration or improvements to your property, Listed Building Consent is required, and will not normally be permitted, for replacement windows and doors. However fitting secondary glazing on the inside of your windows is a very popular and cost effective solution for owners of Listed buildings, especially since it is recommended by the Heritage Foundation and the Listed Property Owners Club. Installing secondary glazing is considered a reversible alteration, that is unobtrusive to your windows and will conserve the exterior character of the period property.

Our secondary glazing suite (the largest in Europe) is widely accepted as the correct one to use in any listed building situation because of it’s high specification and very slim-lines. With an extensive range of styles to suite any windows and many different glass options for improved heat insulation, sound proofing and security. We have in the past had our secondary glazing fitted into such prestigious buildings as 10 DOWNING STREET and other buildings of historical interest.
Read more...

Is Secondary Glazing Just For The Winter Months?

No - most of our secondary glazing will accept flyscreen (insert panels or integral panels) for use in the summer to let in the fresh air and keep out the mosquitoes - giving year round benefits. Read More...