How do I make my window more soundproofed?

Noise gets into a room through a window by two routes — through the glass itself, and through any gaps or air paths around it — so effective soundproofing means tackling both. There’s no single fix that does everything, but the following steps, alone or combined, make a real difference:

• Upgrade the glass. The biggest gains come from the glass specification. An acoustic laminated sealed unit — with a sound-dampening interlayer, and two panes — cuts significantly more noise than standard double glazing.
• Seal the gaps. Sound leaks through gaps as readily as draughts do. Well-sealed frames, sound beads and good installation close off the air paths around the unit that often let noise in even when the glass is good.
• Fit acoustic trickle vents. A standard trickle vent is an open air path and a common weak point. Swapping it for an acoustic (sound-attenuating) vent keeps the required ventilation while cutting the noise coming through it.
• Consider secondary glazing. Where replacing the window isn’t an option — for example in a listed property — a secondary internal pane fitted with a wide air gap can be very effective against noise.

For most homes the most effective single step is upgrading both to an acoustic laminated sealed unit and the fitting of an acoustic trickle vent, then making sure the installation is well sealed and any trickle vents are acoustic. If noise is a concern on your project, speak to your local SevenDay depot and the team will specify a suitable acoustic build-up for your windows.