Keeping Noise Out

[MantaRay]

I've recently moved and after 20 years of not living alongside a road find I'm getting disturbed by passing traffic, particularly with the ever increasing number of vehicles with aftermarket exhaust systems. To some extent I'm getting used to it but wonder what the first step would be to making my bedroom [window facing road] a little quieter. My current double glazed windows seem to fit okay, and are not very old. Could I go for triple glazing or perhaps add secondary glazing. Any advice gratefully received. I'm not expecting to make the room soundproof as such, just get the noise level down a bit more.

[ladybirder]

When I got married our first house was on a main road and I couldn't sleep with the noise. The good news is it didn't take long to get used to it and when we moved to a quiet road I couldn't get to sleep without the hum of the traffic to soothe me to sleep. I'd wait a bit longer if I were you and see how you go before spending any money.

[gingejbee]

Secondary glazing (with a 10 cm gap) is one way of reducing the outside noise, or......you could generate your own noise inside, which is a surprisingly good way of dealing with annoying outside noises.
Something like this on your bedside table - you get used to the sounds surprisingly quickly (I use something similar for tinnitus)

Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[Old_Geezer]

The gap required between the panes to reduce noise differs from that to reduce heat transfer. Maybe fit secondary glazing as first option ? Aside with that there must be stuff you can line walls (and floors) with. Try a websearch.

[Ken4155]

I had trouble living on one of Burnley's main roads but after a few months, i hardly noticed the noise from the traffic nor the late night revellers making their way home. I guess it must be akin to living beneath an airport's flight path. Very disturbing at first, then hardly noticeable.

[Old_Geezer]

Both suggestions above mine are good. I would say you can generate sounds using smart phone apps.

[DarceyK123]

Is there a bedroom at the back you could use?

[Hopkirk]

Earplugs?

[goodgoalie]

I'd fit secondary glazing, and use heavy curtains - I find the darker my bedroom is, the easier it is to sleep - so a dark room might aid sleep.

[alavahalf]

We live about 100metres away from a dual carriageway. The noise was disturbing, especially at night when it is used as a launch pad, for high powered motor bikes hoping to break the land speed record.
We already have a new UPVC window, so what I have done is fit blocks of Celotex very snugly between the roof joists in the area above the noisy room. The effect on noise was instant, it also made the room a lot warmer in the winter, even without the heating on.
My wife made roman blinds with a blackout lining to fit inside the window reveal ... and we then fitted new heavy curtains also with a blackout lining. For the curtains I fitted a new track, so they hung very close to the wall. We dont see street lights shining round the side of the curtains at night, in fact we dont see anything at all and are no longer bothered by the noise from the road.

[Hopkirk]

In the summer you might want the windows open.

[Old_Geezer]

That's a job for air cond.
Hopefully less noisy than traffic.

[alavahalf]

"In the summer you might want the windows open'

Then you put the earplugs in.

[MantaRay]

Thank you all for your suggestions and comments, some interesting and helpful advice for me to work to.

[Samcotton85]

I used to hang really thick curtains and have blackout roller blinds on my windows when I lived in Leeds. Also if you get some stick on sealer and make sure there's no draft as noise can get in that way as well. Good luck

[bookbinder]

Is it possible to plant a tall hedge or build a tall fence next to the road?

[technolog1c]

Sorry to hear that, I've had it before where traffic noise (and trains!) were so loud I had to move. Your best bet is to soundproof your garden and create barriers in front of your house to block noise as far away as possible. This is a half decent article on it: https://quietliving.co.uk/soundproofing-garden/

Essentially if you can afford soundproof fencing, or a large thick hedge, they should stop most airborne noise... and the taller the better. For your house, there are companies that specialise in soundproofing stuff, might be worth a look. Good luck!