I think triple pane windows offer the best sound insulation in the window itself, which is not much. You may want to look into other methods of retarding sound from entering the home (short of ear plugs).

If you ask the window salesman remember they are trying to sell you windows.

Earplugs help sound from entering the ears. What other methods limit sound entering the house? Besides within the walls? We are looking into replacing all the windows, but would like to add sound-insulating in a few.

Microsoft made it devilishly hard to look up info on windows-the-building-component. But I found some sites that talk about acoustic properties broadly. It seems the fenestration industry has two metrics for acoustic properties: STC (Sound Transmission Class), a numerical rating of a window’s ability to reduce sound, and OITC (Outdoor-Indoor Transmission Class), which measures insulation against outdoor sounds, particularly focusing on traffic noise and airplane noise. For both, higher values mean better sound reduction.

It sounds like more panes, different thicknesses of glass, laminated glass and more substantial framing are all associated with less noise.

These are the sources I found with a quick search.

The first is a paper from an acoustics conference and seems to have the most detail, but of course technical. It talks about where the STC and OITC fall short.

https://pub.dega-akustik.de/ICA2019/data/articles/001300.pdf

This looks like a construction industry piece

https://www.constructionspecifier.com/optimizing-fenestration-designs-for-acoustical-performance/

These are manufacturer sites, but the broad acoustic info seems neutral.

https://optimumwindow.com/acoustic-fenestration-solutions-for-enhanced-building-acoustics/

https://www.kolbewindows.com/blog/how-sound-relates-to-fenestration/

Landscaping may help depending upon the site spacific conditions.

How's the sound insulation performance of the walls?

It is definitely a layered approach. Windows are the current consideration at hand.

Oberon, I believe we will be constrained to double-hungs by price, and possibly the city. Another question I will be checking on.

Thanks all for the information, we have a lot of reading ahead of us.

bpath, you might want to consider hiring an acoustic consultant to come to your house to provide an assessment and offer recommendations. The up front cost might save money and research time in the long run.

8 haven't heard of that for residential. Off to learn about that service near me.

New glass insulation tech vacuum insulating glass VIG can push STC for standard double pane windows of 28 to 33 to 36 to 38. Special hybrid versions can go as high as 42. This combines a VIG panel with laminated safety glass with the interlayer in the laminated glass PVB or acoustic film. Fixed is mandatory for anything you choose. VacuMax, LuxWall, etc. 5-6mm tempered VIG + Argon Spacer + 8-10mm. laminated glass with different glass thickness.

VIG is a cool and evolving tech. Once they get all the kinks worked out and have a demonstrated track record, I think it will become the dominate player in the market of insulated glass.

Many of the commonly available brands will have an STC option which will be either and offset glazing package or something that includes laminated glass.

@oberon476 hit all the high points on the data side of things as he reliably does.

Double Hungs can be okay, just be sure to get one that has a really good air infiltration number. A leaky window, leaks noise with the air.

Once again, @oberon476 is spot on. Winodws on Wash is also correct that VIG still has issues and at this time is not a viable alternative. As noted by WoW, start with the tightest and best window you can, then work the glass package.

I imagine any new window will be better than this original single-pane 1960 version with aftermarket single-pane 1961 storms and screens. It does help to have the storms closed — layer!— but I’m sure new technology will be even better.

Consider eliminating some windows altogether. (Alpha House: UABI Architects, Londrina, Brazil)

DH would love that, worthy.

Not scientific, just my personal experience, but many years ago, I replaced all my aluminum framed windows in my 1983 home with wood windows and the improvement in noise and draft control was significant. You may not be considering anything other than wood, but just thought I'd mention it. I have no experience with other framing materials like fiberglass.

I live in a very quiet area, but due to some tricky, sleight of hand property division on a large lot next to me, the new owners built a huge home closer than we thought was possible or would have liked, so I was looking for maximum sound blocking.

Thank you for sharing your experience, olychick. I recall in our last house when we replaced the patio slider (we realized it was so leaky that when we washed the window with the hose, water ran down the INSIDE of the glass), I was amazed at how much more pleasant the room was with less draft but also how quiet.

If your current windows are really bad at blocking sound, anything might be an improvement over what you have. But as a minimum I would suggest that you look for a window with a glass package that has two different thicknesses of glass and that has the lowest air infiltration number that you can find.

Also the installation quality is absolutely vital.

My house is pretty quiet, but it's an ICF(insulated concrete forms) home "and" has argon filled windows.

Quote from AI:

Yes, double-pane windows with argon gas are quieter than standard air-filled double-pane or single-pane windows. The denser argon gas acts as a buffer that dampens sound vibrations, while the two panes of glass create a double-barrier system that disrupts noise transmission, especially for high-frequency sounds like traffic and voices. [1, 2, 3]Why Argon Windows Are Quieter:

• Dense Gas Barrier: Argon is denser than air, making it less efficient at transmitting sound waves.
• Vibration Dampening: The gas acts as a sound-dampening cushion between the

The AI response is incorrect in suggesting that argon improves sound performance. Argon has no appreciable effect on sound performance, only on energy performance.

Do any of you knowledgeable folks know the physics behind why having different thicknesses of glass makes for better acoustic performance?

Helps mitigate different frequency ranges.

Sound attenuation is about 3 things:

1. Mass - the heavier the lite of glass the better
2. Airspace - the wider the gap, the better
3. Varying Thickness - different thicknesses of glass will have different "critical frequencies"

This is why traffic (low frequency) noise is so difficult to address without that mass component.

This is why matched thicknesses of glass are not as effective as generally thought of because their critical frequency is the same and they are generally thinner to offset weight. So you sacrifice a couple of benefits of the equation.

+1 WoW ... what he said, great explanation

Adding to that, and what at first glance might seem to be counter-intuitive, the thicker the glass the lower the critical frequency.

Glass thickness in mm vs critical frequency:

Here in Florida my sister replaced metal sliders with hurricane rated units and the difference in sound transmission is amazing. No one dictates where you can have hurricane rated windows if you want them.

Can windows help block the sound of bass? What specs? Hurricane windows?

As I knew, you all are a wealth of information and smiles!

ker9, thanks for asking about bass. It is rarely a problem, but a party at the school a long block away sent the thumping bass, and nothing else into the middle of our house. You know how when you wonder how the people in the car next to you at a stoplight can converse with the loud bass? But when you are in that car, you don’t hear it as much. I think bass is its own creature.

But, now I wonder how much sound insulation truly helps with the deep sounds and vibrations from construction or landscape equipment?

We installed 99 Enerlux casement windows in our brick condominium building. I went with triple-pane as they didn't cost much more. The reduction in noise is phenomenal. I used to be awaken by noisy trash trucks (with their reverse beepers) outside the window but no more. Cars drive by but I don't hear them at all. Marvin fiberglass casements are an alternative. I strongly recommend casements as they forgo the meeting rail and the the crank pulls the sash tight against the frame to improve efficiency and reduce noise.

• Energy Star High Performing Windows or Storm Windows
• Energy Star Climate Zone Finder
• ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2025 Windows, Doors & Skylights (fiberglass, casement)

Thanks, @Windows on Washington Ltd and @oberon476. That was my hunch, but asking experts is better than idle speculation.

The original post said as much as possible. The answer to that is fixed picture window with a VIG panel. VacuMax is now in its second generation of product development. Titanium 0.3mm diameter spacers on 55mm centers. Hidden port for the evacuation and gett to absorb gas molecules over the 20 year warranty life.. 8mm total unit thickness with tempered panes. Harvard Graduate has used this recently.

Vitro Window Manufacturer Locator: You can locate specific residential window providers in your region by using the Vitro Window Manufacturer Locator tool and entering your zip code.

Here are manufacturers in their network.

• Champion Windows Inc.
• MI Windows and Doors, Inc.
• American Window and Glass, Inc.
• Gilkey Window Company, Inc.
• Lincoln Wood Products, Inc.
• Northeast Building Products Corp.
• Thermal Windows Inc.
• United Window and Door Manufacturing Inc

This may not be for the OP. Now it is likely $50+/sqft. Others may want to explore and calculate this into a new build or reno project. An older building with historical single pane glass can just replace the glass in some cases.

Not an epically good list of suppliers on that list.

VIG appears to be a commercial-only product as it is only shown on the Vitro Architectural Glass site as an option for Solarban 70 glass. The Solarban 70 residential site does not show this product.

That residential manufacturer locating link is copied off the Vitro site. They seem to think residential product is available to order. They were using Solarban 60 and the updated version now uses 70. Of the group listed only Gilkey Signature in Cincinatti OH offers a fiberglass frame.

LuxWall uses a shinier stainless 0.5mm spacer positioned in a 25mm and up variable grid pattern vs 0.3 grey titanium in a 55mm grid. There can be a difference in view effect as you look through the window at different angles. Kolbe is the primary NAmer. residential partner for Luxwall's Enthermal and Enthermal Plus lines.

dan1888: "That residential manufacturer locating link is copied off the Vitro site."

Correct. https://www.vitrowindowglass.com/ is the residential site with no mention of VIG and https://www.vitroglazings.com/ is the commercial site where Solarban 70 VIG is discussed.

You could just remove the existing windows and cover the openings with siding, sheathing, studs, insulation, and gypsum board; then hang pretty landscape paintings on the inside where the windows were. Put dimmers on all the lights.

My phone screen saver is a dynamic water view, with rippling waves and changing light and sky color to reflect the time of day. Maybe I can get a large-screen version for the windows.

Might be overthinking it here a bit. A well fit, well sealing, and well built window with either offset glazing or laminated glass, will do quite well and sometimes approach the efficiency of the home walls if the exterior cladding is something without much mass (i.e. vinyl or aluminum siding).

"Here are manufacturers in their network.

• Champion Windows Inc.
• MI Windows and Doors, Inc.
• American Window and Glass, Inc.
• Gilkey Window Company, Inc.
• Lincoln Wood Products, Inc.
• Northeast Building Products Corp.
• Thermal Windows Inc.
• United Window and Door Manufacturing Inc"

The issue with that list is the windws tehmselves from these companies are mediocre at best and the VIG glass unit would be worth more than the window itself. There is a reason the better window companies and glass companies have noy fully embraced the technology as of yet..................

VIG is a substantial improvement in energy efficiency over double pane window and an alternative in areas where triple pane is being considered. It's new. New means early adapter high price at this time. Kolbe is not mediocre. They are connected to Michigan based LuxWall.

Does this tech look like ev batteries where giant advances are showing up as competition fueled research and development and a big market push things every month? This improvement is simple in comparison. Smaller developments can continue. As the cost drops the payback will make this choice more widespread.

" New means early adapter high price at this time. Kolbe is not mediocre. They are connected to Michigan based LuxWall. "

I do not see Kolbe (or Luxwall) on your list or my comment would not read as it does as Kolbe is a quality product. The others AI came up with not so much..............

The new Polestar 4 has no rear window. Instead it has a rear-facing camera and a screen that replaces the rear-view mirror. You could brick up the window, put a camera on the outside, and hang a Samsung The Frame TV on the wall to display what's going on. You could write an Ai script that would switch the TV to a photo of Marilyn Monroe whenever the camera detected your overweight neighbor had gone outside to sunbathe.

wdcruise! You made me spit out my gin & tonic!

In case you want ventilation from wdccruise 's windows:

I guess I wouldn’t need flypaper attached to that fan.

I never saw if @bpath commented on what the exterior of the home is? We have done quite a few projects with sound attenuation as the focus. If the home is clad in siding, especially if it's sheathed in non-standard sheathing products that were the norm for certain construction eras, a decent STC window will approach the STC of the loaded wall assembly.

Ah yes, that matters. An earlier question was how is the wall insulation, but because of other window issues we are considering windows right now.

Anyway, it is a typical 1960 house, brick on the first floor, siding on second, wood double-hungs (true double-hungs, I love being able to slide the top down for fresh air that doesn’t blow papers off the desk). Aluminum ”glides” that don’t glide, and after-market self-storing triple-track storms/screen. When the storms are closed they barely help with weather and sound insulation.

Issues that WoW is alluding to is that sound attenuation windows alone will be only so good. Air sealing and insulation will be almost half the sound mitigation issue.

Marvin Vivid windows have STC ratings but are only available in casement and awning. Marvin's other windows including Essential are available in double-hung but don't have STC ratings.

By a decibel meter on Amazon and compare the peak ratings on the two floors. I suspect you'll see the floor with more wall mass performs better.

WoW, you me slapping myself in the head. I honestly did not think to do that, figuring they would be pricey. Turns out they can be, but also very affordable. But so many, and such a range, and honestly they all look alike. If you do windows, you probably have one. Is there a homeowner- and budget-friendly unit or manufacturer that you could suggest?

The reviews change all the time. It's not a supremely sophisticated piece of equipment. I would just look for one with the most reviews and highest average score.

This one has a bunch of reviews and good average. I never buy anything that has less than 200 reviews as they are mostly spammed at that point.

https://www.amazon.com/Weighted-30-130dB-Temperature-Humidity-Neighbor/dp/B0B9BC4N2X/ref=sr_1_4