- Drafts are sneaky. I used incense once to spot leaks—smoke drifted right at the bottom corner. Not fancy, but it worked.
- Acoustic caulk’s a lifesaver, but I’ve had it peel on a window that gets afternoon sun. Maybe my technique’s off, or maybe it just hates summer.
- Triple-pane is cool and all, but yeah, if your weatherstripping’s shot, you’re basically inviting the city in for coffee.
- Windy days make my living room sound like a subway station. Usually means the culprit’s on that side. Traffic noise is less predictable—sometimes it just finds a way.
If you’ve got old wood frames, check those corners... they like to hide trouble.
Triple-pane is cool and all, but yeah, if your weatherstripping’s shot, you’re basically inviting the city in for coffee.
That line got me—pretty much sums up my last winter. I went all in on new windows (not triple-pane, but close) and figured I’d finally get some peace from the street noise. Nope. Turns out, the old crusty weatherstripping was basically doing nothing, so all that money and I still heard every car alarm like it was in my living room. Replacing the weatherstripping was way cheaper and honestly made a bigger difference than the new glass.
About incense—never would’ve thought of that, but now I’m tempted to try it just for fun. I usually do the “hand test” on a windy day, but my hands aren’t nearly as sensitive as a curl of smoke. Might even make the house smell better while I’m at it.
I hear you on caulk peeling in the sun. I tried acoustic caulk around my bedroom window last summer and it turned into a sticky mess once July rolled around. Maybe I didn’t let it cure long enough, or maybe some caulks just can’t handle direct sunlight. Either way, it was a pain scraping it off.
Old wood frames are sneaky for sure. Mine looked fine until I poked at the corners and found soft spots—like the wood was hiding a secret life of rot. Ended up patching with wood filler and repainting, which helped with both drafts and noise. It’s not perfect, but at least I don’t feel like I’m camping next to a highway anymore.
Funny thing: traffic noise is worse when it’s cloudy here. No idea why—maybe the sound bounces off the clouds or something? Either way, some days it’s like the city’s moved in next door, and other days it’s peaceful.
If anyone’s thinking of upgrades, I’d say start cheap—weatherstripping, caulk, maybe some heavy curtains. The fancy stuff is nice but doesn’t always fix the real problem spots.
- Weatherstripping really is the unsung hero—spent $40 and noticed a bigger drop in noise than with my “upgraded” windows.
- Incense trick’s legit. I use a lighter or candle for drafts, but smoke makes leaks obvious, especially around sash locks.
- On caulk: not all types are UV resistant. Silicone-based holds up better in sun, but it can be harder to clean up if you ever need to redo it.
- Heavy curtains help too, especially for higher-frequency sounds like sirens. Not a cure-all, but worth it if you’re on a budget.
- Cloudy days and noise—yeah, that’s a real thing. Sound waves bounce off low clouds, so street noise can feel louder. Science is weird sometimes...
- Weatherstripping is solid, but I actually got more mileage out of acoustic sealant. It’s messier than standard caulk, but it really fills those weird gaps around old window frames. Especially in a pre-war building like mine—nothing’s square.
- The incense trick works, but I’ve found a thermal camera (borrowed one from a friend) picks up drafts you’d never spot with smoke. Not worth buying just for this, but if you can get your hands on one, it’s eye-opening.
- On silicone caulk: agree it lasts, but if you ever have to remove it, it’s a pain. I went with a hybrid polymer last time—sticks well and cleans up easier if you need to redo it in a couple years.
- Heavy curtains help, but honestly, they made my living room feel like a cave. I switched to layered sheers plus blackout liners—still cuts noise, but lets in some daylight.
- About cloudy days and noise—interesting point. I’ve noticed more echo in my place when it rains, too. Not sure if that’s the same science or just my old floors creaking more...
Just my two cents from a few rounds of trial and error.
Heavy curtains help, but honestly, they made my living room feel like a cave. I switched to layered sheers plus blackout liners—still cuts noise, but lets in some daylight.
Funny, I tried the layered sheers thing too, but maybe my windows are just too drafty or something... didn’t notice much difference with the noise. Ended up going back to thick velvet curtains, even if it does make things a bit gloomy. For me, blocking that street noise was worth sacrificing a little sunlight. Guess it really depends on how much noise you’re getting and what you can live with.
- Totally get the cave feeling with heavy curtains—been there, and yeah, it’s not the vibe I want for daytime either.
- If noise is the main issue, have you looked into window inserts or those DIY acrylic panels? I was surprised how much of a difference they made for me. Didn’t cost as much as full window replacements, and they really cut down drafts too.
- My windows are ancient (think: original to the ‘60s), so I started with weatherstripping, then added a layer of clear film in winter. Not glamorous, but it blocked a surprising amount of both noise and cold air.
- Curtains help, but honestly, most of the sound leaks straight through the glass and gaps. If there’s a draft, even thick velvet might not do much for energy bills. I noticed my heating costs dropped a bit after sealing things up, so it was a win-win.
- Sunlight’s huge for my mood, so I went with lighter curtains plus those inserts. Not totally silent, but way less traffic noise than before. Tradeoff is I have to pop out the panels to open the windows in summer—not ideal, but worth it for me.
- Everyone’s noise tolerance is different though. For me, it’s more about balancing comfort and efficiency than going all-in on one solution. Sometimes it’s just about finding what bugs you less: the noise or the gloom.
If you haven’t tried sealing up the window gaps yet, might be worth a shot before investing in heavier curtains again... especially if drafts are part of the problem.
Those window inserts work better than most folks expect, but I’ve seen people slap them in without fixing the gaps first and then wonder why it’s still drafty or noisy. Honestly, nothing beats sealing up those old window frames—otherwise you’re just masking the problem. Heavy curtains might look nice, but if you can feel air moving, you’re losing heat and letting in sound regardless. Seen it a hundred times... quick fixes only go so far.
- That makes a lot of sense, actually. I just moved into an older apartment and was surprised how much air sneaks in around the windows, even with inserts.
- Tried some weatherstripping first—didn’t look pretty but it helped more than I thought. Didn’t realize how much of a difference those little gaps can make until I felt the cold air stop.
- Heavy curtains looked cool but honestly didn’t do much for the noise, like you said. Maybe a tiny bit, but nothing major.
- Kinda wish I’d known about sealing the frames before splurging on fancy inserts... but at least now I know where to start next time.
- Appreciate hearing it’s not just about quick fixes—sometimes it’s tempting to just patch things up and hope for the best. But yeah, gotta tackle the root of the problem or it just keeps coming back.
- Encouraging to hear that real fixes actually work though. Makes me feel like it’s worth putting in the effort instead of just living with drafts and city sounds forever.
Funny how sealing the frames is one of those things you don’t really think about until you’re freezing in your own living room. I went through a similar process—spent way too much on double-layer curtains, expecting some miracle, but the draft just laughed at me. Ended up using rope caulk around the sashes, which looked a bit rough but honestly made a bigger difference than anything else. Sometimes the “ugly” fixes work better than the fancy ones.
- Insulation tape around the frame edges did more for drafts in my 1950s place than any curtain ever could.
- Tried acoustic caulk too—messy, but it seals those tiny gaps you don’t see at first glance.
- Honestly, I get the “ugly fix” thing. My last attempt with shrink film looked kind of sad, but the temp difference was real.
- Fancy curtains are great for looks, but if there’s a gap in the frame, noise and cold just sneak right in anyway.
- If you haven’t tried weatherstripping foam, that stuff’s cheap and works surprisingly well... not glamorous, but effective.