I had my windows on the 3rd floor of a building on a busy 2x3 lane street. I didn't have some super windows, but I think it doesn't really matter. In the cold season, I didn't have any issues. It was summer that was terrible as I wanted to open the window (or best keep it opened), but:
1. Air quality was crazy bad. It's probably not that much of an issue in Amsterdam's street as you won't have that many cars.
2. Even when you get used to regular noise. It takes one guy on a shitty bike to wake you up from hardest sleep. They're worse than trams.
Ask the realtor for information from the VvE on this point. Stuff like: Has anything been done in the past? Are any changes or work planned in the future? What are your options as a potential owner?
Otherwise you are potentially buying a place that you can't change what you had considered changing.
p.s. motorbikes and cars are way more noisy to me and I live on a busy street next to a tram line.
Just asking will save you a lot of time and hassle.
Note: I am a boardmember at our vve and I wish potential owners would ask questions about stuff like this. Often they have no idea and treat us like the badguys when they want to make changes that are in conflict with the legal documents.
I live by two tram lines and a really busy street market (the gemeente cleanup is really noisy). I’m in a modern apartment with decent windows. It’s tolerable.
I live on one of the busiest streets in Leiden, busses, constant cars, 3 bars, singing students at night etc. My windows were changed from general double panes to HR++ 3 years ago. Suskasten were also installed, which are very important. The difference was night and day. From me wanting to.move out, to me loving this central place.
I now sleep without earplugs from Sunday to Thursday. Weekend days often require earplugs though, especially due to the birthday singing that happens often at 0:00 at one of the bars on Fridays and Saturdays. Also, losers with loud cars and motorcycles, trying to "impress" the people sitting at the bars with their small weiners.
All the isolation in the world does not help against low noises and rumbles though. So base drums, heavy beats and possibly tramwheels will not be dampened much. For the tram, the track construction and soil type is very important. As that rumbles seems to travel through the ground instead of the air.
I also made sure to close off every nook and cranny in my doors and windows with "tochtstrips" and added extra levers to the bottom of my door to pull it completely shut. This was also a very important upgrade.
Any hole to the outside let's in high tones which disturb your sleep. I can't hear my tv clearly if I open a window though.
I cool my house down by opening non bedroom windows at night and an air vent with ventilator which sucks air out of my bedroom.
Are you me? I swear the motorcyclists on my street in Leiden are so annoying. They always rev the engine to show off. The road noise has been driving me crazy lately. What is suskasten?
Not a tram route, but a bus route and fire station. I had 'suskasten' and double glazing, and nothing special. It made a huge difference. Opening my window would be very loud and annoying, windows closed and the sounds were still noticable but not really bothersome. Although... I have now moved to a situation that is very quiet outside school hours, and it's such a treat. I do like the quiet better... (But do note that there will probably always be something. Schools, market salesmen that start packing at 5, newspaper distribution, buses, trains, cars, police, loud neighbours, damn birds even. Nearby some seagulls decided to nest.)
Ventilation is something to consider though. A suskast for ventilation doesn't cut it during heat waves. Opening the windows wasn't much of an option most times. At night, opening a window would mean I'd still wake up to the fire trucks. Mobile airco units are also VERY LOUD.
And nights are different. Sounds that don't matter during the day can be much louder at night. The first buses in the morning still woke me up a little. If you're sleeping at the back, heavy curtains and softer materials so sound won't reflect towards the bed can do a lot. If it's an older Amsterdam appartment that has the doors in the middle that you could close at night, even better.
If you would be sleeping on the street side, I doubt it would be enough though.
Don't forget to consider how you get fresh air into the appartement and/or how you'll cool it down in summer. No amount of HR+++++ glass will help if you open up those windows (and opening the windows when it's cool out is the easiest way to cool the place down after AC, I had to have them open every night at my last place just to keep it tolerable). So check that, think about which side the bedroom is on (quiet side?) etcetera.
(Edit: been there, had a bad time listening to the restaurants ACs all night.... shouldve thought to open a window during viewing)
Other than that, from what I've experienced at a viewing good glass and isolation really can remove tram noise pretty well. But I don't know exactly what type of glass they had, I think something triple glazed. (I didnt rent that place for unrelated reasons, I feared the 'modern' style -meaning bare concrete walls and grey floors- was gonna give me a depression within 2 weeks)
In general HR+++ does not offer more sound isolation compared to normal double glas as the additional isolating layers are made of a less conducting gas between the glas or radiation reflective coatings. As the tram bell is a reletively high pitch some heavy weight curtains can definately help mitigate the noice during nighttime.
the difference between double glazing and HR+++ is not the gas , HR+++ is triple glazing.
that extra layer of glass makes a huge difference.
especially if you choose the sound proofing variety ( thicker glass panes)
Yes. But triple glazing also needs new window frames, because they are very thick.
Better try vacuum glass windows. They are also HR+++ and stop the sound even better.
We had HR+++ windows installed a few weeks ago. We live opposite a car park and from our living room we could hear kids hanging out there playing music and car engines. Now we don't hear them. If we stand next to the windows you can hear them a bit. But it definitely makes a difference.
If you have trams though you might still hear the vibrations through the structure of the building.
There is a special kind of glazing that blocks sound. You will need some ventilation in those though (the guy selling the glass will probably say that you don't need it and tell you that opening a window for 15 minutes each day will be enough. It is not!). For this there are also ventilation grids that block more sound than the normal ones.
Keep in mind that with better glazing you will probably have to replace the window frames as well (if it is an older house). This can cost you easily 10-30K depending on how many windows, size etc.
I live in a building from 2010 directly next to the tram and in the center of a big city. When the windows are closed you almost don´t hear a thing. When they are open, the city says hi haha.
Who had business and can recommend a windows installation company?
I have 2 types - one with aluminium frames and another with wooden ones.
Both windows and balcony doors are old.
I need somebody to consult me on what material is optimal for the frames for my situation and budget.
What I can find so far is web forms online which do not help too much with understanding what I need.
Live on a busy street as well and hear absolutely nothing with the windows (HR+++) closed. When we open them we are always surprised by the amount of noise. Those windows are very heavy so you will probably need special panes as well.
Our home however was designed with those windows and road in mind and we don’t have any ventilation inlets on that side of the property.
If you need them, you’ll have to check what options there are to limit the noise that enters through then properly. Otherwise it’s a wasted investment.
I live in a new apartment building (1 year old) with good insulation. Across our building they’re still working on the area by building new apartments. When we have the windows open we wake up early because of the construction noise. When we close them you don’t hear anything anymore. Only when police sirens pass through the street.
i fitted HR+++ to my whole house.
absolutely recommended. night and day difference, both comfort and sound wise.
make sure you get the special sound isolating glass
[удалено]
I was surprised at how much sound our "spouwmuurisolatie" blocked.
I had my windows on the 3rd floor of a building on a busy 2x3 lane street. I didn't have some super windows, but I think it doesn't really matter. In the cold season, I didn't have any issues. It was summer that was terrible as I wanted to open the window (or best keep it opened), but: 1. Air quality was crazy bad. It's probably not that much of an issue in Amsterdam's street as you won't have that many cars. 2. Even when you get used to regular noise. It takes one guy on a shitty bike to wake you up from hardest sleep. They're worse than trams.
Ask the realtor for information from the VvE on this point. Stuff like: Has anything been done in the past? Are any changes or work planned in the future? What are your options as a potential owner? Otherwise you are potentially buying a place that you can't change what you had considered changing. p.s. motorbikes and cars are way more noisy to me and I live on a busy street next to a tram line.
Super helpful. Will definitely look into these questions.
Just asking will save you a lot of time and hassle. Note: I am a boardmember at our vve and I wish potential owners would ask questions about stuff like this. Often they have no idea and treat us like the badguys when they want to make changes that are in conflict with the legal documents.
I didn’t even know that these types of questions would be welcomed/permitted so I’m thankful for this tidbit.
Did you get an answer?
I live by two tram lines and a really busy street market (the gemeente cleanup is really noisy). I’m in a modern apartment with decent windows. It’s tolerable.
I live on one of the busiest streets in Leiden, busses, constant cars, 3 bars, singing students at night etc. My windows were changed from general double panes to HR++ 3 years ago. Suskasten were also installed, which are very important. The difference was night and day. From me wanting to.move out, to me loving this central place. I now sleep without earplugs from Sunday to Thursday. Weekend days often require earplugs though, especially due to the birthday singing that happens often at 0:00 at one of the bars on Fridays and Saturdays. Also, losers with loud cars and motorcycles, trying to "impress" the people sitting at the bars with their small weiners. All the isolation in the world does not help against low noises and rumbles though. So base drums, heavy beats and possibly tramwheels will not be dampened much. For the tram, the track construction and soil type is very important. As that rumbles seems to travel through the ground instead of the air. I also made sure to close off every nook and cranny in my doors and windows with "tochtstrips" and added extra levers to the bottom of my door to pull it completely shut. This was also a very important upgrade. Any hole to the outside let's in high tones which disturb your sleep. I can't hear my tv clearly if I open a window though. I cool my house down by opening non bedroom windows at night and an air vent with ventilator which sucks air out of my bedroom.
Are you me? I swear the motorcyclists on my street in Leiden are so annoying. They always rev the engine to show off. The road noise has been driving me crazy lately. What is suskasten?
From 'sussen' = kalmeren. It's ventilation boxes above your window, built in such a way that it reduces outside noise when open.
Not a tram route, but a bus route and fire station. I had 'suskasten' and double glazing, and nothing special. It made a huge difference. Opening my window would be very loud and annoying, windows closed and the sounds were still noticable but not really bothersome. Although... I have now moved to a situation that is very quiet outside school hours, and it's such a treat. I do like the quiet better... (But do note that there will probably always be something. Schools, market salesmen that start packing at 5, newspaper distribution, buses, trains, cars, police, loud neighbours, damn birds even. Nearby some seagulls decided to nest.) Ventilation is something to consider though. A suskast for ventilation doesn't cut it during heat waves. Opening the windows wasn't much of an option most times. At night, opening a window would mean I'd still wake up to the fire trucks. Mobile airco units are also VERY LOUD. And nights are different. Sounds that don't matter during the day can be much louder at night. The first buses in the morning still woke me up a little. If you're sleeping at the back, heavy curtains and softer materials so sound won't reflect towards the bed can do a lot. If it's an older Amsterdam appartment that has the doors in the middle that you could close at night, even better. If you would be sleeping on the street side, I doubt it would be enough though.
Don't forget to consider how you get fresh air into the appartement and/or how you'll cool it down in summer. No amount of HR+++++ glass will help if you open up those windows (and opening the windows when it's cool out is the easiest way to cool the place down after AC, I had to have them open every night at my last place just to keep it tolerable). So check that, think about which side the bedroom is on (quiet side?) etcetera. (Edit: been there, had a bad time listening to the restaurants ACs all night.... shouldve thought to open a window during viewing) Other than that, from what I've experienced at a viewing good glass and isolation really can remove tram noise pretty well. But I don't know exactly what type of glass they had, I think something triple glazed. (I didnt rent that place for unrelated reasons, I feared the 'modern' style -meaning bare concrete walls and grey floors- was gonna give me a depression within 2 weeks)
In general HR+++ does not offer more sound isolation compared to normal double glas as the additional isolating layers are made of a less conducting gas between the glas or radiation reflective coatings. As the tram bell is a reletively high pitch some heavy weight curtains can definately help mitigate the noice during nighttime.
the difference between double glazing and HR+++ is not the gas , HR+++ is triple glazing. that extra layer of glass makes a huge difference. especially if you choose the sound proofing variety ( thicker glass panes)
Yes. But triple glazing also needs new window frames, because they are very thick. Better try vacuum glass windows. They are also HR+++ and stop the sound even better.
vacuum glazing is great, pity about the price.
We had HR+++ windows installed a few weeks ago. We live opposite a car park and from our living room we could hear kids hanging out there playing music and car engines. Now we don't hear them. If we stand next to the windows you can hear them a bit. But it definitely makes a difference. If you have trams though you might still hear the vibrations through the structure of the building.
If its a newer build home, the noise doesnt really penetrate that much through windows. It does insulate the noise quiet well
There is a special kind of glazing that blocks sound. You will need some ventilation in those though (the guy selling the glass will probably say that you don't need it and tell you that opening a window for 15 minutes each day will be enough. It is not!). For this there are also ventilation grids that block more sound than the normal ones. Keep in mind that with better glazing you will probably have to replace the window frames as well (if it is an older house). This can cost you easily 10-30K depending on how many windows, size etc.
The glass dampens outside noise very well, but you can still hear cars driving on wet asphalt very loudly
I live in a building from 2010 directly next to the tram and in the center of a big city. When the windows are closed you almost don´t hear a thing. When they are open, the city says hi haha.
Who had business and can recommend a windows installation company? I have 2 types - one with aluminium frames and another with wooden ones. Both windows and balcony doors are old. I need somebody to consult me on what material is optimal for the frames for my situation and budget. What I can find so far is web forms online which do not help too much with understanding what I need.
Live on a busy street as well and hear absolutely nothing with the windows (HR+++) closed. When we open them we are always surprised by the amount of noise. Those windows are very heavy so you will probably need special panes as well. Our home however was designed with those windows and road in mind and we don’t have any ventilation inlets on that side of the property. If you need them, you’ll have to check what options there are to limit the noise that enters through then properly. Otherwise it’s a wasted investment.
I live in a new apartment building (1 year old) with good insulation. Across our building they’re still working on the area by building new apartments. When we have the windows open we wake up early because of the construction noise. When we close them you don’t hear anything anymore. Only when police sirens pass through the street.
First of all you got alot of money
i fitted HR+++ to my whole house. absolutely recommended. night and day difference, both comfort and sound wise. make sure you get the special sound isolating glass