Clearview National August 2015 - Issue 165 | Page 40

doors&windows

sponsored by

A Quieter,
Noisy World
Wind turbines, emergency vehicles, in-car sound
systems, home delivery vehicles... the modern
world has been getting progressively noisier,
as social norms and habits have changed the
way we live and tolerate certain sounds.
»»Contrary to popular
belief there is no decibel limit that
needs to be exceeded for noise
to be categorised as a ‘statutory
nuisance’, but the European
Union has set 65 dB as the
maximum acceptable limit of
noise a person can tolerate on a
daily basis, while levels between
70-125 dB can be painful (a
passing motorcycle may reach
100 dB), above that, outright
unbearable.
Leading the fight against noise
pollution in the home is one of
the industry’s largest specialist
manufacturers and supplier of
secondary glazing in the UK,
Granada Glazing.
The company is helping to
bring attention to the issue
through the development of
major contracts with national
partners including hotel chains,
museums, banks, housing
associations and other commercial
bodies.
Established in 1992, the
business specialises in discreet
aluminium internal windows that
radically improve acoustic and
thermal performance. As pressure
grows on developers to build on
brownfield sites, near busy roads

or under flight paths, the issue of
noise pollution has the potential
to become a major cause célèbre,
whilst home energy assessments
have focused the home buying
public’s attention on to the issue
of energy efficiency.
Of course, noise pollution is
caused by several sources, road
works, trains, industry, to add a
few more, but the biggest factor
is motor vehicles – estimated to
cause 80% of the noise we hear
on a daily basis. Recent studies
also suggest that adults living in
areas with the noisiest daytime
traffic were 5% more likely to
be hospitalised for strokes than
those from quieter areas, with an
increase of 9% for the elderly.
Granada Commercial Sales
Director, Mike Latham believes
that these low frequency noises
are often tolerat ed far longer than
they need to be:
“Low frequency noise can
result in actual vibration of the
glazing, meaning the problem
can get progressively worse. The
general “rumble” of traffic noise,
passing aircraft, heavy goods
vehicles, buses, taxis, train and
railway noise, tend to fall in the
low frequency category. In these

40 » AUG 2015 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M

instances, secondary glazing with
thicker glass, fitted correctly, can
make the world of difference.”
With a comprehensive product
range and portfolio spanning
all major sectors, Granada has
supported renovations to some
of the UK’s most iconic, historic
buildings.
“Emergency services, power
tools, overhead powerlines, these
higher frequency noise polluters
are from the modern era and not
the sorts of things that, even if
they had the technology, were
around for the architects of
yesteryear to deal with. Today,
the technology is certainly with
us”, says Mike, “Noise is all
about our perception and how
we relate to it, and acoustic glass
with a properly designed air gap
can reduce these to a whisper.
Secondary windows provide
all the thermal insulation and
soundproofing that modern
living standards demand, whilst
preserving the character and
appearance of older properties.”
This massive impact is
certainly not lost on many of the
company’s grateful customers,
and the Dinnington based
manufacturer is now taking

further strides towards bringing
attention to the issue through
investment in new premises,
technology, and senior-level
appointments across customer
services, marketing and
production.
Further accreditation from
both the Achilles Building
Confidence and Constructionline
schemes have also been added to
the existing BBA, CHAS and ISO
9001 awards.
“It’s important to us to
demonstrate our credentials,”
concludes Mike, “And to
highlight the superb expertise
that we have at our disposal. The
quality of design and discreet
look remains an important part
of all our products. Unobtrusive,
strong, reliable, these are the
characteristics that make us
leaders in the field. Our product
range continues to grow as our
production capabilities have
increased, and the investment
we have made means that we are
able to build on our position as
a specialist manufacturer and
supplier of secondary glazing in
the UK.”
www.gsecg.com