"For low-frequency rumble, have you thought about secondary glazing instead? I've seen it outperform acoustic glass in some older homes..."
Good point about secondary glazing—I installed it in my place last year, and the difference was noticeable, especially with traffic noise. Acoustic glass is decent, but from what I've read, secondary glazing creates a larger air gap, which helps dampen those stubborn low frequencies more effectively. Might be worth looking into before committing to pricier acoustic glass.
Acoustic glass is decent, but from what I've read, secondary glazing creates a larger air gap, which helps dampen those stubborn low frequencies more effectively.
Secondary glazing definitely has its advantages, especially for older homes. The larger air gap you mentioned is key—it creates a more effective barrier against low-frequency sounds like traffic rumble. Acoustic glass can be great too, but I've found it often works best for mid-to-high frequencies. If you're dealing with heavy street noise, secondary glazing might give you more noticeable relief without breaking the bank. Just make sure it's installed properly... gaps or poor seals can really undermine performance.
I've been thinking about this too—does anyone know if secondary glazing affects ventilation or condensation issues? My place is older, and I'm worried about trapping moisture or messing up airflow. Acoustic glass seems simpler, but if secondary glazing really handles low frequencies better, it might be worth the extra hassle. Curious if anyone's had issues with condensation after installing secondary glazing...?
"Curious if anyone's had issues with condensation after installing secondary glazing...?"
I've wondered about this too. My place is older as well, and after installing secondary glazing in the bedroom, I did notice a bit more condensation on colder mornings. Not terrible, but noticeable... Maybe ventilation plays a bigger role than I thought?
Had a similar issue when I first installed secondary glazing in my old flat. Condensation was pretty noticeable, especially on colder mornings. After some digging around, I realized ventilation was key—ended up installing trickle vents and leaving them slightly open overnight. Made a huge difference. Also, keeping the room temp steady rather than letting it fluctuate too much helped reduce moisture buildup. Might be worth trying something similar...
Totally get where you're coming from about condensation—had a similar headache myself. I went down the acoustic glass route because my street is basically a racetrack at night, and sleep was becoming a distant memory, lol. It definitely cut out a ton of noise, but like you mentioned, condensation became noticeable pretty quick once winter rolled around.
I was initially resistant to leaving vents open—felt counterintuitive when you're trying to keep heat in. But yeah, ventilation really does seem to be the magic key. Ended up compromising by installing those trickle vents too, and honestly, it wasn't as chilly as I'd feared. Actually, the steady airflow made the place feel fresher overall...who knew?
One other thing that helped me was getting a decent dehumidifier for colder months. Just ran it occasionally—mostly after showers or cooking. Didn't cost much extra on the electricity bill either, thankfully. Between that and keeping my heating at a more consistent temp (instead of cranking up and down), condensation is now way less of an issue.
Storm windows might be cheaper upfront, but if noise is your main enemy, acoustic glazing is probably worth the investment in sanity alone. And hey, fewer sleepless nights means fewer grumpy mornings—win-win all around.
Good luck sorting it out...street noise is no joke!
I hear you on the acoustic glazing—definitely a lifesaver for noise. But honestly, storm windows aren't as bad as some folks make them out to be. I went with storm windows plus heavy thermal curtains, and it made a huge difference both in noise and heat retention. Condensation was minimal too, probably because the curtains helped regulate temperature swings. Might be worth considering if budget's tight...worked surprisingly well for me anyway.
Yeah, storm windows can definitely help more than people realize. I went the acoustic glazing route myself because I'm a bit obsessive about noise, but my brother-in-law installed storm windows and some thick blackout curtains in his place. Honestly, when I visited, I was pretty impressed by how quiet it was inside. Not acoustic-glass-level silent, but way better than before. Plus, he saved a good chunk of cash compared to what I spent...so there's that.
Storm windows are underrated for sure. Acoustic glass is great if you're super sensitive or live next to a freeway or something, but honestly, for most people, storm windows plus heavy curtains will do the trick just fine. I've installed both for clients, and the price difference is no joke—acoustic glazing can hit your wallet pretty hard. If you're not aiming for studio-level silence, storm windows are probably your sweet spot...and hey, you can always use the extra cash for earplugs if needed.
- Tried storm windows last year after neighbors got a new dog—constant barking drove me nuts.
- Honestly, storm windows plus thick curtains made a noticeable difference, but didn't completely eliminate the noise.
- Acoustic glass seems tempting, but the price quotes I got were pretty steep...not sure it's worth it unless you're dealing with serious noise pollution.
- Ended up sticking with storm windows and invested in a white noise machine instead. Worked out fine for me.