by Nick McLain

When Tom Andrews walked through his north Atlanta home before buying, he didn't find it unusual that the seller had a television playing in every room. He quickly learned why during his first night living there. "It's on a busy road, with MARTA [Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority] buses going up and down," Andrews says. "I could hear every single one go by."

The noise level bothered him so much, Andrews says, that he considered moving after two years with no relief. "When you come home, you want some peace and quiet, even in a big city, and I wasn't getting it," he says.

Home to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport - one of the world's busiest airports ­- and traffic congestion among the worst in the country, Atlanta residents often complain of noise pollution, says Jesse Ehnert of Arpeggio Acoustic Consulting, a noise consulting firm in Atlanta.

Windows are the first thing his company looks at when customers inquire about blocking outside noise in their homes, he says. "The weakest link for sound transmission is windows," Ehnert says.

Andrews hired highly rated Pinnacle Window & Siding Co. in Marietta [Ga.] to replace his home's 17 single-pane windows with double and triple panes. He says it was well worth the $10,000 cost.

"There's no question it was money well spent," says Andrews, who recouped some of the expense through the $1,500 federal tax credit that expired in December. "I can lie in my bedroom and hardly notice a car going by."

Pinnacle owner Lee Fuller says customers are often surprised by the drop in noise after they replace their windows. "A lot of the older homes, instead of being on quiet city streets like they used to be, are now on major thoroughfares that have been widened with cars coming by 15 or 16 hours a day," he says. "After an installation, they always tell me how much of a difference it is and how much quieter their homes are."

He recommends double- or triple-pane windows filled with argon or krypton gas. An argon-filled, double-pane window ranges from $350 to about $550 per window. A krypton-filled, triple-pane window adds about $80 to $100 to that cost. Andrews says he purchased the latter.

Fuller adds the double weatherstripping that comes standard with these higher-quality windows also has noise-reduction benefits, as it seals any leaks.

"Sound travels through the points of least resistance," he says.

Laminated glass, the kind used to soundproof music studios, is another possibility, says Todd Geeting, owner of highly rated New Life Windows & Doors in Marietta. He says laminated glass may increase the window's Sound Transmission Class rating - a measurement of how much sound is stopped - from 18 with regular windows to as much as 36 with laminated windows. Fuller says laminated glass is mainly used in double-pane windows, and adds $60 to $90 to the cost per window.

Angie's List member Jackie Willey says she paid Pinnacle about $7,500 to replace 13 original windows with double-pane windows in her Atlanta home. She says she's saved money on utility bills, and she's no longer bothered by her noisy neighbors. "I would certainly recommend it."