Wow, thanks so much for the detailed responses everyone! This is exactly what I was hoping to learn. It's really encouraging to hear that almost all of you noticed a significant drop in noise after getting new windows.
A few things I'm taking away from this thread:
Replacing old single-pane with modern double-pane windows will definitely reduce a lot of the everyday noise (traffic, lawn mowers, neighbors, etc.). It might not eliminate 100% of sounds, but it'll make a big difference.
If I want to maximize noise reduction, options like laminated glass (impact windows) or even triple-pane can provide extra help, especially for the really loud stuff. It sounds like impact windows might be a great middle-ground since they also give the hurricane protection (important here in Tampa Bay) and come with noise-dampening benefits due to the laminated glass.
Proper installation and sealing is key. I'll make sure to choose an installer with a good reputation so there are no gaps left behind.
It might be okay to do the project in phases if needed (e.g., do the front of the house or bedrooms first) and still get noticeable improvements in those areas, but ultimately doing all windows (and probably my sliding door too) will give the best overall result.
My house is actually concrete block construction (common around here), which I think helps with insulating sound through the walls. It's really the windows (and that old sliding glass door) where I literally hear things like they're open. So it makes sense that fixing those should have a big impact.
I'm probably going to get quotes for double-pane impact windows based on what I'm hearing. Seems like that might give me the best of both worlds – noise reduction and storm protection. Triple-pane sounds amazing for noise but maybe overkill (and I worry about cost) in our climate, as some of you mentioned. Though I'll see what the price difference is, just out of curiosity.
Several of you mentioned companies like Karoly Windows & Doors and ProTech Windows & Doors. I’ve heard good things about them from this and other discussions. I will likely reach out to one or both for estimates, along with maybe one other quote for comparison.
I'll keep you all posted on how it goes. Thanks again for the wealth of knowledge and personal experiences shared here. It’s helped set my expectations realistically (no, I won't expect a completely soundproof recording studio, haha), and I feel a lot more confident moving forward with this project.
This thread turned out super useful – no wonder it's a sticky now. 😃
I'm late to the party, but I wanted to add my two cents (since this seems to be a great thread for all things window noise reduction). I live in Ybor City in Tampa, which is a fun neighborhood but can get pretty noisy, especially on weekends. There's a lot of nightlife here – bars, music, people talking loudly on the street at 2am as they leave the clubs, you name it. Plus, I’m near a busy intersection where cars love to blast their stereos. My house is an old bungalow with wooden single-pane windows (well, it was until I upgraded).
I replaced my windows with double-pane windows with laminated glass (not full-on hurricane impact certified, but I opted for the laminated glass option on a standard vinyl window for sound reduction). It was one of the best quality-of-life improvements I've made. The late-night bar noise and random shouting outside went from "OMG, it's like they're in my house" level to "faint sounds I can barely hear". I used to literally hear lyrics of songs from the bars down the block, and now I just hear a dull thump of bass occasionally if it's really quiet in my house.
Also, cars with subwoofers that would shake the old windows – the new windows don't rattle at all, and most of that bass stays outside. I think low-frequency bass is still somewhat audible (since that's tough to block completely), but it's drastically reduced and no longer makes my wall frames buzz.
Interestingly, one of the biggest differences I noticed was actually in how much less I heard random people noises (like conversations or people yelling). Those mid- and high-frequency sounds are almost gone unless the window is open.
If anyone in a busy urban area like downtown or Ybor is reading this, I'd highly recommend upgrading your old windows. It's made my house feel like a peaceful bubble in the middle of an active area. I can actually sleep on a Friday night without earplugs now 😴.
For reference, I got quotes from a couple of installers and ended up hiring Karoly Windows & Doors (they provided Simonton windows with the laminated glass option for me). They were great to work with.
Anyway, hope that helps someone in a similar situation!
I can share another perspective: older Florida homes with those awful jalousie windows (the kind with the crank and thin glass slats). My 1960s-era bungalow in Seminole had those in the Florida room and one bedroom when I bought it. They were absolutely terrible for noise (and pretty much everything else). It was like having shutters that were partially open even when closed - you could hear every chirping cricket, every conversation outside, and every lawn mower sounded like it was in the next room.
I replaced the jalousie windows with new double-pane windows (nothing fancy, just standard vinyl double-hung windows). The difference was night and day. Honestly, going from jalousies to any modern window is probably the biggest jump in sound reduction you can get. The room went from being basically outdoors (sound-wise) to being as quiet as the rest of the house.
Before, if someone rang my doorbell, I could hear the mechanical click of the doorbell from outside echoing through those jalousie panes even in the back room. Now, with the new windows, I barely hear the doorbell at all when I'm in that once-noisy back bedroom. Also, rain noise - the jalousies made rain sound like drumbeats. The new windows still let me hear heavy rain (kinda soothing actually), but it's not the crazy racket it was before.
So if anyone out there still has old jalousie style windows, don't even think twice: replacing them will hugely improve your noise situation (and your security, energy efficiency, etc.). It was probably the most satisfying upgrade I've done to the house. Now that room is actually usable for watching movies without blasting the volume.
In a nutshell: the worse your old windows are, the more noticeable the improvement will be. Jalousies are about as bad as it gets, so the improvement was enormous for me.
Haha, I have to second what some of you said about how the house feels eerily quiet after new windows. I'm in Palm Harbor and replaced all my original single-pane windows with new ones about six months ago. One funny thing I noticed after the install: the house became so quiet that I started hearing little noises inside the house that I never used to notice. Like the hum of my refrigerator or the ticking of a wall clock suddenly stood out because the background noise from outside was so reduced!
Before, the constant whoosh of distant traffic and outdoor sounds kind of masked those tiny indoor noises. After the window upgrade, when things are calm outside, it’s almost library-level quiet in here. The first evening after the installation, I kept thinking "what's that electric humming noise?" until I realized it was just the fridge running normally – something I literally never heard from my living room prior to getting the new windows.
It's a good problem to have, honestly. I'd much rather notice the fridge occasionally than every car driving by or neighbor's music.
As for the noise reduction itself: yeah, it's been great. I live not too far from US-19, so there's always traffic in the distance. With the old windows, I had a constant low-level road noise backdrop, especially at night when things were quiet inside. Now, I sometimes forget there's traffic nearby at all. I only hear it if a fire truck or ambulance goes by with sirens, and even that is pretty muffled.
So, count me in as another very happy new-window customer. It really changes the comfort of the home. Just be prepared to discover the new "sounds of silence" inside your house (and maybe find out your old fridge is louder than you thought, lol).
I know this thread is about new window installations, but I figured I'd add my experience with a slightly different approach in case it's useful. I live in a historic district in Tampa (and my home is a designated historic structure), so I'm limited on what I can do with windows (I have to either restore the originals or use approved inserts, etc.). Also, replacement can be tricky/expensive due to the historic board rules.
So, what I ended up doing to address noise was install interior acrylic window inserts. These are basically clear panels custom-cut to fit snugly on the inside of your window frames. Think of them like an extra pane you can pop in or remove. I got them from a company that specializes in noise-reducing window inserts.
I have to say, they made a pretty noticeable difference. Before the inserts, I could hear street noise and loud talkers from the sidewalk like the windows were open (my old windows are wood single-pane from the 1920s, beautiful but not soundproof at all). After putting in the inserts, it’s quieter – not as much as a brand new double-pane window would be, I suspect, but enough that conversations from outside are no longer clearly heard, and traffic noise is dulled. It basically created a double-pane effect without changing the windows themselves.
One bonus is they're removable, so in the nice weather I can take them out and open the windows for fresh air (which is part of why I didn't just caulk the windows shut or something). But when they're in, they seal up the window pretty well with an air gap that helps block sound.
I’m still jealous of you all who can get new high-tech windows, because I'm sure that would perform even better and also improve energy efficiency more. But for anyone who can't replace windows (renters, historic homes, budget issues), these interior inserts can be a viable alternative to achieve some noise reduction.
Someday I may still get the windows replaced properly (once I navigate the historic approvals and save up), but until then, the inserts are my stopgap solution to keep my sanity from the noise 👍.
This is all great info! Quick question from a slightly different angle: has anyone replaced relatively newer double-pane windows with something even better for soundproofing? My home was built in 2008 in Wesley Chapel, and it has the original double-pane windows (aluminum frame, likely whatever the builder put in). They're in decent shape and already better than single-pane at noise, but I still hear a lot of outside commotion (especially because I live near a busy road and my neighbor's AC compressor is right outside my bedroom window and it's pretty loud when it kicks on).
I'm debating if it's worth upgrading these "okay" windows to premium ones (like laminated glass or maybe a higher-quality brand) specifically to reduce noise further. Essentially, going from double-pane to "even better" double-pane or triple-pane. Has anyone done a replacement not because the windows were old and failing, but purely to get better noise reduction on an already double-paned house?
I'm trying to figure out if the difference would be significant or more subtle in that scenario. I don’t want to drop a huge amount of money if I'll only get a tiny improvement, but if it could take my bedroom from somewhat noisy to super quiet, I might consider it.
Any thoughts or experiences on upgrading already-modern windows for noise?
@jjones18 I can speak to this, because I was basically in your shoes. My house was built in 2011, with what sounds like similar builder-grade double-pane windows (mine were decent brand but not specifically made for sound reduction). Initially, I figured "double-pane is double-pane, it should be fine," but living near a highway proved otherwise. Like you, I was hearing more than I wanted – in my case it was highway noise and some airplane noise.
I ended up upgrading those windows, even though they were relatively new. I went with laminated glass options (in some rooms I did triple-pane as I mentioned earlier in this thread). Was it worth it? For me, yes, but I'll break down a couple of points:
Noise Reduction: The improvement was definitely noticeable. Going from a standard double-pane (STC high-20s maybe) to laminated double-pane or triple-pane (STC low-to-mid 30s) made a difference in the degree of noise coming through. It wasn't as dramatic as going from single-pane to double-pane (that jump is huge), but it was still very significant to my ears. I'd say in the bedroom, for example, traffic noise went from "clearly audible and somewhat annoying" to "background hum that I really have to focus on to notice." So it moved the noise from foreground to background, if that makes sense.
Aluminum vs Vinyl Frames: You mentioned you have aluminum frames. Aluminum conducts sound more than vinyl or wood. When I changed my windows, I also went from aluminum cladded wood frames to vinyl frames. I suspect that helped too, since vinyl dampens vibrations better than aluminum. If your current frames are aluminum, upgrading to a well-insulated vinyl window might give you a bit of noise benefit in that regard as well (in addition to the glass itself).
Cost vs Benefit: This is the tricky part. Replacing windows that aren't old is a big expense if purely for noise. In my case, I justified it because I also wanted some other improvements (the new ones were impact-rated, so I got storm protection and better energy efficiency as part of the package). If you're just doing it for noise, you have to weigh how much the noise bothers you versus the cost. For some, heavy curtains or an insert (like @donaldevans5 mentioned) might be a more cost-effective interim step. But nothing beats actually having the better windows, honestly.
If the bedroom is your main concern (like that neighbor's AC compressor), you could consider doing just that window first as a test. Maybe get a quote for one or two windows with laminated glass upgrades. See if the reduction in that one spot is worth it to you. Some companies will do one or two windows; others have a minimum, but you might find one willing to tackle a small job.
In summary, yes it's possible to improve on even modern double-pane windows, especially if they were just basic ones. The difference won't be as jaw-dropping as replacing old single-panes, but it can be significant enough to change your comfort level from "bothered by noise" to "barely notice it." It was worth it for me, but I had some extra motivations as well. If you pursue it, let us know how it goes!
@cexplorer35 Thanks a lot for the insight. That does make sense. I might try the one-room-at-a-time approach, starting with the bedroom as you suggested. If I do it, I'll report back on the results!
I have a little cautionary tale: when I first moved into my house in Clearwater, I knew I wanted to replace the old windows for both energy and noise reasons, but I was on a tight budget. I ended up going with a very inexpensive, budget window option (basically the cheapest double-pane vinyl windows I could find from a regional supplier). Don’t get me wrong, they were still double-pane and brand new, so they did improve things a bit, but I realized afterward that not all double-pane windows are equal when it comes to noise.
After installation, I noticed some improvement in noise, but not as much as I had hoped. I could still clearly hear my neighbor’s loud music and a lot of traffic hum. I started doing more research (should have done that before buying, I know 🙈) and found out that some windows have thicker glass or laminated glass options specifically for sound, whereas the ones I got were pretty basic: dual 3mm panes with air in between. Decent for normal use, but not specifically geared for acoustic performance.
Long story short, I ended up a year later paying a bit more to replace a few of those budget windows (yes, replacing my replacements...) with a higher-grade product in the rooms where noise was bothering us the most (bedroom and home office). I went with laminated glass on those, and the difference was what I originally hoped for. Now those rooms are much quieter, more in line with what others here are describing.
So, my advice: if noise reduction is a key goal, don't automatically go for the rock-bottom quote or cheapest windows. Make sure the windows you choose are good at noise reduction – ask about STC ratings or laminated glass options or whatnot. Otherwise, you might end up like me, doing it twice. In the end, I'm happy now, but I would have saved money by doing it right the first time.
The silver lining is I donated the one-year-old windows I took out to Habitat for Humanity, so they didn't go to waste. And my living space is nice and quiet now with the upgraded ones. 🙂
I'll add an anecdote from a different angle: moving houses. I recently moved from a townhouse that had modern impact windows to a slightly larger single-family home that has older single-pane windows. The difference in noise level between the two homes is striking, and it's almost entirely due to the windows.
In my old townhouse (with the impact windows), I was near a pretty busy road and also had neighbors close by who would have parties on weekends. With those impact windows closed, I barely noticed the commotion outside. It was one of those things I took for granted. If I heard anything at all, it was very faint. I could sit in my living room and even though cars were zooming by just 50 feet away, it was quiet inside.
Now, in the new house (which is actually on a quieter street comparatively), the old windows let in noise like crazy. On a quiet street I now suddenly hear every car door slam, every dog bark, and even people talking as they walk by. Inside the house, it's noticeably louder than my old place ever was, even though my old place was in a noisier location. The first week after moving, I thought, "Did the neighbors get louder?" But it's really that this house's windows are just not blocking sound at all.
This stark contrast has bumped window replacement to the top of my renovation list. It’s a clear reminder of how much of a difference windows make. It's funny because when I lived at the old place, I didn't actively think "Wow these windows are keeping it quiet," I just kind of enjoyed the peace. Now I realize that peace was not just luck – it was the impact windows doing their job.
I've already called a couple of companies for quotes for new windows in my new house. I’m definitely going with at least double-pane, probably impact glass given our location. I basically want to replicate the quiet I had before. Not to mention the new house's windows are also making it hotter inside and are hard to open, etc., so yeah... they gotta go.
Moral of the story: you really notice good windows once you don't have them anymore. If anyone's on the fence about if it makes a difference, take it from me – it absolutely does. Going from good windows to bad windows was eye-opening (or should I say ear-opening? 😅). Can't wait to get my new ones installed and enjoy the calm again.