Pulled a few old aluminum sliders out of my place a couple years back, and yeah, found a weird collection of acorns and what looked like shredded insulation stuffed in the corners. No petrified mouse nests, thankfully, but it did make me wonder how much “bonus” insulation is just critter handiwork over the years.
On the noise front, I’m honestly not convinced the frame material matters as much as folks think. Like you said, sealing up those gaps is where most of the sound gets blocked. The only time I noticed a real difference was when I swapped to laminated glass in one room—huge jump in quiet, even compared to double-pane regular glass. Anyone tried that route?
And for those using foam—ever had issues with moisture getting trapped? I’ve heard some people say it can cause rot if you don’t let things breathe, but I’ve never seen it myself. Just curious if that’s a real risk or just internet paranoia...
- Swapped a bunch of old wood frames for fiberglass in my last place. Didn’t notice much difference in noise—like you said, the real jump came when I did laminated glass. That stuff’s legit for blocking out street noise, way more than just changing the frame.
- Gaps and weatherstripping make or break soundproofing. Even the best frame won’t matter if there’s air leaking around it.
- On foam: I’ve seen a couple jobs where too much expanding foam trapped moisture, especially in older houses with no proper flashing. Led to some nasty rot in the sill over a few years. Not super common if you’re careful, but it’s not just internet hype either. Gotta let things dry out before sealing everything up tight.
- Critter “insulation” is always a wild card. Pulled out a window once and found a full squirrel stash—nuts, nesting, the whole deal. Guess they know where the drafts are too.
I get what you’re saying about the real difference coming from laminated glass—I’ve heard that a lot, and I’m sure it’s true for really bad street noise. But I gotta say, when I swapped out my old aluminum sliders for fiberglass (just standard double-pane glass, nothing fancy), I did notice a drop in noise. Not a miracle or anything, but enough that I could actually hear the TV without cranking it up at night. Maybe it depends on what you’re starting with? My old windows were super drafty, so maybe just getting something that actually sealed helped more than the material itself.
On the foam thing—I’m a little less worried about that, but maybe that’s just because my house is newer and has better flashing. Still, I probably went a little overboard with the spray foam in a couple spots. Haven’t seen any rot yet, but now you’ve got me watching for it... Appreciate the heads-up.
And yeah, the weatherstripping is huge. I spent like twenty bucks on some decent seals and it made more of a difference than I expected. Way easier than swapping out a whole window if you’re just trying to knock down a bit of noise or cold air.
Funny about the squirrel stash—pulled out a bathroom vent once and found a whole bird’s nest stuffed in there. Guess we’re not the only ones looking for better insulation.
Long story short, I think fiberglass can help, but maybe it’s more about the install and sealing everything up tight than just what the frame is made of. Laminated glass is probably next-level if you’re really fighting city noise, though.
Long story short, I think fiberglass can help, but maybe it’s more about the install and sealing everything up tight than just what the frame is made of.
Couldn’t agree more—install is half the battle. I swapped out some janky 80s aluminum frames for new fiberglass a couple years ago, and honestly, most of the noise drop came from finally having windows that actually closed all the way. The fiberglass is nice, but if you’ve got gaps or loose weatherstripping, you’re just throwing money out the window (literally). Laminated glass is a whole other level, but for most folks, just fixing drafts does more than they’d expect. And yeah, I’ve found peanut shells in my attic insulation—guess the squirrels know good R-value when they see it...
The fiberglass is nice, but if you’ve got gaps or loose weatherstripping, you’re just throwing money out the window (literally).
That’s spot on. I’ve replaced a couple old wood windows with fiberglass, and the biggest difference wasn’t the frame itself but finally getting an airtight seal. You can buy the fanciest windows out there, but if your installer rushes or skips proper caulking, it’s all for nothing. I’d even go as far as saying that a well-sealed vinyl window will outperform a poorly installed fiberglass one in terms of noise and drafts. On the glass side, double-pane helps, but laminated glass is a game changer if street noise is an issue—though it’s not cheap.
Funny about the squirrels... I pulled out half a bag of acorns from my crawlspace last fall. Guess we’re all looking for better insulation these days.
I’m with you on the install making all the difference. When we redid our windows (went with fiberglass too), I was surprised how much air still got through until the contractor came back and fixed the gaps around the frame. The window itself is only half the equation—if you’ve got old, crumbly caulk or shoddy weatherstripping, you’re not going to notice much improvement, sound-wise or otherwise.
One thing I’ll add: I expected the fiberglass to be way quieter than my old wood frames, but honestly, it was the glass that made more of a difference than the frame. We went with double-pane but skipped laminated because of cost. It cut down on noise some, but not as much as I’d hoped. If street noise really bugs you, I’d say look at laminated glass before worrying about what the frame’s made of.
And yeah, squirrels... Had one chew through a vent cover last winter. Apparently, my attic’s insulation is prime real estate.
Yeah, I totally get what you mean about the install being half the battle. When we moved in, our place had these old aluminum sliders that rattled every time a truck went by. We finally bit the bullet and got new fiberglass windows last fall. The installer was super careful with the caulking and sealing, which honestly made more of a difference than I expected. Before that, I could literally feel a breeze through the living room window on windy days… not ideal.
But as far as noise goes, I was kinda hoping for a miracle cure too. We picked double-pane (not laminated, just regular) to stay within budget, and yeah, it helped a bit but didn’t block out everything. I still hear the neighbor’s dog barking or the garbage truck at 6am. The frame itself seems pretty solid—no more drafts—but if I had to do it over, I’d probably look harder at the glass options. Laminated seemed pricey at the time, but now I wonder if it would’ve been worth it for some peace and quiet.
Funny you mentioned squirrels… We had one get into our attic last spring and chew up some insulation. My partner swears he heard it gnawing at like 2am. We ended up replacing a bunch of vent covers with metal ones, just in case. Apparently, critters are way more determined than I thought.
Anyway, my takeaway is that fiberglass frames are great for energy savings and durability, but if noise is your main concern, the glass matters way more. Wish someone had told me that before I spent hours researching frame materials. Live and learn, I guess.
You’re spot on about the install making a bigger difference than most people expect. I’ve seen so many jobs where the frame material gets all the attention, but the real culprit for noise and drafts is usually poor sealing or sloppy caulking. Fiberglass frames are solid for energy efficiency and hold up well over time, but when it comes to blocking noise, the frame is only one piece of the puzzle.
Here’s the thing: most of the sound comes straight through the glass, not around the edges or through the frame itself. Double-pane glass is a good step up from single-pane, but if both panes are the same thickness and there’s no special laminate, you’re really just getting a bit of an air buffer. It helps, but it won’t turn your place into a recording studio. Laminated glass, on the other hand, is like the secret weapon for noise—there’s a plastic layer sandwiched inside that absorbs a lot of vibrations. It’s not cheap, which is a pain, but if you’re losing sleep over garbage trucks or barking dogs, it’s usually the most effective upgrade.
One thing I’ve seen people do is mix glass thicknesses in their double-pane units—like one pane 3mm, one 5mm. That can break up sound waves better than two identical panes, and it doesn’t cost as much as full-on laminated glass. Not every installer offers it, though, so you have to ask.
Funny you mentioned critters. I had a raccoon rip apart a soffit vent a couple years back. Ended up replacing it with stainless mesh and haven’t had a problem since. Animals seem to find any weak spot the second you think you’ve sealed everything up.
Anyway, if you’re happy with the energy savings and no more drafts, you’ve already solved half the battle. If noise is still a big issue, maybe look into swapping out just the glass in the noisiest rooms for laminated or mixed-thickness units. Sometimes you don’t have to redo everything—just target the problem spots.
Not sure I totally buy that the frame material barely matters for noise. I get that most sound comes through the glass, but when I swapped my old aluminum sliders for fiberglass, there was a noticeable drop in street noise—even with the same double-pane glass. Maybe it’s just the tighter fit or better seals, but it made a difference in my place. Could be my old frames were just that bad, though.
If you’re dealing with a ton of noise, yeah, laminated glass is probably the gold standard. But honestly, if your windows are old and drafty, just upgrading to new fiberglass (or even vinyl) units with decent weatherstripping can help more than people think. The install is huge, like you said, but don’t sleep on the frame either—especially if you live somewhere with big temp swings or lots of traffic.
For me, it was kind of a combo of everything: better frames, new seals, and then swapping out the glass in the bedroom for something thicker. Didn’t need to go full recording studio mode—just wanted to hear less honking at night.
You’re definitely not imagining things with the frame swap. I had almost the same experience when I ditched my ancient aluminum windows for fiberglass. It wasn’t just a little quieter—it was like the street outside went from a rock concert to background music. I figure some of it’s the tighter seals and maybe the frame material dampens vibration a bit better, but honestly, my old frames were so leaky I could feel a breeze on windy days. Sometimes “the same glass” doesn’t mean much if the rest of the window is letting sound sneak in around the edges.
And yeah, you nailed it about installation. My neighbor went all-in on fancy triple-pane glass but had a rushed install, and you can still hear every garbage truck at 6am. Meanwhile, my mid-range fiberglass with good seals and careful install made a bigger difference than I expected. I guess there’s no magic bullet, but upgrading old windows—frame and all—definitely helped me sleep better.