# wind noise from windows



## mbsigman

Howdy all.  Newbie to the forum here.

Here in Texas the wind blows like a sonufagun all the time.  Either it's blowing like a sonufagun from the south or it's blowing like a sonufagun from the north, but it's always blowing.  The wind whistles across our windows (which all have solar screens attached) and inside it sounds almost like a haunted house.

Is there anything that can be done to the windows or solar screens outside to preclude the haunted house sound inside?   

Thanks

Mike


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## inspectorD

The rattling is from the loose window sashs. To tighten them up your best solution is weatherstripping. Try the foam stuff first and see how it goes with one window. The next thing could be to install a few blocks with protection weatherstrip, or shims to push the window tight to the outside frame. These would be needed in the corners. 
Go to a window and apply a little pressure to it,,,without breaking it ,,and you will see what I am suggesting. 
Plenty of work,,but it does fix the haunted noise. 

As you fiddle with it you will come up with a solution....anyone else?


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## travelover

I just tightened up my double hung windows by adding a strip of foam tape to the top and bottom of the sashes. I had found the upper sash was not tight to the top of the frame.


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## mbsigman

Hi folks, and I thank you for your replies.

I apologize; I obviously didn't make myself clear enough.  Our windows are not rattling nor are the solar screens (outside of the windows) rattling.  What's going on is we are hearing the wind noise whistling around the windows.  Can't feel any distinct air leaks per se, and long ago I installed foam weatherstripping around the windows at the bottom and where the window opens, about halfway up.

So it's not a rattling problem but rather a whistling problem.  You've seen the horror movies where the wind can be heard whistling through the house.  That's what it sounds like here.  But there's no rattling; those windows are tighter than a gnat's (tush).

Hope this clears up any confusion.

Mike


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## guyod

What kind of ouside trim do you have?  cased aluminum, wood,  vinyl windows with j channel, is it basic, fancy , is there a sill? its hard to even guess with out seeing it..


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## inspectorD

Hee's got a point...there may be something else causing it.
But if you have definitely narrowed it down to the windows....hmmm.  You may need to change out windows.


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## ToolGuy

Hi mbsigman, and welcome to the forums. 

You may try removing the solar screen from a window while it's howling, to see if it makes a difference. If the noise stops, then at least you'll know what's causing it. However, a solution may be a little more tricky. Short of getting rid of the screens altogether, you'll need to figure out a way to make them stop whistling dixie.


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## applefan

I'm new to the site, but glad to find someone else with the same window problem. Misery loves company  

I had 6 windows replaced on my home, and when the wind is blow across that side of the house (shearing across the back), we hear reasonably loud whistling noises or "hooting" noises. There is no rattling and no wind infiltration through the new windows. I have tried removing the screens (no change), adding caulk where small gaps existed around the windows (no change), and taping narrow edges in the siding near the windows (no change).

It seems like the sound is caused by the shape of the aluminum wrap around the (old) wood frame sections, or maybe the shape of the new window frames. I haven't solved it yet, but I have a long list of things that didn't work.

If anyone has any other suggestions, please feel free to post. I figured I'd at least confirm that the original poster is not alone.  

Thanks


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## applefan

Blogo -- Perhaps there are different causes, but in my case the wind noise is definitely not caused by air passing around the seals of the window into (or out of) the house. The window installer and a rep from the manufacturer have confirmed the windows are tight when closed. The noise is coming from air/wind traveling over or around the outside of the house/siding/window. The tough part is figuring out what aspect of the window design or installation is generating the noise and then finding some change to make so the noise goes away. BTW, these are double hung windows a

Being at the end of my rope, I am now having these 2 year-old windows removed and replaced by another installer/manufacturer. I'm hoping the windows will be different enough that they won't make noise, but it's really just an expensive (!!) guess at this point.


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## jimb2468

If anyone knows exactly what does consistently cause this wind noise around windows - believe it or not, I am actually trying to recreate it.  I like the haunted house sound at night - it helps me sleep.  I also am working on a project where that noise is essential.

please email me with any ideas on how I can create the wind noise sound. 
thanks


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## Square Eye

Variable speeds of wind, powerful gusts and a quiet fan... That would be very expensive to recreate.
Or just record the audio when the wind is blowing and edit it in loop. Then you can listen on your home stereo or your Walkman


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## MichiganJohn

There's work being done in the auto industry to make a stereo speaker out of the rear window (backlite) of a car.  In other words, glass, even 1/8" thick, can be made to vibrate at audible frequencies.  So maybe your glass is reaching some kind of vibration frequency with the wind - residential glass is not that thick.

How to stop it: Try a foam-backed tape on the inner surface of the pane of glass that's exposed to the wind, to absorb some of the vibe energy, or maybe something heavier like cardboard.  If this knocks down the sound, that's it.  Then you could add those fake sectional pane overlays, and hide adhesive-backed foam tape under the strips.  Either that, or some kind of ridge/baffle around the perimeter to break up the airflow.


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## luckyfish

My cousin had that problem and he replaced his with double hung vinyl windows, now he has a quiet house and his bills have gone down because he is saving energy too, he lives in Tomball, Texas and he had a company named Deluxe windows in Montgomery do them, they had the best price and the windows were Don Young brand. I thought the qaulity was very good and I am considering getting them myself, now he say's his wife doesn't make him get up at night to go make the dogs be quiet because they can't hear them. The number to Deluxe is 936-647-4747


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## TxBuilder

How does vinyl help over glass in noise reduction?


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## Bdempsey813

I live in a mobile home with a roof over and when the wind is blowing rather strongly but only in a particular direction I get a slight roaring or whooshing sound that changes with wind direction. I have determined it is because of the opening between the mobile home roof and the roofover. Like a whistle, whether it be a roof opening or recessed windows, get the wind just right across it and you get a sound! This occurs only on one end because the shape at the other end of the roof is entirely different. 
I suggest the windows be placed more flush to the outside of the home. That would not be as expensive as replacing them, especially if the sound continues with the new ones!


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## harryb

jimb2468 said:


> If anyone knows exactly what does consistently cause this wind noise around windows - believe it or not, I am actually trying to recreate it.  I like the haunted house sound at night - it helps me sleep.  I also am working on a project where that noise is essential.
> 
> please email me with any ideas on how I can create the wind noise sound.
> thanks



Are you slightly mad? 

We had issues with whistling in our house which is on a big hill and so gets constant wind. In the end we had to get someone in as the attempts to line it with old jumpers and cloth didn't work!


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## designomoly

I'm thinking musical instruments, wind instruments... is there a hollow space with a wind current blowing across the opening, or perhaps through the space and out of a restricted opening or anything like that, a space that resonates nicely...and a bit of caulking would close or fill the hollow space ... to the ghost voice liker... I live in Cape Town where the South Easter is part of our life and our house famously has voices coming down the chimney when the wind blows... once again, a hollow space with a current blowing across the opening, the sound is deep, like a distant murmuring, and when my granddad was very old and ill he sat be the fire place waiting for a message from the people talking in the chimney....its not the classic ghostly drawn out 'whine' its almost musical, its a very lonely sound in a congenial type of way.... I listened to it while meditating and it worked as a sound mandala / mantra beautifully


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## designomoly

my present flat (apartment) faces into the south easter... when there is a wind of 33km/h I can't sleep at night... I stopped the rattles of doors with cardboard strips (temporary) the sucking of the curtains with rolled up clothes, the gap under the door with sand bags...my ears keep popping all night, but its mainly the noise of the wind ripping into the building that keeps me awake... ear plugs give me ear infections, I found in the long term... how can I firstly reduce the sudden air pressure changes within the flat that make me feel like I'm in a small plane in turbulence, and how can I reduce the sound of the wind hitting the building without getting involved in structural alterations... thick curtains do help a lot with sound management...any other suggestions


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## mudmixer

Sounds like a common problem with a lightweight wood frame home and siding vibration and the sound transmitted through the walls and echoed inside by the drywall.

Dick


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## kdev

I have the exact same problem as Mike. In our master bedroom since last few months we have been hearing really loud wind howling noise as if ghosts are right outside the window making that noise. It is pretty loud and scary at night. We asked the asssociation people as we live in townhouse and they tried everything, replaced the chimney caps, checked the roof, they put some strap around the gutter pipe to make it snug against the wall, etc etc but the problem is still there. and i know it is coming right outside the window but the window is pretty tight and is not rattling. any help?


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## Wuzzat?

http://www.windtech.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/13.pdf

Rent a strong fan to duplicate the problem.  Run experiments.  Make baffles or shields of varying sizes close to the window or nearby.  

The pitch is related to the 'cavity' size and wind speed, like a whistle or a bottle with air moving across the top opening.

See what works and what doesn't.


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## CallMeVilla

Hate to sound obvious  . . .  Did you call the window manufacturer?  They would hear about these kinds of problems and might have a fix.  Why don't yuo post a picture of your windows with the solar shades?  A close up of the trim and the corners might be useful too.

I bet it is the geometry of the trim.  You can buy me a cup of coffee if I'm right.


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## Wuzzat?

And the shield can be something as simple as duct tape.  If it works, the next task is to make something that works as well but looks better.

For auto problems of all kinds there are Technical Service Bulletins detailing fixes that work.  There almost certainly is something similar that the window maker publishes that is distributed to installers.

With all the complaints about windows making noise when it's windy I could find no patents on window design that supposedly stops this problem. 

Maybe the designs are good but the noise is primarily due to improper installation.  Along those lines, when the people came to install our French Anderson doors they used the instructions as a hand towel.  And yes, the installation was improper but the doors opened to a roofed porch so we were possibly spared problems because of this.


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## RAVinson

We moved into a brand new house we had built in 2010. Up until this year we had no problem with howling windows, but for some reason this year (four years later) it's bad. The noise drives me crazy and it really gets loud sometimes. I'd love to hear about a solution.  
                                               Ruth


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## nealtw

Welcome to the site. Kind of a guessing game from a distance but a few thoughts. Is the wind coming from a different direction than the norm? Have you sealed up leaks around doors, perhaps there is a shortage of air in the home.
House may have settled a little, check problem windows for signs of stress in the drywall near by and the trim work.


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## slownsteady

I read back to the early posts in this thread, and nobody ever checked to see if the noise was audible outside the house (just cuz you hear by the window doesn't mean the window is the cause). That would be the first check. If the whistling cannot be heard from the outside, then a more thorough check of the inside is in order. Your ears are actually very good directional antennas (antennae?) Get something small that you can use as a sound blocker and *slowly* move it past your ear. You will notice when the sound is blocked and then move your search in that direction. Repeat as needed. When you have narrowed down the source, someone hear will probably know how to fix it.


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