Double Glazing Wattle Grove

Wattle Grove is on the published hardest-hit list for Perth Airport’s new parallel runway, with up to 200 extra daily aircraft noise events projected when the runway opens around 2028. The suburb sits approximately 8 km east of Perth Airport under the Runway 03/21 corridor, and Perth Airport currently operates 440 movements per day with no overnight curfew, growing to 610 per day by 2046. Noise levels per overflight in this corridor are projected at 70 to 80 dB.

The figure of 200 extra daily noise events comes from Perth Airport’s community consultation for the New Runway Project (03R/21L). Final flight paths have not yet been released, so exact track-level predictions for individual streets are not yet confirmed. What is already on the published record is that Wattle Grove is among the suburbs facing the largest step-change in noise exposure when the new runway opens. Perth Airport’s community noise information confirms the suburb’s listed status and the runway’s approximate opening timeline.

Builder-spec double glazing and acoustic double glazing are not the same product, and standard estate glazing is unlikely to meet an aircraft noise specification. Wattle Grove estate homes built from 1999 onwards typically include glass packages specified for energy ratings and basic weather performance. The key differences from acoustic glazing are the laminate interlayer, the cavity width and the frame seal quality.

Acoustic double glazing uses at least one laminated pane whose interlayer absorbs vibration energy, whereas builder-spec double glazing uses two plain panes with a cavity sized primarily for thermal transfer. For residents on Excalibur Chase, Lancelot Green or elsewhere in the estate, the practical test is whether you can clearly hear aircraft through closed windows. If you can, the current glazing is not performing acoustically. Acoustic glazing for noise reduction is a different specification to the thermal glass fitted by most volume builders.

Tonkin Highway noise walls are designed for road traffic noise only and do not help with aircraft noise. Noise walls work by blocking the line of sight between a moving vehicle and a nearby property. Road noise travels horizontally at ground level, so a wall intercepts it effectively. Aircraft noise arrives from above at angles the wall cannot intercept.

Wattle Grove homeowners near the highway boundary face a compound noise problem: the Tonkin Highway Corridor upgrade (a $366 million project currently under construction) will reduce road traffic intrusion for the nearest properties. The EPA required noise walls under State Planning Policy 5.4 as a condition of approval. But residents throughout the suburb still need to address the aircraft component separately, and the Tonkin upgrade should not be read as a substitute for acoustic glazing against flight-path exposure. The two noise sources require different solutions.

Research consistently identifies sleep quality and cognitive performance as the two areas most affected by aircraft noise exposure in children. Studies published in peer-reviewed literature have found measurable differences in reading and working memory in children from high noise exposure zones compared with matched peers in quieter areas. Sleep fragmentation from intermittent noise peaks is the primary mechanism: aircraft events are episodic rather than constant, making them particularly effective at triggering arousal during light sleep.

Wattle Grove Primary School is one of the suburb’s main family drawcards, and 62.4 per cent of families in Wattle Grove are couple families with children (ABS 2021). The suburb is on the published hardest-hit list for up to 200 extra daily noise events after 2028. Perth Airport operates with no overnight curfew, so the cumulative overnight rest impact on school-age children is a direct reason families with young children are choosing to act before the runway opens rather than after.

Acoustic double glazing can reduce interior noise by up to 70 per cent compared with single-pane windows, and meaningfully more than standard builder-spec double glazing. Penot Double Glazing typically specifies units in the Rw 35 to Rw 40 range for Wattle Grove homes, which corresponds to the projected exposure profile for this corridor under current and new-runway operations. An aircraft that is clearly audible through standard glazing becomes a low background level through a correctly specified acoustic unit.

Rw (weighted sound reduction index) is the standard measure: an Rw 35 unit reduces sound transmission by 35 decibels, Rw 40 by 40 decibels. With projected overflight noise at 70 to 80 dB in this corridor, a well-specified Rw 40 unit brings the indoor level to around 30 to 40 dB, well below the roughly 50 dB level where sleep disturbance typically begins. The specific specification for your home is confirmed at the on-site assessment, as window count, orientation and frame configuration all affect the final recommendation.

Rw, the weighted sound reduction index, is the standard laboratory rating for how much airborne sound a glass unit reduces. An Rw 35 unit reduces sound transmission by 35 decibels; an Rw 40 unit reduces it by 40 decibels. For Wattle Grove homes in the Runway 03/21 corridor, where projected overflight noise is 70 to 80 dB, specifying units in the Rw 35 to Rw 40 range provides a meaningful buffer against both current exposure and the projected increase when the new runway opens around 2028.

Higher Rw specifications are available and may be appropriate for homes with particular bedroom orientations or proximity to the flight corridor centre. The Rw rating applies to the glass unit itself; the frame, sealing and installation quality then determine how close to the rated performance the finished installation achieves in practice. All of this is confirmed at the on-site assessment, not estimated over the phone.

In a post-1999 estate home in Wattle Grove, acoustic window replacement involves removing the existing window units, including frame, sash and glass, and installing new acoustic-grade units into the existing rough openings. The brickwork and plasterwork around the opening are not typically disturbed in a standard aluminium-framed estate home.

The new frames are aluminium, thermally broken, and carry the specified acoustic laminated glass. Internal and external reveals are made good as part of the installation. The result from the street is visually similar to the original window; the difference is entirely in the acoustic and thermal performance. For sliding door openings, a similar process applies. Your home’s floor plan, character and external appearance do not change. What you put in differs from builder-spec in glass lamination, cavity width and frame seal quality. Specific lead times are confirmed at quote stage based on scope and current scheduling.

The primary cost drivers for acoustic window replacement in a Wattle Grove estate home are the number of openings, their dimensions, the glass specification (Rw rating and laminate configuration) and the frame type selected. A typical three-bedroom estate home may have between 10 and 16 window openings plus sliding door panels.

Treating all openings in one project is usually more cost-effective than staged installation. A phased approach starting with bedrooms is a practical option when budget needs to be managed. There are no government subsidy programs for existing homes in noise-affected flight-path suburbs in Western Australia, so the investment sits with the homeowner. With a median house price of $962,000 in Wattle Grove (REIWA, April 2026), the investment in acoustic glazing is proportionate to the asset being protected. Final cost and timing are confirmed at quote stage following the on-site assessment.

Yes. Penot services the surrounding area, including Forrestfield, High Wycombe, Welshpool and Kenwick, all of which sit in the eastern corridor affected by current and projected Perth Airport operations. Forrestfield and High Wycombe are also named alongside Wattle Grove on the published new-runway hardest-hit list. Assessments are carried out on site, with units manufactured in WA and installed by Penot’s in-house team. Call 1300 121 603 to arrange your assessment.