Acoustic Windows Edinburgh — Noise Reduction Specialists

Up to 42 dB Rw · Sleep with the Window 'Open' · From £595 per window

Edinburgh's main-road tenements — Leith Walk, Lothian Road, London Road, Newington, Gorgie Road, Dalry Road — suffer 60–75 dB of traffic noise at the window. Acoustic-laminate glazing combined with brush-pile draught-proofing cuts that to 25–35 dB inside the room, quiet enough to sleep comfortably with the bedroom blackout drawn. Three solutions: acoustic secondary glazing, acoustic slim-line double glazing, or acoustic triple-glazed casement.

How acoustic glazing actually works

Standard 4mm float glass reduces noise by about 28 dB Rw. Two parallel panes of the same thickness behave like a tuning fork at certain frequencies and the noise reduction at those frequencies drops dramatically — which is why bog-standard double glazing is often disappointing for traffic noise. Acoustic-laminate glass uses two panes of differing thickness (typically 4mm + 6mm) bonded with a viscoelastic PVB interlayer that damps the resonance. Result: consistent 36–42 dB Rw across the whole frequency range, especially in the traffic-noise band (low-mid frequencies).

Secondary glazing — the road-facing flat answer

For a road-facing Edinburgh tenement flat, secondary glazing with 6.4mm acoustic-laminate glass fitted 100–150mm behind the original sash gives the best noise reduction of any heritage glazing option — 38–42 dB Rw. The wide air gap between the two panes is what does the work; you can't get this kind of acoustic separation in a single sealed unit. It's also reversible and listed-building-friendly. Cost: from £595 per window for 6.4mm acoustic in aluminium frame.

Acoustic slim-line double glazing for sash windows

When secondary glazing isn't visually acceptable (open-plan studio flats, period interiors where the secondary frame would look wrong), acoustic-laminate slim-line double-glazed units retrofit into the original sash rebate. Performance: 33–36 dB Rw — not as good as secondary glazing but a major improvement on the 28 dB of standard glazing. Cost: from £685 per sash.

Triple-glazed acoustic casement

For new-build replacement work outside conservation areas, A+ triple-glazed casements with acoustic-laminate outer pane give 38–40 dB Rw with the additional benefit of a 0.9 W/m²K thermal U-value. Cost: from £1,295 per window. This is the right answer for road-facing rear extensions, mansard conversions and new infill housing.

Combining acoustic glazing with draught-proofing

Air leakage matters more for noise than people realise. A 1cm gap around a sash leaks as much sound as a 30cm × 30cm hole in plain glass. Acoustic-laminate glazing without brush-pile draught-proofing typically gives 8–10 dB less real-world performance than the lab spec. We always quote acoustic glazing and full draught-proofing as a single package — the combination is what actually makes the bedroom quiet.

Pricing

From £595 per window for 6.4mm acoustic secondary glazing in aluminium frame, £685 per sash for acoustic slim-line double glazing retrofit, £1,295 per window for A+ triple-glazed acoustic casement. Combined acoustic-and-draught-proofing package: £840 per pair of sashes. 10-year sealed-unit warranty.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best window solution for Edinburgh traffic noise?
Acoustic-laminate secondary glazing fitted 100–150mm behind the original sash — 38–42 dB Rw noise reduction. It's the most effective option and the only one that genuinely makes a road-facing tenement bedroom quiet.
How much noise reduction will I actually notice?
60–75 dB outside the window drops to 25–35 dB inside the room. Subjectively, that's the difference between 'I can't sleep without earplugs' and 'I can sleep with the window blackout drawn'.
Does double glazing alone cut traffic noise?
Standard double glazing cuts noise by about 28 dB Rw — disappointing for traffic. The trick is asymmetric pane thicknesses with an acoustic-laminate interlayer, which raises performance to 36–42 dB.
Is acoustic glazing listed-building-compatible?
Secondary glazing is internal and reversible, so it's listed-building-friendly and consent is almost always granted. Acoustic slim-line double glazing in original sashes is approved on a case-by-case basis.
How much does acoustic window glazing cost in Edinburgh?
From £595 per window for 6.4mm acoustic secondary glazing, £685 per sash for acoustic slim-line retrofit, £1,295 per window for A+ triple-glazed acoustic casement.
Will I be able to open my windows after acoustic glazing?
Yes — secondary glazing slides or lifts out for ventilation, slim-line glazed sashes operate normally, and acoustic casements have the same opening hinges as standard casements.

Related Edinburgh window pages

Sash and case specialists

What our customers say