Does secondary glazing help with aircraft noise?

Yes. With 10.8mm acoustic laminate at a 150-200mm cavity, overflight peaks of 58dB internally typically fall to under 35dB — enough to sleep through the Heathrow early arrival sequence.

Which London areas are worst affected by flight path noise?

Heathrow westerly approaches affect Richmond, Barnes, Kew and Chiswick; easterly operations affect Putney, Fulham and Battersea. London City departures affect Greenwich, Tower Hamlets and Wandsworth.

Do rooflights need treating too?

On top-floor rooms and loft conversions, usually yes. Aircraft noise arrives from above, so once the windows are treated an untreated rooflight often becomes the dominant remaining path.

Is 6.4mm laminate enough under a flight path?

It helps, but aircraft noise is broadband with strong 2-4kHz content, so we recommend 10.8mm acoustic laminate on any bedroom under an active approach or departure corridor.

Secondary Glazing for Aircraft Noise

For flight-path homes where the day starts at 04:30 whether you like it or not.

Get a fixed quote 0207 060 1572

80-95dB

Overflight facade peak

90 sec

Approach interval

54dB

Achievable reduction

04:30

First arrivals

Under the Heathrow westerly approach — Richmond, Barnes, Kew, Chiswick, Putney — overflights arrive every 90 seconds from 04:30, each producing 80-95dB at the facade. London City departures affect a narrower corridor across Greenwich, Tower Hamlets and Wandsworth with a sharper, higher-frequency profile.

Aircraft noise is broadband but with unusually strong content at 200-800Hz from turbofan and airframe noise. It also arrives from above, which means the roof and any rooflights matter as much as the windows in the top floor rooms.

Approach vs departure noise

Approach noise is dominated by airframe and flap-deployment noise — broadband, sustained, and heaviest at 200-800Hz. Departure noise is engine-dominated, louder at peak but shorter, with more high-frequency content. Homes under an approach path experience more total noise exposure; homes under a departure path experience higher individual peaks.

Heathrow westerly approach: Richmond, Barnes, Kew, Chiswick
Heathrow easterly operations: Putney, Fulham, Battersea
London City departures: Greenwich, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth
Night quota period: 23:30-06:00, with early arrivals from 04:30

Specification for flight-path homes

We specify 10.8mm acoustic laminate at 150mm minimum. Because aircraft noise is broadband, the acoustic PVB interlayer is essential — it removes the coincidence dip that would otherwise let the 2-4kHz jet content straight through.

On top-floor rooms and loft conversions we also assess rooflights, which are frequently the dominant path once the windows are treated and are easy to overlook.

Sleep and the 04:30 problem

Early arrivals matter disproportionately because they land in the last sleep cycle. Getting a bedroom from 58dB peaks to under 35dB is the difference between waking on every overflight and sleeping through the approach sequence entirely.

Aircraft noise specification

Glass: 10.8mm acoustic laminate with damping PVB
Cavity: 150mm minimum, 200mm preferred on approach paths
Target band: 200-800Hz airframe, 2-4kHz jet content
Additional paths: Rooflight assessment on top-floor rooms
System performance: Up to 54dB
Typical result: 58dB overflight peak reduced to under 35dB

Pricing guide

Specification	Price	Notes
Flight-path bedroom, 10.8mm	from £630	150mm+ cavity
Whole first floor (3 windows)	from £1,750	10.8mm throughout
Rooflight secondary panel	from £420	Top-floor and loft rooms
Free acoustic sound survey	Free	Overflight peak measurement

All prices supplied and fitted in London, inclusive of survey and 25-year warranty. See the full secondary glazing price list.

Case study: Heathrow approach house in Richmond

Richmond, TW10

Problem: 92dB overflight peaks on westerly approach; 59dB in both first-floor bedrooms from 04:35 daily.

Solution: 10.8mm acoustic laminate sliders at 180mm cavity plus a lift-out panel to the landing rooflight.

Result: Peaks reduced to 33dB internally; occupants report sleeping through the entire early arrival sequence.

Frequently asked questions

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