The installation of secondary glazing to patio doors in a suburban home in Cockfosters, North London makes a living room comfier for a couple’s young child
Mr and Mrs Chowdhury completely renovated their semi-detached property 6 years back, disregarding one area as they felt a change was not needed at the time. The single glazed patio doors were a little rickety, but the minor draughts and noise from outside did not disturb them to warrant replacing them. This all changed in the winter of 2019, upon the arrival of their newborn.
The living room was chillier than other areas of the house, due to the single glazed patio doors, which had not been changed since the house was built in the early 70s.
New Barnet railway station is a stone’s throw from the couple’s house, so they were now concerned about the levels of noise from the passing trains.
Having searched various ways to improve thermal insulation, it turned out that installing secondary glazing to the primary single glazed sliding doors would be a cheaper solution. The opening was approximately 2m x 2m and it was vital that the treatment would be as discreet as possible, matching the sightlines of the current patio doors.
Optimum noise and thermal insulation
Series 10 two-pane horizontal sliding unit was purchased following advice from Selectaglaze. This unit is an adaptable secondary glazing treatment that allows easy access to the outer window and can be used to treat sliding patio doors. By installing an independent glazing system, heat loss can be diminished by up to 60%. The high-performance brush seals eradicate draughts, thus boosting comfort near a window. Timber grounds were set up in the reveal, which had skirting boards. Installers scribed into the timber frame to create matching grooves and nuances to fit flush in the reveal and over the skirting.
In order for optimum noise insulation, the Series 10 was set 100mm apart from the doors and consequentially achieved an acoustic reduction of over 40dB. Furthermore, in terms of security, the addition of secondary glazing to a set of patio doors provides a second barrier to entry. The Series 10 was installed with 6.4mm laminated glass which increased noise reduction as well as offering added strength and security to the unit.
The clients are thrilled with their new secondary unit and have benefited greatly from the warmer and quieter living room environment, which has nullified any angsts they had over the comfort of their baby.
“I am so impressed by the look and performance of our secondary glazing. The whole point of getting our doors treated was to improve thermal and noise insulation for the benefit of our baby and it has done that,”
– Monika Chowdhury.
Royal Warrant Holder Selectaglaze is the leading specialist in secondary glazing, established in 1966 and has considerable experience of working within Listed and sensitive buildings.
Selectaglaze
Tel: +44 01727 837271
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