You're definitely not alone with the acoustic sealant mess—I spent a good half hour scrubbing my hands with dish soap after my last project. Secondary glazing is a solid suggestion too; installed it in my bedroom and noticed a huge improvement without breaking the bank. Worth a shot...
"You're definitely not alone with the acoustic sealant mess—I spent a good half hour scrubbing my hands with dish soap after my last project."
Haha, been there! I swear that stuff sticks better to skin than it does to walls. Anyway, secondary glazing is a great shout, but if you're still on the fence, soundproof curtains can be surprisingly effective too. I put some up in my home office and noticed a decent difference—plus they're way easier to install (and no sticky disasters). Might be worth trying first before diving into window upgrades...
Haha, glad I'm not the only one who ended up with sealant hands. Learned my lesson after that mess...
- Totally agree on the curtains—picked some up for my bedroom and they definitely helped tone down traffic noise. Not a miracle fix, but noticeable enough to sleep better.
- One thing I'd add: check the curtain weight carefully. I bought some cheap ones first and they were basically just thick fabric, didn't do much. Upgraded to heavier, denser ones and the difference was night and day.
- Also, if you're handy (or brave enough after the sealant fiasco), adding weather stripping around window frames can help too. Cheap, easy, and no sticky nightmares involved.
- Acoustic windows sound awesome but honestly, as a first-time homeowner, I'm still recovering from sticker shock on basic repairs... curtains and weather stripping are way friendlier on the wallet.
Good luck with the noise battle—city life perks, right?
Good points about curtain weight—I initially doubted curtains would do much at all, but heavier ones actually surprised me. Weather stripping was decent too, though I still hear sirens clearly... city noises never fully disappear, unfortunately. Still, every bit helps.
Had the same issue in my old apartment—heavy curtains definitely helped more than I expected. Sirens though...yeah, they're stubborn. I eventually added some DIY window inserts with acrylic panels and foam edging. Didn't silence everything completely, but it took the edge off enough to sleep better. City life means compromise, but you're on the right track. Hang in there.
Heavy curtains helped me a bit too, but honestly, if you're serious about cutting noise, I'd look into sealing gaps around windows and doors first. Even tiny cracks let in way more noise than you'd think. Weatherstripping tape or acoustic caulk around window frames can make a surprising difference. Did that at my place, then added some blackout curtains, and the combo was pretty solid. Not silent by any means...but enough that I stopped waking up at every car horn or ambulance.
I get what you're saying about sealing gaps, but honestly, in my experience, acoustic windows made a bigger difference than anything else. I tried weatherstripping and heavy curtains first—helped a bit, sure—but still heard way too much traffic noise at night. Finally bit the bullet and replaced my bedroom windows with acoustic-grade glass. Pricey? Yeah. Worth it? Totally. Now I barely notice the street noise unless it's something crazy loud...and I'm actually sleeping through the night again.
"Finally bit the bullet and replaced my bedroom windows with acoustic-grade glass. Pricey? Yeah. Worth it? Totally."
Gotta agree here—curtains and sealing gaps help, but they're more like band-aids. Acoustic windows are the real deal. Installed a bunch for clients downtown, and now they're sleeping like babies... expensive babies, but still.
Yeah, acoustic windows do make a difference, no doubt. But honestly, I've seen some DIY setups with heavy curtains and proper sealing that came pretty close—depends how bad your noise situation is. Still, glad it's working out for you... sleep is priceless.
Totally agree that DIY setups can help, especially if you're dealing with moderate street noise. But honestly, if you're in a busy city area with constant traffic or construction nearby, acoustic windows are a game changer. Curtains and sealing can dampen sound, sure, but they mostly tackle higher frequencies. Acoustic windows are specifically engineered to block lower-frequency noises—like trucks rumbling by or bass-heavy music from neighbors. It's pricier upfront, but the difference in sleep quality and overall comfort is huge... speaking from experience here.