Double Glazing Kewdale

Kewdale sits within 1 to 2 km of Perth Airport’s southern runway boundary, making it one of the closest residential suburbs to the active runway system. Residents near Kew St and Tomato Lake are exposed to aircraft noise from the main Runway 03/21 corridor, with the 5 am departure wave delivering movements every two to three minutes. Perth Airport has no noise curfew, so operations continue across all hours. Alongside aircraft noise, Kewdale residents also hear the Kewdale Freight Terminal, which adds low-frequency rail freight rumble from a second direction. This combination of aircraft and freight noise is the defining characteristic of Kewdale’s noise environment, and glazing here should be specified to address both sources.

Acoustic solutions for flight path suburbs are designed to address both types of noise in a single installation.

Yes. Acoustic double glazing addresses aircraft noise and freight terminal noise in a single installation because it treats the building envelope rather than targeting a specific frequency. Jet approach and departure noise peaks in the mid-to-high frequency range, while freight rail generates significant low-frequency energy that is harder to block with standard glass. A properly specified acoustic unit uses laminated glass with an interlayer that attenuates across the full spectrum, combined with a correctly sized air gap that disrupts transmission for both types of noise. The key difference from standard double glazing is the laminate, which damps vibration rather than simply adding mass. A Kewdale home with two active noise sources benefits from a specification that accounts for both, confirmed at the site assessment.

The noise reduction principles behind acoustic glazing apply equally to aviation and rail freight exposure.

Window replacement with acoustic glazing is the most effective permanent fix for noise-driven sleep disruption in a Kewdale home. In a 1960s to 1980s brick home here, the weakest acoustic points are typically the windows and sliding doors, where single-pane glass and worn seals allow high levels of transmission. Replacing those openings with laminated acoustic units in sealed frames significantly reduces the peak noise events that cause waking, particularly the low-to-mid frequency components of aircraft departure and freight rail noise. Up to 70 per cent noise reduction in the affected rooms is achievable when the right specification is applied to the right openings. The morning departure wave still occurs outside; the difference is whether it registers indoors as a disturbance.

Kewdale’s owner-occupier pockets, particularly the streets near Tomato Lake and the residential sections close to Welshpool Rd, are home to long-term residents who have chosen to stay despite the noise. The proximity to employment hubs, the community feel around Tomato Lake, and affordable entry prices relative to inner-city suburbs are genuine draws. For those homeowners, acoustic glazing is a quality-of-life investment that pays daily dividends in sleep quality, household comfort, and the ability to use outdoor-facing rooms throughout the day. Research on airport-adjacent properties consistently shows that noise exposure is priced into buyer behaviour, and a home that has been acoustically treated presents differently to one that has not. In Kewdale, where both aviation and freight noise are demonstrable drawbacks for future buyers, treating both sources in one scope makes the investment case clearer.

There is no government insulation or buyback program for existing homeowners in Perth’s flight path suburbs, including Kewdale. Sydney invested over $300 million insulating more than 4,000 homes near its airport; Perth has no equivalent scheme. The only regulatory requirement is that new residential developments above certain ANEF contour levels must be built to acoustic standards; homes already standing, including every 1960s to 1980s brick property in Kewdale, are outside the scope of any government intervention. University researchers, including those from the University of Sydney and UNSW, have publicly criticised this gap. The Aircraft Noise Ombudsman has also investigated Perth-specific complaints. None of that scrutiny has resulted in a funded program. For Kewdale homeowners, the cost of fixing the problem falls entirely on the individual. Acoustic glazing is the practical option available.

The answer depends on which side of a Kewdale property faces each road. Tonkin Hwy carries heavy volumes of both passenger and freight vehicles and generates broadband road noise that can penetrate standard residential glazing from street-facing windows. Roe Hwy and Leach Hwy are similarly high-volume arterials affecting properties with western or southern exposures. Welshpool Rd generally carries lower volumes but can carry freight spillover from the terminal precinct during certain periods. For most Kewdale homes, road noise and aircraft noise arrive through different elevations simultaneously: road noise enters through street-facing windows at lower height, while aircraft noise arrives from above. Acoustic glazing reduces transmission through all those openings regardless of source direction. A site assessment identifies which openings carry the most combined load and confirms the specification.

In a typical Kewdale brick veneer home from the 1960s to 1980s era, window replacement involves removing the existing frame, sash, glazing bead and seals from the opening, then installing a new frame system with the acoustic glazing unit set into it. The brickwork opening itself is not altered. The new frame is fixed, sealed and rendered to match the existing interior and exterior finish. Where older aluminium frames are in poor condition, the threshold and reveal trim are updated at the same time to achieve a clean seal. Sliding doors follow the same process: the track, frame, panels and seals are replaced as a system. Structural work to the wall opening is not required. The scope per opening is confirmed at the site assessment, where the condition of the existing frame and the type of replacement unit best suited to that opening are both assessed before any pricing is provided.

The number of openings treated is the primary cost driver for a Kewdale acoustic glazing project. A bedroom-focused scope covering three to four windows costs less than a whole-home project covering ten to fifteen openings. The size of each opening matters because larger panes require heavier glass units and more substantial frame work. The Rw specification also affects cost: a unit at Rw 40 uses different glass and interlayer combinations than one at Rw 37, and the right specification is determined by the measured noise environment at the site. Frame condition in older Kewdale homes can add scope if existing reveals need repair before a new frame can seal correctly. All of these variables are assessed at the on-site quote stage, where the full specification is confirmed before any agreement. Timing is confirmed at quote stage based on the scope and current scheduling.

Yes. Penot services all neighbouring suburbs in the City of Belmont area, including Cloverdale, Belmont, Welshpool and Queens Park. Each of these suburbs shares exposure to Perth Airport flight paths and, for those closest to the freight precinct, similar freight terminal noise conditions. Assessments are carried out on site, with units manufactured in WA by Penot’s in-house team. Penot is a manufacturer and installer, not a referral service. Call 1300 121 603 to arrange your assessment.