Caulking is its own art form—my last attempt looked like a toddler’s finger painting.
Totally relate to that—my caulking jobs always end up lumpy, and I swear the more I try to fix it, the worse it looks. On the window front, did you get into the STC (sound transmission class) ratings at all? I’m curious if fiberglass actually blocks more noise or if it’s just marketing. My vinyls don’t do much for sound, but honestly, neither did my friend’s new fiberglass ones. Maybe it’s more about the glass package than the frame?
I’ve wondered the same thing about sound.
Honestly, I think you’re right. I swapped out old vinyls for new fiberglass last fall—didn’t notice much change noise-wise. The installer said double or triple panes with laminated glass matter way more for blocking sound than whether it’s vinyl or fiberglass. The frames might help a little, but it’s mostly the glass. Kind of wish I’d saved the extra cash and just done better glass in vinyl frames.Maybe it’s more about the glass package than the frame?
Funny thing—I used to think the frame would make a huge difference for sound, too. My buddy and I swapped out his old aluminum sliders for these fancy fiberglass ones a couple years ago, thinking it’d be whisper-quiet after. But walking around his place after install, you could still hear the neighbor’s dog yapping like before. Turns out, he’d picked standard double-pane glass, no laminate.
The installer (who’s been doing this longer than I’ve been alive) basically said what you heard: the glass package is where the magic happens for noise. Laminated glass or even triple-pane setups can really help, but the frame material—vinyl, fiberglass, whatever—doesn’t change much unless you’re in a spot with crazy temperature swings or you’re after a certain look.
I guess if you want dead quiet, don’t get hung up on fiberglass vs. vinyl. Put your money into better glass instead. Live and learn, right?
That’s pretty much what I found out too. I went down the same rabbit hole thinking fiberglass would somehow block out my neighbor’s late-night karaoke sessions. Nope—still got the full concert through the walls. Ended up wishing I’d put that extra cash toward laminated glass instead of obsessing over frame material. At least the new windows look nice, right? Live and learn for sure...
Ended up wishing I’d put that extra cash toward laminated glass instead of obsessing over frame material.
Totally get it. I went with fiberglass thinking it’d be quieter, but honestly, the real game changer was swapping to thicker, laminated glass. If noise is the issue, frame choice barely matters compared to glass type. If you’re still getting used to the new windows, at least they’re super low maintenance—no warping or weird fading so far for me. Next time I’d definitely prioritize glass over frame material for sound.
If noise is the issue, frame choice barely matters compared to glass type.
I kinda learned that the hard way. Spent ages debating fiberglass vs vinyl, but after living with both, the street noise didn’t really change until I upgraded the glass. Frames do look nicer, but honestly, not a huge difference for sound.