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Get a full night’s sleep in the front bedroom, even with a busy Melbourne road outside it. The best windows for noise reduction close onto a compression seal and hold two panes of glass at different thicknesses, so less sound leaks around the sash or rings through the glass, and the traffic that used to wake you may settle into a low murmur.
Share which rooms face the noise, and the quote can be built around those openings first.
How quiet a window is depends on how it opens, its glass and how well its frame and installation keep the seal tight. In most homes, windows let in more outside sound than any other part of the wall. Walls, floors and roofs carry far more mass than glass, and many older homes still have a single pane only a few millimetres thick.
APS Double Glazing manufactures its unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) double glazed windows in its own Kilsyth factory and fits them with its own installers, so one business controls the style, the glass and the installation.
Acoustic performance is usually expressed as a weighted sound reduction index (Rw). The higher the number, the more sound the window holds back. A reduction of 10 decibels (dB) is generally heard as roughly half as loud.
A laboratory rating is a guide, not a measure of a particular room. Comparing quotes is easier once you know what acoustic ratings measure and which figure applies to the whole window instead of the glass alone.
Fixed windows usually keep out the most noise, followed by styles that press shut onto a seal, such as casement, awning and tilt and turn windows. Some Australian council noise guidelines for homes beside major roads specify fixed, casement or awning windows with seals for this reason. The styles APS manufactures, from quietest to least suited to a noisy wall, are:
A fixed window has no opening sash and no moving seal to leak, so it suits walls facing the heaviest traffic. Fixed units are often used as double glazed picture windows or high panes, with airflow coming from another opening.
Arched, raked and triangular panes are often fixed, so shaped windows usually seal well. Their glass can be specified to match the surrounding windows so one pane does not become the weak point.
Casement windows seal tightly because the side-hinged sash closes against a continuous compression seal. That closure makes uPVC casement windows a common choice for street-facing bedrooms that still need fresh air.
Tilt and turn windows close onto a compression seal, much like a casement. A tilted position opens a small gap at the top, so uPVC tilt and turn windows may let a bedroom breathe without opening fully to the street.
Pushed outward from a top hinge, an awning window also closes onto a compression seal. It suits bathrooms, kitchens and high positions where a smaller opening is enough.
A bay or corner window is only as quiet as the panel styles in its run. Fixed centre panels with casement sides may keep a street-facing bay quieter while still allowing ventilation.
Sashes that move on tracks rely on brush or pile seals, so sliding windows usually let more sound through. With quality seals and upgraded glass, they can still reduce noise and generally suit side or rear walls away from the main source.
Bifold windows fold back in a concertina across kitchen serveries and wide openings, and each fold adds a seal line. Multi-point locking compresses the seals on every panel when closed, but they still tend to suit outlooks away from the road.
InvisiSlide panels slide to one side, leaving a wide opening with minimal frame. With more seal lines than a single sash, they suit walls away from the main noise.
Stacking windows slide their panels behind each other, so they open wide without projecting outward. Their panel joins make them a better fit for the garden side than the street side.
Acoustic laminated double glazing and asymmetric double glazing usually block more sound than standard double glazing with two panes of the same thickness. Of the glass selection options APS offers, those most relevant to noise are:
Standard double glazing may suit homes with moderate everyday noise such as voices and passing cars. APS’s standard insulated glass unit (IGU) is 28 mm wide, with two 4 mm panes, an argon-filled gap and a softcoat low emissivity (Low-E) coating, rated by APS at Rw 32.
Where mixed traffic noise is the main complaint, asymmetric double glazing is often used. Its panes differ in thickness and vibrate at different frequencies, so sound that passes the first pane is less likely to resonate through the second.
Acoustic laminated glass suits walls facing the heaviest or most repetitive noise. One pane is made of two glass layers bonded with a sound-damping interlayer that absorbs vibration.
Each room puts up with a different kind of noise at a different time of day, and the combinations that commonly suit each are:
Bedrooms on the road side usually get casement or tilt and turn windows with asymmetric or acoustic laminated glass, since sleep is what traffic disrupts most. Early trucks and trams mix low engine rumble with higher tyre noise, which those glass builds are designed to handle.
Home offices deal mostly with daytime voices, deliveries and passing cars, which standard double glazing in a tight-closing style usually reduces well. A fixed pane beside one opening sash can keep calls quieter while the room still gets air.
Wide living-room glazing often works best as fixed panels, with a casement or awning window where airflow is needed. Larger areas of glass pass more sound, so fewer opening sashes along the noisy wall usually means fewer leak points.
Homes with older single glazed windows, worn seals or rattling sliders usually hear the biggest change, but windows are not the only path for sound. New noise reduction windows may not be enough on their own where noise comes through:
Aircraft and other overhead noise reaches the roof as much as the windows. Heavier laminated glass helps at the glazing, but ceiling insulation often matters as much in homes under a flight path.
One older glass door on a noisy wall can undo the quiet windows beside it. Matching double glazed doors or other building work could be needed for a noticeable result.
Heavy trucks, trams and trains can carry vibration through the ground and into the building. Acoustic laminated glass may soften the peaks, but vibration travelling through the structure may be beyond what glazing alone can address.
The compromises that come with double glazed windows for noise reduction are:
A window only blocks sound while it is closed, so a quiet bedroom on a hot Melbourne night may depend on fans, air conditioning or a tilt position. Opening windows on the quieter side of the home can help draw air through.
Laminated and thicker glass adds weight, which can limit how large a sash can be and make sliding panels heavier to move. A different style or panel size may be suggested for very large openings.
Deep sounds such as trucks braking or aircraft overhead are the hardest for any glazing to stop. They usually become quieter without disappearing.
Acoustic laminated glass costs more than standard double glazing. Using it only on the openings that face the noise keeps the extra spend where it changes the most.
A replacement usually runs in these stages:
You share which rooms face the noise and what you hear, by phone on 1300 294 101 or through the quote form. A consultant then measures each opening and talks through styles, glass and colours for those rooms.
The Kilsyth South showroom at 5 Southfork Drive has windows and doors fully installed. The visit is optional.
Each window is made to the measured size in APS’s Kilsyth factory. The glass chosen for each room, whether standard, asymmetric or acoustic laminated, is fitted before the window leaves.
The installation team removes the old windows and fits the new frames. Most homes take one to three days, depending on the number and size of openings.
APS backs its windows with a 10-year product and installation warranty, subject to its warranty terms. Damage from misuse, other trades or normal wear and tear is typically excluded.
This timeframe is a general guide and may vary depending on the home and the scope of work.
Seeing the opening actions side by side often makes the style decision easier.
The credentials behind an APS noise upgrade are:
APS does not subcontract. Every installation is carried out by its own employed, trained and accredited installers.
Every frame corner is hot-plate welded and the frame is reinforced with galvanised steel, so the seal stays even as the frame ages. The German-engineered multi-chamber uPVC profile is tested in Australia, every window is glazed from the inside, and multi-point locks pull each sash onto its seal.
Products are manufactured to AS 2047, the Australian Standard for windows and external glazed doors in buildings, and glass units meet AS 1288 requirements. APS is also a registered building practitioner for window and door replacement.
The APS management team has more than 50 years of combined industry experience. The business has installed more than 25,000 windows and doors.
No window turns a main road silent, though the right style and glass on the walls facing it can change what reaches the bedroom. APS makes and fits these windows across more than 280 suburbs in Melbourne and regional Victoria.
A home visit turns what you hear at 5 am into a specification for each opening, so you can decide with real figures in front of you.
Pricing depends on the number and size of windows, the opening style and the glass specification, so APS prices each home individually.
Payment plan options are available, subject to the finance provider’s assessment.
Yes. Many homes start with street-facing bedrooms and living areas, then upgrade the remaining windows later.
Usually, yes, with approval from the owners corporation first.
APS can provide documentation to support that application. Renters would also need the rental provider’s consent before any work goes ahead.
Older double glazing may have worn seals, panes of matching thickness or a sliding style that leaks around the sash.
An assessment can show whether new glass or a new window is likely to help.
Not always. A third pane adds mass, but the narrower gaps between panes can limit the acoustic gain.
For noise alone, acoustic laminated double glazing often performs comparably. Triple glazing is more often chosen where thermal performance is also a priority.
Often, yes. Under Clause 43.01 (Heritage Overlay) of Victorian planning schemes, a planning permit is usually required for external alterations, which can include replacing windows.
Requirements vary by council and property, so checking with your local council before ordering may avoid delays.
In most cases, yes. The same sealed unit and argon-filled gap that slow sound also slow heat moving through the glass.
This may help rooms stay warmer in winter and cooler in summer, depending on the home’s orientation, insulation and shading.
This page provides general information only and does not take into account your objectives, situation or needs. You may wish to speak with a qualified professional before making decisions about your home.