I went through something similar last year—city traffic noise was driving me crazy, especially at night. Tried heavy acoustic curtains first, and they did help a bit, but honestly, not enough to justify the cost. Eventually bit the bullet and installed acoustic windows in my bedroom. The difference was pretty noticeable right away. Wall insulation seemed like too much hassle for me, especially since
about how effective it really is for noise."it's hard to find clear comparisons online"
Totally agree acoustic windows are the way to go if you're serious about cutting down city noise. Curtains can help a little, but they're mostly good for softening echoes and minor sounds—not heavy traffic or sirens. A few things I noticed when I installed acoustic windows:
- The thickness and quality of the glass matters a lot. Double-glazed is good, but laminated acoustic glass is even better.
- Proper installation is key. Even tiny gaps around the frame can let noise seep through, so make sure whoever installs them knows what they're doing.
- Wall insulation can help, but it's usually more effective for airborne noise from neighbors rather than street noise coming through windows. Plus, it's messy and expensive—probably not worth it unless you're already renovating.
I did find that adding some soft furnishings (like rugs or upholstered furniture) helped absorb sound reflections inside the room, making it feel quieter overall. Not a huge difference, but noticeable enough to mention.
Yep, acoustic windows made a huge difference for me too. I went with laminated glass after reading up on it, and honestly, it's been a lifesaver. One thing I'd add is to pay attention to your window frames as well—wood or vinyl frames seem to dampen noise better than aluminum ones, in my experience.
I also found weatherstripping around doors helped more than I expected. Even though most street noise comes through windows, sealing up doors reduced some sneaky background sounds I hadn't even noticed before.
Soft furnishings definitely help a bit—I threw down a thick rug and added some heavier curtains (not the full-on soundproof kind, just thicker fabric), and the room feels cozier and quieter overall. It's subtle but noticeable enough that friends have commented on how peaceful my place feels compared to theirs downtown.
I was skeptical about acoustic windows at first—seemed like an expensive gimmick—but after installing laminated glass in my bedroom, gotta admit, it actually worked. Curtains alone were pretty meh for traffic noise, but combined with better windows...huge improvement. Frames do matter too, good shout.
Yeah, laminated glass is legit. People underestimate how much frames matter too—cheap frames can leak noise like crazy. I once had a client who upgraded to acoustic windows but kept their old aluminum frames...total facepalm moment, barely made a difference. Curious though, did you notice any improvement with vibrations from heavy trucks or buses? That's usually the real test for me.
- Totally agree on the frame issue—had a similar experience myself. Installed laminated acoustic glass in my old apartment a few years back, but kept the original frames thinking I'd save money. Big mistake...could still hear buses rumbling by clearly.
- Eventually bit the bullet and upgraded to high-quality uPVC frames with proper sealing. Huge difference. Not only quieter overall, but those deep vibrations from heavier vehicles were way less noticeable.
- Curtains alone never did much for me with vibrations—maybe muffled voices or lighter sounds slightly, but nothing substantial for heavy traffic.
- Also, keep in mind that vibrations can travel through walls and floors too. If you're noticing a lot of shaking or rumbling, you might want to check insulation or even look into decoupling drywall solutions. Sounds extreme, but it worked wonders for a friend who lived right above a busy intersection.
- Bottom line: acoustic windows are worth it, but only if you pair them with decent frames and proper installation. Otherwise, you're just throwing money away (speaking from painful experience here...).
Had a similar experience myself—thought curtains would be enough to handle city noise, but nope, barely made a dent. Ended up going the acoustic window route too, and yeah, frames are definitely key. I initially went with decent glass but skimped on frames (wooden ones that looked nice but weren't sealed properly). Big mistake... still heard every garbage truck and motorcycle roaring past at 2 AM.
Eventually upgraded to uPVC frames with proper sealing and noticed a huge improvement. But even then, I still had some low-frequency rumbling from heavy trucks and buses. Turns out the vibrations were traveling through the walls themselves. Ended up adding some mass-loaded vinyl behind drywall in the bedroom—sounds complicated, but it's basically just heavy-duty soundproofing material you sandwich between drywall layers. It wasn't exactly cheap or easy, but it did help cut down those deep vibrations significantly.
One thing I'd mildly disagree on is curtains being totally useless. True, they won't stop vibrations or heavy traffic noise completely, but thick acoustic curtains did help me soften higher-pitched sounds like voices or sirens. Plus, they made the room feel cozier overall (bonus points for aesthetics).
Bottom line though: if you're serious about cutting down city noise, acoustic windows with proper frames are your best bet. Just don't expect miracles without addressing walls or floors if vibrations are a big issue. Learned that one the hard way myself...
Totally feel your pain on the vibrations thing... I went all-in on acoustic windows too, thinking they'd solve everything, but nope—still had that annoying low rumble from buses shaking the whole place. Ended up rearranging furniture and adding some thick rugs, which surprisingly helped dampen it a bit (or maybe I just convinced myself it did, lol). Anyway, you're spot-on about curtains—they're not magic, but they do make things feel less harsh and echoey. At least now we can suffer in cozy style, right?
"Ended up rearranging furniture and adding some thick rugs, which surprisingly helped dampen it a bit (or maybe I just convinced myself it did, lol)."
Interesting about the rugs—makes sense they'd absorb some vibrations. Wondering if anyone's tried isolating furniture legs with pads or something similar... could that help cut down on the rumble even more?
I've seen a few people try those pads under furniture legs, but honestly, I'm a bit skeptical about how much they'd help with actual city noise. They're usually more for vibrations from appliances or footsteps, right? I wonder if anyone's had success with heavier-duty isolation mounts or something similar for furniture... might be overkill, but I'd be curious if it's made a noticeable difference for someone.