Window Replacement - Sound Reduction is the Goal - Any Window Pros around here?

[hondaf17]

My wife and I bought a new house one year ago. The house was built in 2011 but the builder went pretty budget on the windows.

All windows are "Integrity by Marvin" and most are double hung. The windows do their job keeping out the rain and wind. However they suck at reducing sound. We live somewhat close to a highway. Our bedroom is on the 3rd floor (thus up pretty high) and the noise is annoying. It doesn't keep us awake but when I wake up on a Saturday morning I'd like to relax in bed and not be annoyed listening to cars.

Our current windows are double pane and each pane of glass is 3.1mm. The current windows have vacant (air) frames and channels. STC rating on current windows is 27.

I have bids to replace the windows in our bedroom. Both bids would feature foam filled frames.

Option 1 - Pella "STC" glass. Double pane of which one pane of glass is 3mm and the other is 5mm. The Pella rep is telling me that the different pane thicknesses will work better than a triple pane at noise reduction. I am skeptical. $4,500.

Option 2 - Hayfield Triple pane window. Each pane of glass is 3.175mm. $4,500.

Option 3 - Just replace the sash of the current windows. I can order Integrity by Marvin STC glass replacements which will be two panes, 3.1mm and 4.7mm. This has an STC rating of 32. Cost is unknown but likely much cheaper, but then I still have the vacant frames/channels (not foam filled).

The only reason for doing this job is noise reduction. Any window experts in here? Which one do you think will do a better job? What else should I be considering?

TYIA,

 

[Greenman]

My wife and I bought a new house one year ago. The house was built in 2011 but the builder went pretty budget on the windows.

All windows are "Integrity by Marvin" and most are double hung. The windows do their job keeping out the rain and wind. However they suck at reducing sound. We live somewhat close to a highway. Our bedroom is on the 3rd floor (thus up pretty high) and the noise is annoying. It doesn't keep us awake but when I wake up on a Saturday morning I'd like to relax in bed and not be annoyed listening to cars.

Our current windows are double pane and each pane of glass is 3.1mm. The current windows have vacant (air) frames and channels. STC rating on current windows is 27.

I have bids to replace the windows in our bedroom. Both bids would feature foam filled frames.

Option 1 - Pella "STC" glass. Double pane of which one pane of glass is 3mm and the other is 5mm. The Pella rep is telling me that the different pane thicknesses will work better than a triple pane at noise reduction. I am skeptical. $4,500.

Option 2 - Hayfield Triple pane window. Each pane of glass is 3.175mm. $4,500.

Option 3 - Just replace the sash of the current windows. I can order Integrity by Marvin STC glass replacements which will be two panes, 3.1mm and 4.7mm. This has an STC rating of 32. Cost is unknown but likely much cheaper, but then I still have the vacant frames/channels (not foam filled).

The only reason for doing this job is noise reduction. Any window experts in here? Which one do you think will do a better job? What else should I be considering?

TYIA,

Integrity is a pretty good window, I'd be very surprised if any double glazed window could make a noticeable reduction in sound transmission over the Marvin's. Triple glazing would probably be the better option.

 

[stormkroe]

I can honestly say that dissimilar glass thicknesses are better for noise reduction than a dual pane with more total thickness, it can't compete with triple pane. I'm installing all triples (Durabuilt) in the house I'm building right now, specifically for noise reduction.

 

[snoopy7548]

I'm considering the same thing (house built in 2012, cheap-ass Simonton windows that barely do anything for noise and I can already feel air coming in). If you're going for maximum noise reduction and quality, check out Milgard. Their QuietLine series is supposedly excellent but can be expensive at up to $1500 per window. I think their STC rating is 45, which would be greater than the STC of your typical exterior wall.

I think the guy from option 1 is correct. Having varying glass thickness will dampen resonance. The general consensus seems to be that triple pane isn't worth the price increase over double pane.

Check out this thread on reddit by JimmyBuffalo, who is the resident window expert over there. He seems to be a great resource:
https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/221pej/windows_have_questions_get_in_here_i_have/


If you don't open the windows much, you could also look into soundproofing inserts. They're thick sheets of acrylic or plexiglass inside a PVC frame which get attached to the interior of your window frame. The downside is you have to remove them if you want to open your windows. Could be a DIY thing just to try out before you commit to replacing your windows.

Here are a couple:
http://www.acousticalsurfaces.com/window-inserts/acoustical_window_inserts.htm
http://www.magnetite.com/products/index.html

 

[herm0016]

We have triple pane and every person that walks in our house comments on how quiet it is. Different thickness glass would be better that same, but my audio background says more layers will be superior. The best sound deadening materials have many layers of different densities.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I'm not a windows expert but I can say there was a noticeable reduction in noise when we had cellulose insulation added to our walls. I have some knowledge about Pella window, they were in my Parents old house for 33(?) years and they aged incredibly well. When they moved out all the windows still had good seals and all were still easy to open/close. 1978 Pella made some good quality windows, not so sure if its still true.

 

[nathanddrews]

I'm not a window expert either, but I have some professional experience in noise mitigation. Sound waves that most affect human hearing (around that 200Hz-8,000Hz range) can only be defeated by reflecting/blocking (good seals and solid materials) and/or absorbing/isolating them (layers of decoupled materials and mass).

For what it's worth, I replaced my original 1950s single-pane windows with new, "cheap", double-pane vinyl windows a few years ago and the difference in perceived noise was massive. I didn't have the tools at the time to measure before and after noise levels, unfortunately, but if I had to guess I would say at least 10dBA reduction in road noise (perceived as half as loud as before). That's either a testament to how much better then new windows are or how bad the old ones were... and they were really bad.

 

[hondaf17]

Thanks guys. I'll probably pull the trigger on the Hayfield Triple Pane windows. This has turned out to be just like anything else. Once you get into research there is a bunch of marketing BS and no one really knows. I've had one expert tell me double pane with different glass thicknesses (Pella) and another expert say no way triple pane is way better. Annoying.

 

[Raizinman]

I work as an audio engineer. I had a similar problem. When I asked for bids I heard all the same stories. What I found out was that it was the companies who didn't have triple pane windows who were making up these stories about double pane various thickness glass. Or companies who custom build each window (at a very high cost) using various thickness glass who were making wild claims about their windows only because they custom make. My opinion is that they more layers, and thicker layers, (common sense) tend to remove noise the best. Don't buy into all the windows hocus pocus. It's just a way to separate you from your money.