The best house developers aim to create quality homes that are quiet, as well as secure and energy-efficient. Success in this area starts with the roof windows, as Altaterra’s Mhairi McDougall explains.

There are various elements that reduce the possibility of noise reduction when selecting roof windows.

Choose triple glazing

Single glazing, once the only choice for windows, is now rarely used in developments due to the below-par insulation, noise reduction and energy efficiency it offers. Double glazing is clearly a better choice but professional window installers always recommend housebuilders choose triple glazing. A more expensive option, it nevertheless elevates the quality of any home for a host of reasons.

The three panes, each with a layer of gas between, means triple glazed windows are more insulative than double glazed. It’s harder for heat to escape in winter, and for heat to enter in summer and means lower heating bills. This also counts for glazed roof windows in attic rooms.

Particularly helpful for houses near busy roads, three panes offer greater noise reduction, making it more difficult for sound to pass through the glass when the windows are closed. The best windows can lead to 50% more noise reduction than standard windows.

The improved thermal efficiency of triple glazed windows reduces the risk of condensation. By helping to keep the internal temperature up, moisture in the air is less likely to condense on the glass.

Secure design  

Look out for features to make a secure and quieter design: laminated internal panes, toughened external panes, strong and solid locks that leave no gaps when closed, reinforced hinges and a glued pane which means would-be intruders can’t remove the glass.

Superior glass   

Always choose laminated glazing which is especially effective when paired with a toughened external pane.

Laminated glazing is made with two plies of glass bonded together with interlayers, making it shatterproof meaning the home is safer and securer. 

Toughened glass is often used on the external pane of security roof windows. This glass is much harder to break. If it does shatter, it breaks into larger, more blunt pieces that are safer than ‘standard’ glass shards.

Get the right gas

When it comes to window glazing, ensure your double or triple glazed windows have cavities filled with either argon or krypton gas. Argon is a form of inert gas meaning it doesn’t undergo a chemical reaction when conditions such as temperature change. The thermal conductivity of Argon is 33% better than air. 

Argon gas is an inexpensive option so will keep the cost down while still providing good thermal insulation.

But If you’re looking for a highly efficient window, look for one that uses krypton as the cavity gas. Krypton is even more effective than argon, and thus more expensive. The insulative effect of krypton is 40% better than argon and 65% better than air.

Either gas will help to keep energy bills down and reduce CO₂ emissions.

Know your energy ratings 

The most commonly used window glazing energy rating is U-value. U-value defines how much heat is lost through the glazing, sometimes known as the heat transfer coefficient, or thermal transmittance coefficient. The lower the U-value, the more energy efficient a window is.

Ug is the U-value of the pane specifically. Uw is the U-value of the window as a whole. A U-value of 1.4 W/m²K is required by Building Regulations but the best have a value of 0.5 W/m² K.

Shut out the noise 

Thick curtains can help to reduce road noise in a home, look out for ones specifically designed to reduce sound.

When trying to reduce noise in an attic room, you’ll need to look into roof window blinds for your pitched windows (curtains obviously won’t cut it). Blinds are limited in how much sound they can reduce, but a shutter is much more effective.

Shutters created specifically for roof windows provide a much more robust roof window cover that will make a noticeable noise difference in the home. Shutters also add high-quality protection – as well as thermal insulation – to the roof window. They cover over the external side of the window so potential intruders can’t access any part of the window itself. 

Choose eco-friendly 

Look for the most eco-friendly roof window on the UK market and you will find a product that’s likely to also be safe, secure and noise-reducing as it features all of these benefits.

Mhairi McDougall is European region manager at Altaterra