Sounds can be very invasive, with noise negatively impacting your health and well-being, leading to increased stress levels and poor sleep. Fortunately, double glazing has been shown to reduce noise pollution by up to 35 decibels.

What is a decibel?

Sound is a vibration that travels through molecules of air and solid objects until it reaches your ear. Sound vibrations look like waves hence the term ‘soundwave’ with different wavelengths.

Decibels (dB) are the measurement of sound intensity. A higher dB indicates more noise.

As it is a logarithmic scale, every increase of 10dB means a ten-fold increase in volume. For example, 20dB is ten times louder than a sound of 10dB, while 100 dB is a billion times louder than 10dB.

You can see that even small increases in sound could have a damaging effect.

What is considered too loud?

People can hear sounds within the range of 0 and 140 dB. The average household has a noise level of 40dB.

• Sounds less than 30dB are considered to be very quiet.
• Noise levels over 85dB are considered to be potentially harmful.

Here are some examples of common sounds:

• Conversation: Between 40dB and 60dB
• Cars: 70dB
• Emergency Vehicle sirens: 110-120dB
• Chainsaw: 140 dB

How can double glazing help reduce noise levels?

Your choice of windows is essential when considering noise reduction. The glass panes have large surfaces that can allow sound to leak into your home. Poorly fitted or older frames may also have gaps that will allow sound to invade.

Double glazing reduces noise by absorbing the sound vibrations in the gas between the two panes of glass. Good quality double glazing will reduce sound levels by between 20% and 65%, which means that double glazing can potentially reduce noise levels by 35 dB.

All new double glazing comes with a rating that indicates the level of sound insulation provided. You will see this marked as RW (Weighted Sound Reduction Index). The higher the RW, the better sound insulation you will get.

Choosing uPVC frames helps with noise insulation, thanks to their excellent sealing properties. Getting your windows professionally installed will ensure that the fit is snug and there are no gaps to let in unwanted noise.

Is triple glazing better at reducing noise?

Triple glazing is brilliantly energy efficient, but double glazing is often better for reducing sound, as triple glazing can magnify noise due to vibrations on the middle pane.

What noises can double glazing help with?

All homes benefit from some sound insulation, but it is crucial to consider it if you live in a very noisy environment.

• Traffic noise
• Living near an airport
• Homes near a train line

• Properties on a busy high street

What double glazing is best for noise insulation?

At Colne Valley Windows, we use double glazing manufactured by REHAU to help reduce noise levels in your home by as much as a half.

If you want to know more about reducing noise pollution in your home, call us at 01787 827382 or email us at info@colnevalleywindows.co.uk for expert advice.

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Insulation

Insulating your home is a hot environmental topic at the moment. The good news is the Energy Saving Trust has found that an average British home could save up to £200 by installing sufficient loft and cavity wall insulation. It’s a good idea to check your loft for draughts and add insulation if needed. You can also insulate your hot water tank with thicker insulation to reduce energy costs.

Check Your Boiler

You should always get your boiler serviced annually to ensure it is working efficiently. Once it is over 10 years old it will be more economical to switch to a new one. You should find that there will be a big saving to your energy bills over time as new boilers are much more energy efficient. You may want to consider switching to a low carbon system such as a heat pump. The Energy Savings Trust estimates that a detached home can save up to £300 a year by installing a new boiler.

Better Glazing

Modern homes usually have double glazing, but triple glazing offers up to 40 per cent more energy efficiency. The three panes trap air in between which has an insulating effect on your home. Upgrading your windows can offer real long term energy savings.

Make the most of Sunlight

There is nothing quite like a bright winter’s day to make you feel better, but did you know that the sun will also provide lots of heat through your windows. Keep your blinds and curtains open during the day to make the most of any sunlight and close them at night. Thermal blinds and curtains will also help to retain the heat.

Banish Draughts

Draughts will make you feel chilly and allow heat to escape. Keep doors closed inside to keep the room you are using warm. If you can feel a draught under a door, use a draught excluder to stop it. Draughty doors and windows may need replacing.

Dial Down

Turning down your thermostat by just 1 degree can save you 10 per cent on your heating bill. It is worth checking what temperature you have set and trying a lower one to see how it makes your home feel. The recommended room temperature from Public Health England is 18 degrees.

Make the Most of Radiators

Radiators that are hidden behind furniture or clothes will not be efficient. Don’t forget to bleed your radiators to ensure they are pumping out heat evenly and keep them free from blockages. You can put a foil sheet behind to reflect more heat into the room.

Check your Flues

Wood burning stoves look great when then they are in use but what about when they aren’t? Always make sure that the flue and glass doors are closed when no wood is burning to prevent heat from escaping from your room.  If you have an unused chimney, you could consider a chimney balloon that will inflate to prevent heat from escaping or stop draughts.

Mind the Gap

The small gaps in floorboards, below skirting boards and around cat flaps are easy ways for draughts to get in and for heat to escape. Plugging small gaps with sealant will easily solve the issue. You can wrap a cat flap with a blanket to stop heat from escaping.

Flooring

Tiled and wooden flooring can feel cool and make you turn up the thermostat. Putting down cosy rugs will conserve heat and make you feel warmer. Remember to wear socks or slippers to keep your feet warm.

The post How to Keep Your Home Warm and Save Money on Your Energy Bills appeared first on Colne Valley Windows.

In fact, a study by Towergate Insurance suggested that a conservatory adds around 5 per cent to the value of a property. If you live in London, this figure rises to as high as 12 per cent.

But as with any other home improvement project, a lot of planning and preparation is required if you want to reap these rich rewards. Otherwise, you could run into the following common conservatory problems.

Failing to consider your floor layout

There’s a good chance you’ll use a conservatory to complement and enhance your lifestyle. This means thinking carefully about how the space will work alongside your existing floor layout.

For example, if your conservatory is installed next to the kitchen, it makes sense to utilise this space as a dining room. The very best conservatories flow seamlessly with the rest of your home for the ultimate in liveability.

Failing to consider your furnishings

Once again, you need to think about how you’re going to use your conservatory before you start designing and building it. Part of this process will be thinking about furniture and furnishings.

After all, there’s no point utilising the space for eating and entertaining if there’s not enough room for a sizable dining table. Then again, if your conservatory will double as a home office, make sure you include things like power points near to your desk.

Failing to consider heat from the sun

On account of the fact that conservatories are largely made from glazed materials, they can heat up extremely quickly when exposed to direct sunlight. But while this is advantageous during the cold winter months, the long hot days of summer could make your conservatory too warm and uncomfortable.

Therefore, it is important to consider how you’ll regulate your conservatory’s temperature. Some options come complete with built-in blinds, which will block out the sun to great effect. You should also think about ventilation, as windows that you can easily open will allow for cool breezes.

Failing to consider insulation

In years gone by, conservatories were notorious for heat loss. This was mainly due to numerous windows with single panes of glass. Thankfully, nearly all modern conservatories feature double or even triple glazing, which have excellent insulating properties.

Another thing that can affect insulation is the quality of the installation. Choose a sub-standard installer and your conservatory could suffer from air leaks or draughts, which are very difficult to fix retrospectively.

Colne Valley Windows takes immense pride in the quality of our conservatory installations. Not only do we offer honest and transparent cost estimates, all our work comes with a transferable 10-year insurance-backed guarantee. But don’t just take our word for it, search for Colne Valley Windows on Checkatrade.com and you’ll see a near perfect 9.98 rating out of 10 from 81 happy customers.

The post 4 common conservatory issues you must avoid appeared first on Colne Valley Windows.

In the early days of their design, windows were nothing more than a hole in the wall. But they gradually evolved alongside advances in architecture, framing materials and glass manufacturing to afford the advantages we take for granted today.

The origin of windows

In pre 16th century England, most windows were of stone or timber construction with unglazed openings that could be covered in various ways – oiled cloth, paper, shutters or even thin sheets of horn. Glazed windows, often small panes of glass set in lead strip latticework, were only seen in buildings of high stature.

In the 17th century, timber frames came into fashion and the sash window was introduced. This resulted in window sizes becoming standardised with thinner glazing bars.

The following century, there was a rise in popularity of two window styles: Arts and Crafts and Queen Ann. Arts and Crafts brought a return to leaded lights set in timber or stone mullions, while Queen Ann favoured sash windows painted white.

These stylings continued to evolve in the 20th century but for housing estates in particular, designs became more simplified. This was in conjunction with the rise of the modernist window, which was a “crisp”, simplistic, functional piece manufactured using the very latest in technology.

The introduction of glass

It was the Romans who brought glass making with them to England, using a technique that limited openings to a small size. Even though a process for making larger panes was discovered, this breakthrough didn’t help when William III introduced a “window tax”.

People were required to pay between two and eight shillings a year, depending upon the number of windows in their houses, and many bricked over their windows in order to avoid the charge. The tax remained in place for 156 years before being repealed in 1851.

In 1834, a cylinder sheet process for glass-making was imported from Germany, which meant Britain was able to produce higher quality glass in larger sheets far less expensively than previously-used methods.

The 20th century brought a number of new techniques for mass production, which resulted in more cost effective ways to produce higher quality glass in increasingly larger sizes. The float process for glazing – where molten glass floats on a bed of molten tin whilst the top surface is polished using pressurised nitrogen –  is still widely used today. Double glazing followed soon after.

A closer look at windows, glass and glazing today

Today, there are a number of window styles and glazing types to choose from, all of which can be combined to best suit various climates and purposes. But for most homeowners, U-values and energy efficiency remain the most important considerations.

To learn more about the window and glass options available to you, get in touch with Colne Valley Windows today.

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Before you limit yourself to single, double, or triple glazing, it is important to understand that there are several different window and door options beyond these standard choices.

In fact, there are numerous types of glazing available to buy today, all with their own distinctive properties. Here’s a rundown of the main ones.

Annealed glass

Annealed glass is commonplace in several homes and businesses due in large part to its tough construction and affordable price point.

During the manufacturing process, annealed glass is slowly cooled and left to rest. At this temperature, it’s too hard to manipulate yet soft enough for stress points to melt away. As a result, the glass becomes resistant to shattering and mechanical shock during installation.

Tempered glass

Although similar to annealed glass, tempered glass goes through another stage of heating for additional strength. What’s more, tempered glass shatters into tiny pieces when it breaks, as opposed to the large jagged fragments of annealed glass.

Because of this reduced risk of injury, tempered glass is often used in table tops and flooring. It also enjoys many commercial applications, such as public facilities like bus stops.

Low-emissivity glass

The main property of low-emissivity glass (or low-e glass) is that it reflects more heat than ordinary glass thanks to a thin coating of metal, which bounces the sun’s rays back. Therefore, its perfect if you want to better control the interior temperature of your property.

There are two types of low-e glass available; passive and solar control. Passive is designed to keep heat in during winter, while solar-control keeps heat out during summer. Double-glazed low-e windows perform both functions.

Frosted glass

Frosted or misted glass brings about more privacy, greater security, and an elegant look. This is because it features tiny bumps that diffuse light rays and obscure objects behind the glass. However, frosted glass still allows for an abundance of natural yet softer light.

The effect of misted glass can be created by blasting each pane with high-velocity grit during the manufacturing process, or in-situ by spraying a special substance directly onto the window.

Self-cleaning glass

Sounds like a dream scenario, but self-cleaning glass is now a reality because of a substance known as titanium dioxide. When placed on windows, it responds to UV rays by transforming water molecules into hydroxl radicals, which feature the ability to disintegrate organic matter.

In layman’s terms, it uses sunlight to break down dirt and grime, which is then washed away by rainwater. Sounds like cutting-edge science, but the technology has been around for a while and is used for white paint, food colouring, and even suntan lotion.

Fire-protection and noise-control glass

Both fire-protection and noise-control glass share the same properties as double-glazing. But to afford their respective benefits, they feature additional materials between the windowpanes.

Fire-protection glass works by weaving a layer of special, hard resin between the panels, increasing its breaking point to more than 800°C. Noise-control glass is made possible with a layer of acoustic-dampening plastic, which absorbs sound waves and prevents vibrations.

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