Noisy Freeway - Window Replacement - Bay Area

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kjohnson5555
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Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2020 5:22 pm

Noisy Freeway - Window Replacement - Bay Area

#1 Post by kjohnson5555 »

Hi all,

I live near a very busy freeway (.25 mile) and the sound is extremely loud. Our house has original aluminum, single pane windows, so we are looking to replace, with sound being the highest priority, but we also want to maintain the vintage look of the window.

I'm looking at Anlin, Milgard, Bayview, and Simonton windows. All have an STC rating of around 32ish.

I've been told the Quiet Line by Milgard is too bulky to be supported by our stucco house, but unsure if that's the general consensus.

I've also been told laminated glass is not worth the extra spend - adding only one STC point that is imperceptible to the ear.

Any thoughts/opinions on the best quality, highest sound blocking windows available in the Bay Area? Any similar stories of experience moving from single pane to new windows to block highway noise also appreciated!

masterext
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Re: Noisy Freeway - Window Replacement - Bay Area

#2 Post by masterext »

You sure all that noise isnt coming from the big mouth of Kamala Harris ? If thats the issue, vote her out of the senate. Lol
Laminated glass is the best at reducing noise. Milgard and Anlin are pretty well regarded on the west coast. As far as “ being bulky”, thats very subjective. I dont know if milgard is considered bulky.

Oberon
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Re: Noisy Freeway - Window Replacement - Bay Area

#3 Post by Oberon »

Morning kj,

First, starting with pretty much anything that you do should be an improvement over what you have now, but also that low frequency (traffic noise) is about the most difficult to block. You will never eliminate it, but you can definitely turn it down a bit.

Milgards Quietline is one of the better options available pertaining to sound performance, but it can also be very pricey, so if you haven't seen a quote yet be prepared for that. And whoever told you that laminated glass doesn't do much for sound performance is...misinformed.

The three primary ways of lowering noise level through a window are wide airspace in a dual or triple pane configuration insulating glass unit, using two different thicknesses of glass in a dual pane unit, or adding laminated glass, either as a single monolithic lite or preferably as part of an IG unit. All three of those options work and often work even better when combined together in a single sound blocking window - which is what Quietline and some other sound-performance windows are all about.

You may have heard or read of people suggesting triple pane windows as a way to moderate excess noise, and when done right triple pane can result in the ultimate noise blocking window, but generally speaking (with exceptions of course), people suggesting windows with triple pane IG units, don't know the difference between a triple for noise blocking and a triple pane window that is about the same sound performance as a dual pane, for a lot more money than the dual pane.

Also keep in mind that a higher overall STC number may or may not indicate that the window also performs well at blocking lower frequency sounds...i.e. traffic noise. There are glass configurations that do well at lower frequencies and that have lower STC results than other configurations that have much higher overall STC results but may be less effective at attenuating lower frequencies.

Do you have specific proposals from the companies that you mentioned?

kjohnson5555
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Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2020 5:22 pm

Re: Noisy Freeway - Window Replacement - Bay Area

#4 Post by kjohnson5555 »

Thanks for the thoughts.

I’ve received two quotes so far -

They either recommended the Anlin Catalina, Milgard Tuscany, or Bayview by Monte Verde. Both recommended against the quiet line because of the thickness and look it would leave on the overall window. It would be a retrofit in stucco replacement.

With Anlin, they mentioned the difference in glass thickness being key for sound reduction, however, adding laminated glass to that would only add 1 point, thus not worth the extra spend.

I want to ensure I don’t invest in new windows and still leave unhappy with the noise reduction. Hard to imagine if a10-15 point STC increase will be enough to solve the issue since I can’t test it out, but maybe that is noticeable.

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toddinmn
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Re: Noisy Freeway - Window Replacement - Bay Area

#5 Post by toddinmn »

A STC rating of 10 more is quite significant. I think they are right about going with dissimilar glass but whether or not it will meet your expectations is hard to predict.

Oberon
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Re: Noisy Freeway - Window Replacement - Bay Area

#6 Post by Oberon »

All else being equal an improvement of 10dB will cut the noise level through your window in half.
An improvement of 20dB will cut it by 3/4...and so on.

kjohnson5555
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Re: Noisy Freeway - Window Replacement - Bay Area

#7 Post by kjohnson5555 »

Thanks, all.

I'm now debating between the Anlin lines - Catalina, Bay View, or Del Mar. Waiting for quotes to come in, but all seem similar in STC levels.

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toddinmn
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Re: Noisy Freeway - Window Replacement - Bay Area

#8 Post by toddinmn »

Most windows will be very close in STC ratings when equipped with the same glass package.

kjohnson5555
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Re: Noisy Freeway - Window Replacement - Bay Area

#9 Post by kjohnson5555 »

Thanks, all.

I received three quotes - 11,800 for Bayview, 15,830 for Panaromic, and 17880 for Del Mar.

This is for 14 windows, bay area, with sound packages. Some of these windows are quite large (about half a wall).

Does this seem in line with other quotes?

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Noisy Freeway - Window Replacement - Bay Area

#10 Post by Windows on Washington »

I am not really familiar with the West Coast offerings, but laminated glass IS NOT cheap.

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