Curtains help a bit, but honestly, sealing gaps made way more difference in my experience.
Weatherstripping definitely punches above its weight—cheap fix, big impact. I've seen clients amazed at how much quieter their rooms get just by sealing those sneaky little gaps. Curious though, has anyone tried pairing weatherstripping with acoustic caulk around window frames? Seems like a logical next step...
Curious though, has anyone tried pairing weatherstripping with acoustic caulk around window frames? Seems like a logical next step...
I've used acoustic caulk around my window frames along with weatherstripping, and it definitely made a noticeable difference. Not night-and-day, but enough to justify the effort. Just be careful applying it—stuff's messy and takes patience to get neat results...
I've been thinking about trying acoustic caulk myself, but honestly, the messiness factor has me hesitating a bit. Did you find it easy enough to clean up mistakes, or is it one of those "once it's there, it's there forever" situations? I've had some DIY projects turn into mini-disasters before, so I'm a little cautious now, haha.
Also, I'm curious—did you notice if the caulk/weatherstripping combo helped more with certain types of noise? Like, did it cut down traffic sounds better than voices or vice versa? I'm dealing mostly with street noise—cars, buses, occasional sirens—and wondering if this approach would be effective enough or if I should just bite the bullet and look into acoustic windows.
Acoustic caulk isn't too bad cleanup-wise if you catch mistakes quickly, but honestly, for street noise like buses and sirens, caulk alone might disappoint you. Acoustic windows are pricier but way more effective for traffic sounds...might save you some frustration down the line.
Totally agree, acoustic windows really do make a noticeable difference. I tried curtains first thinking I'd save some cash—big mistake. Sure, they helped a bit with echoey sounds inside my place, but those sirens and garbage trucks at 5 am laughed right through them. Once I bit the bullet and got real acoustic windows, it felt like someone finally hit the mute button on the city. Pricey, yeah, but worth every penny for my sanity...and my sleep.
Yeah, curtains alone rarely cut it, especially if you're dealing with city traffic. Did you notice a big difference with specific brands or window types? I've been researching acoustic windows myself, and the STC ratings vary quite a bit. Some claim pretty high numbers, but it's hard to know how that translates into real-world noise reduction. Also, did installation make a noticeable impact for you? I've heard mixed things—some say DIY is fine, others swear by pro installation to avoid gaps and leaks. Glad to hear your investment paid off though...nothing worse than garbage trucks rattling past at dawn when you're trying to squeeze in some extra Zzz's.
I went the DIY route with acoustic windows last year and honestly, sealing those gaps properly made a huge difference. Took some trial and error though... Did you look into laminated glass options at all? Heard good things but haven't tried myself yet.
I haven't tried laminated glass myself, but a friend of mine swears by it. She lives right near a busy intersection and said it cut down traffic noise dramatically—though she did mention the cost was a bit steep. I'm curious though, when you sealed those gaps, did you use regular caulk or something specialized? I've had mixed results with standard stuff... wondering if there's something better out there.
I've had similar experiences with regular caulk—sometimes it helps, sometimes it's barely noticeable. A few years back, I switched to acoustic sealant (the stuff that's specifically made for soundproofing), and honestly, the difference was pretty noticeable. It's a bit messier to work with and stays flexible, but that flexibility is exactly what helps block noise better. Laminated glass sounds promising too, but yeah... the cost has always held me back from pulling the trigger on that one.
Totally agree on the acoustic sealant—it's messy as heck, but it does the job way better than regular caulk. Did you find it a pain to clean off your hands too, or am I just uniquely clumsy? Anyway, I've been tempted by laminated glass myself, but every time I price it out, my wallet starts crying softly in the corner. Have you considered adding a secondary window panel instead? A buddy of mine did that—basically installed an extra pane inside the existing window frame—and he swears by it. Says it's cheaper than full-on acoustic windows but still cuts down noise significantly. Might be worth looking into if you're not ready to sell a kidney for laminated glass just yet...