Are Velux Windows Noisy in the Rain?

A wall window is shielded by the eaves and by the rest of the house. A roof window is the outer surface of the roof, so every drop lands on the pane itself and the sound goes straight into the room below. In a loft conversion the ceiling is also the roof slope, which leaves little to soak up the noise. A bedroom under a window therefore hears a shower far more than the same room would through a gable window.

The sound travels two ways. Some passes through the glass as air-borne noise, and some travels through the frame as vibration, so a stiff, well-fixed frame helps as much as the glass does. Hail and wind-driven rain are louder than a steady drizzle, and a light pitch gives drops a harder strike than a steep one. This is normal behaviour for a roof window, not proof that it is faulty. Before you spend anything, listen to a few showers and note whether the sound is a drumming on the glass, a rattle in the frame, or a drip, because each has a different fix. A drip is a different problem and is covered in our answer on why a Velux window leaks.

Most roof windows are double glazed. The sound reduction comes from the thickness of each pane and the gap between them, so a unit with a thicker outer pane, or one built with laminated glass, deadens more of the impact than a standard unit. Makers list noise-reducing glazing as an option on many models, and some window types are sold in a rain-noise version. Ask what is available for your size and model rather than assuming a quieter pane can be dropped into any frame.

Laminated glass is made by bonding a thin plastic layer between two sheets. The layer takes the sting out of the strike and also holds the pieces together if a pane breaks. The trade-off is a heavier sash and sometimes a higher price. Because glazing is built into the sash, the choice is made when the window is ordered or when the sash is changed later. Our answer on replacing the glass in a Velux window explains when a pane or a sash can be swapped.

Whichever you choose, the energy figure still matters. Approved Document L 2021 gives 1.4, or Window Energy Rating Band B, for a new or replacement roof window, so check any quieter glazing keeps within that.

A blind sits inside the room and adds a soft barrier below the glass. Heavy fabric and honeycomb styles take some of the edge off the drumming, and an outside blind or shutter, which sits on the roof side, stops drops reaching the glass at all. Outside fittings need to be chosen for the exact model, because they clip to the frame, and electric versions need a power source.

The lining is the boxed reveal that joins the window to your ceiling and wall. If the gap between the frame and the roof structure is not packed with insulation, sound passes through it as well as through the pane. A lining that is fitted tightly and sealed, with insulation filling the void, reduces noise and helps the room hold its heat. In a loft with exposed rafters, sound also bounces off bare plasterboard, so rugs, curtains and soft furnishings help.

If you are having work done anyway, ask for the lining and insulation to be checked at the same visit. It costs little extra when the window is already being handled.

Some sounds blamed on the weather come from the roof, not the glass. A tapping that lasts after the shower has stopped is often a loose flashing piece or a lifted section of trim, moving in the wind. A rattle in a gale can be a sash that has dropped slightly in its frame or a worn catch. Clicking as the sun comes out is the frame and glass expanding. Gurgling or a steady trickle outside is usually the gutter or valley above, carrying more water than it can clear.

Check what you can from inside and the ground. Look for a blind cord tapping the glass, a loose vent, and whether the noise is the same at every window or just one. If it is only one, mention it to a roofer along with the date, the weather and the room. Photos and a short note help us work out whether the cause is the window, the flashing around it or the gutter.

When we survey, we look at all three, and you get one written price for whatever fixes the noise. For the bigger picture, see our roof windows and skylights page.