Curtains definitely have their limits—great for blocking out sunlight, but sound waves are a whole different beast. Secondary glazing is usually the sweet spot between cost and effectiveness. If anyone's thinking about DIY-ing it, just remember: measure twice, cut once (trust me on this...). Also, sealing around the edges with acoustic caulk makes a huge difference. It's those tiny gaps that let noise sneak in. Glad you're finally getting some sleep though—city life without garbage truck wake-up calls is pretty luxurious, huh?
Secondary glazing's effective, sure, but honestly it's a bit of a hassle compared to other solutions. I've been down the DIY route myself, and while sealing edges and measuring precisely does help, there's still a noticeable difference between proper acoustic windows and secondary glazing. Acoustic windows might seem pricey upfront, but they genuinely tackle noise at a different level—especially if traffic or street noise is your main issue.
Curtains alone are definitely weak sauce, agreed. But if you're already considering secondary glazing, you might as well take a look at laminated acoustic glass windows. They add value to your home long-term and save you the trouble of constantly troubleshooting DIY fixes. Had secondary glazing for years, thought it was good enough until I finally upgraded—night and day difference. Now I barely notice the buses rumbling by, and no more garbage-truck wake-up calls at 5am.
I get that budget's always a factor, but when it comes to sleep quality and peace of mind, sometimes it's worth stretching a bit. Just my two cents from years of city living headaches...
Totally get the appeal of acoustic windows, but man...my wallet hurts just thinking about it. I went with secondary glazing, and yeah, it's not perfect, but it cut down traffic noise enough to keep me sane. Curtains though? Nah, they're basically decoration.
"Curtains though? Nah, they're basically decoration."
Gotta disagree a bit here. I mean, sure, regular curtains won't do much, but have you tried the heavier soundproof ones? I was skeptical too, but after moving into my place near a busy intersection, I gave them a shot. They're not magic or anything, but honestly, they made more of a difference than I expected—especially at night when traffic noise is most annoying. Plus, they're way cheaper than acoustic windows or even secondary glazing.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have proper acoustic windows someday (dreaming big here...), but for now, these curtains are doing the trick well enough to keep me from losing my mind. Might be worth reconsidering if you're looking for a budget-friendly option that actually helps a bit.
Interesting...I haven't tried the heavy curtains myself, but now you've got me curious. I've been mostly focused on sealing gaps around windows and doors to cut down noise (and save energy too). Have you noticed if these soundproof curtains help with insulation at all? Might be a nice bonus if they do—I mean, quieter *and* warmer sounds like a win-win.
I've actually had pretty good luck with heavy curtains—not just for noise, but insulation too. Last winter, I swapped out my regular curtains for some thick, lined ones, and honestly, the room felt noticeably warmer. Can't say it completely replaced sealing gaps (still gotta do that), but it definitely added an extra layer of coziness. Plus, they're cheaper than acoustic windows...might be worth trying first before diving into something pricier.
I've noticed a difference with heavier curtains too—definitely warmer and a bit quieter—but my problem is street noise from traffic, especially motorcycles at night. Do you think thicker curtains alone would handle that kind of sharp, sudden noise, or is that more of an acoustic-window situation? I'd rather not spend the extra cash if I don't have to...
I totally get your frustration—motorcycles at night are the absolute worst. Honestly, thicker curtains help a bit, but they're not magic. I had a similar issue at my old apartment downtown, and while heavy curtains muffled general traffic hum nicely, those sudden revs and honks still punched right through. Eventually, I bit the bullet and upgraded to acoustic windows... pricey, yeah, but it was night and day. If budget's tight, maybe start with curtains and see if it's enough for you first?
Have you checked how old your windows are? Curtains can help a bit, sure, but if your windows are ancient or poorly sealed, noise will just seep right through anyway. Had a client downtown who tried curtains first—barely made a dent until they upgraded the windows.
Have you thought about checking the seals around your windows first? I had a similar issue at my old place—thought curtains would do the trick, but nope, barely noticed a difference. Turned out the seals were shot, letting noise (and drafts) right in. Once I fixed those, things improved quite a bit. Might be worth looking into before dropping cash on new windows or fancy curtains...