A secondary glazing patio door treatment in a suburban home in Cockfosters, North London makes a living room warmer and more comfortable for a couple’s new born baby.
The Chowdhurys moved into their home in 2015 and renovated their semi-detached property from top to bottom, neglecting one area as they felt a change was not needed at the time. The single glazed patio doors were a little flimsy, but the slight draughts and noise from outside did not affect them enough to warrant replacing them. Fast-forward to Autumn 2019, the couple had a baby boy and this all changed. It was evident that the living room was colder than other areas of the house, and this was substantiated by the fact that the wooden floors were also cold to the touch in the area closest to the patio doors, which were originally installed when the house was built in the early 70s. Whilst downstairs, the baby would normally lay close to the problem area asleep on the sofa. There was a radiator installed by the single glazed doors during the refurb in 2015, but this did little to stifle the cold from outside. Furthermore, New Barnet railway station was not too far away from the couple’s property, so they were concerned about the levels of noise from the passing trains.
Having looked at all the options to improve thermal insulation, it turned out that by installing secondary glazing to the primary single glazed sliding doors would be a more cost-effective solution, as opposed to replacing the doors with double-glazed units. The opening was around 2m x 2m and it was important to the family that the treatment would be as unobtrusive as possible and matched the sightlines of the existing patio doors.
Following a productive discussion with a Technical Advisor at Selectaglaze, an order was placed for a Series 10 horizontal sliding unit. This unit is a versatile 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 reduced by up to 60%. The high-performance brush seals ensure draughts are eliminated, thus encouraging better comfort near a window. Prior to the units being installed, timber grounds were fixed into the reveal, which had skirting boards. Installers scribed into the timber frame to create matching grooves and nuances to fit snug in the reveal and over the skirting. This ensured a thoroughly airtight finish.
To create the required noise insulation, the Series 10 was set 100mm apart from the doors and therefore achieved an acoustic reduction of over 40dB. In addition, from a security standpoint, the inclusion of secondary glazing to a set of patio doors provides a second barrier to entry. Furthermore, in this instance, the Series 10 included 6.4mm laminated glass which increased noise reduction as well as offering added strength and security to the unit.
The clients are thoroughly happy with the look and performance of their new secondary unit and have benefitted greatly from the warmer and quieter living room environment, which has negated any anxieties they had over the comfort of their baby.
"I am so impressed by the look and performance of our secondary glazing and it has done wonders to our living room. 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. The surveyors and installers were friendly and extremely professional, and we were appreciative of the quick turnaround time given the time of year. I highly recommend Selectaglaze to anyone looking for a great solution for draught or outside issues.” Monika Chowdhury
Founded in 1966, Royal Warrant Holder Selectaglaze has considerable experience of working within Listed and sensitive buildings. An extensive range of literature and guidance notes covering acoustics, thermal performance and added security is offered together with a technical advisory service and RIBA approved online CPD Seminars. Selectaglaze distributes monthly Spotlight e-bulletins, with recent updates, new blogposts and events – so sign up on spotlight blogs to not miss out.
