Installing double-glazed windows is a standard solution for home owners troubled by traffic noise or noise from nearby homes. What may not be widely known is that double-glazing technology has come of age, with some companies offering new, highly effective double-glazing products as well as alternatives to double glazing. The norm in Europe, UPVC double-glazed windows are beginning to take off here. "PVC is very energy efficient, plus it's noise absorbing," says Gary, a window and door installer.
"It's a multi-chamber-type framing product: you've got either three or four chambers and air trapped inside the frame. The noise is deadened as it goes through, plus you don't get the heat/cold transfer."