Secondary Glazing Windows

[balloney]

Has anyone had or has Secondary Glazing Windows and are they an improvement on sound quality?

[Buenchico]

I've not got secondary glazing (or double glazing either) but I've been googling to try to find a reliable source of information. (It seems that almost everyone selling secondary double glazing would like you to think that, once you've had it installed, you could sleep through a bomb going off outside your house!).

This page, even though it's from a sales company, seems to be more honest and accurate than many others:
https://clearviewsg.co.uk/noise-reduction/effective-secondary-glazing-noise-reduction/
It correctly states that
(a) secondary glazing is generally more effective at cutting out sound than double glazing ; and
(b) if sound insulation is important to you, you ought to be looking for a supplier who uses acoustic glass (which uses two, or more, layers of glass, with a layer of PVB in between). It will cost more but be far better at reducing sound.

[dannyk13]

What is the difference between secondary and double glazing?

[gingejbee]

The gap between the original unit and the secondary one is usually much bigger (10 to 12 cm or more).
Condensation can be a problem between the two.

[AuntPG]

Triple Glazing is better than both double and secondary.

[youngmafbog]

I wouldn't bother.

Just install double glazing, if you do it yourself or dont use the likes of Anglian it is not so expensive as you may think.

[davebro]

I fitted secondary glazing in my bedroom years before the whole flat was upgraded to double glazing. I find the double glazing cuts out more noise. Of course neither works well if you sleep with the windows open!

[barry1010]

Not everyone can install double glazing, young. Listed properties for example

[bhg481]

Back in the 60s I worked at an experimental aircraft establishment. We had an office overlooking the apron where the bombers ran up before they taxied for take-off. The windows were the old style metal frames but a second set had been installed on the inside ie, there was about a 9" gap between the two sets. The difference in noise level when the inside set was opened/closed was amazing.

[AuntPG]

The costs involved in fitting double glazing are in the measuring and making of the window frames and glazing and of course the raw materials. Only around 10% of the costs involved in changing windows in a house are the fitting. An average semi, with refitted windows done by a local firm, would probably cost around £2,500, only £250 of this would be for the fitting. If you don't get the company to fit the windows you have no Guarantee.

[Peter Pedant]

Danny - foo !
if you had done physics O level
you would have done for heat loss ( radiation, conduction, convection that stuff) - that there is an optimum gap between the plates for maximum protection. ( or lack of transfer of heat) There is a static air layer on a surface ( around 50 mm) and so you double it for the optimum gap.
Any larger then there is convection possible
and of course if you were post A level then you would realised that the model above is true ONLY if the convection breaks down the static layer ( which becomes smaller) but hey this is AB. I lose 95% after the first foo and other 4% after the first numeral

[The Builder]

Improvement on sound reduction - Yes definitely.

To give an example. I once built a function room for a pub. Conservation area, so conventional windows. (Double-glazed)
The sound-proofing wasn't bad, but I reckoned we could do better. I added fixed secondary roughly 100mm away from the window.

Sound-proofing (airborne sound) relies on mass (the heavier the better.) So I used 6mm plate glass for the secondary.
Amazing difference.
The room had a super-banging stereo system, so I cranked it right up and put "Block Rocking Beats" by the Chemical Brothers on.
I went outside and walked up and down. I couldn't hear anything above the (very little) traffic noise. :o)