"Noise reduction was nice though, especially with traffic nearby..."
Yeah, the noise reduction is probably the most noticeable perk. Had a neighbor upgrade to triple panes here in Oregon—not exactly freezing winters either—and he swears by them for quiet alone. Energy savings? Eh, he's not convinced. Seems like unless you're dealing with serious cold, the extra cost might not pencil out... but hey, if traffic noise drives you nuts, could be worth it.
We put triple-pane windows in our house last year, mostly because our street gets surprisingly busy during rush hour—didn't expect that when we moved in, but hey, life surprises you. Honestly, the noise reduction alone made them worth considering. I wouldn't say it's completely silent now, but it definitely took the edge off and made indoors feel calmer.
Energy-wise though, I'd agree with your neighbor's skepticism. Here in Northern California, our winters aren't exactly harsh either, and honestly, I haven't noticed a dramatic shift in our heating bills. Maybe if you're somewhere like Minnesota or Canada, you'd see a real difference...but for milder climates, it's probably more hype than practicality.
That said, there's something to be said for comfort beyond just numbers on your utility bill. My wife used to wake up at least once every night from traffic noise—now she sleeps through till morning. Hard to put a price tag on that kind of peace of mind. Sure, financially speaking, triple panes might not always pencil out in warmer areas, but comfort and quality of life count too, right?
If noise is your biggest annoyance, you're probably not wasting money by going triple-pane. But if you're looking purely from an energy savings standpoint, double pane with quality insulation might already be plenty good enough. Either way, windows are such a long-term investment—you'll probably forget about the extra upfront cost after enjoying the quiet for a few years.
We did triple-pane windows about five years ago and honestly, your experience mirrors ours pretty closely. We live near a highway exit, and the noise reduction alone made it feel like we moved to a quieter neighborhood. Energy-wise, though, I agree—it wasn't a night-and-day difference. Still, there's something comforting about not hearing every motorcycle or loud truck rumble by at night... definitely worth it for sleep quality alone.
"Still, there's something comforting about not hearing every motorcycle or loud truck rumble by at night..."
Yeah, totally get that. We went double-pane a few years back and it helped some, but I still hear the neighbor's Harley at 6am... maybe triple-pane would've been worth it just for that extra sleep, haha.
We upgraded to triple-pane last year, and honestly, I'm still on the fence about it. Sure, it's quieter—definitely muffles the street noise better than our old double-panes—but it wasn't exactly night and day. If your neighbor's Harley is practically shaking your walls at dawn, triple-pane windows alone might not cut it. Maybe look into some heavy curtains or insulating blinds too... could be a cheaper way to grab those extra few minutes of sleep.
I get where you're coming from—triple-pane windows can help, but they're not magic. When we upgraded, I noticed more improvement in temperature control than noise reduction. Your idea about heavy curtains is solid; sometimes simpler solutions make the biggest difference.
Interesting you mention curtains—I actually tried heavy blackout curtains before upgrading my windows, and honestly, they did help a bit with noise. But I found they blocked too much natural light during the day, so it was kind of a trade-off. Eventually, I went with double-pane windows instead of triple because the cost difference was pretty steep, and I wasn't convinced I'd notice enough improvement to justify it.
One thing I'm still curious about though: does anyone know if the type of gas between the panes (argon vs krypton) makes a noticeable difference in noise reduction or insulation? I've read conflicting info online, and it's hard to tell what's marketing hype and what's legit. Would be great to hear from someone who's actually compared them side-by-side...
From what I've read, krypton does insulate slightly better, especially in narrower gaps, but honestly, the difference seems pretty marginal. Noise-wise, I doubt you'd notice any real-world improvement. Feels like marketing hype mostly...wouldn't stress too much about it.
"Feels like marketing hype mostly...wouldn't stress too much about it."
Yeah, agreed. When we replaced our windows, we debated triple pane but ended up going double. Honestly, the energy savings difference was minimal, and noise-wise, zero noticeable improvement. Better off investing that extra cash elsewhere imo.
Had a similar experience—went triple pane thinking it'd be a game changer. Honestly, barely noticed any difference in bills or noise. Still glad I tried it, but yeah...probably wouldn't bother again.