Control Room Window

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mncheetah

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I am about to order some tempered glass for my control room. The thicknesses will be 1/4" and 3/8", one for each wall. I plan to build a window frame around these, using rubber for sealant.


My questions:

Should the edging on the glass be rounded, or can it be 90 degree angle? Does it matter?

Is there a special type of rubber for this application, perhaps shaped to fit the glass? Where can I get it?

Does anybody know of any very detailed step by step instructions on how to assemble these windows \ frames correctly?

Thank you.
 
You say "tempered" glass.........if you mean glass that has been heat treated, that if broken, breaks up into tiny little squares kind of, then please consider the rest of my post.

I would suggest using laminated glass in preference to "tempered/toughened". The reasons being that laminate is 2 sheets joined by a thin membrane. This causes the glass to have a "dead" sound when tapped i.e: less tendancy to resonate. The other reason is primarily a safety issue.........laminate, if broken, cracks but basically retains it's structural integrity...........unless of course it is hit by a flying Marshall stack or something.........toughened glass breaks with a "bang" and usually goes all over the place.

Other than that your ideas seems ok, just make sure that everything is airtight. I doubt that rounding off the glass is necessary, special rubber profile shouldn't be necessary either.

Try using the SEARCH function here on "WINDOW", CONTROL ROOM WINDOW" or "GLASS" as I'm sure this has been discussed before.

:cool:
 
The search function isnt working now for some reason.

Do you know how much more the laminate glass costs than tempered? If any?
 
Whats the point!

Hmmm- I'm a store fixture designer, and have to layout showcase lines for macys all the time, and I'm totally experienced with both laminated and tempered glass. But, I am curious. Is this studio a WWF training room, or do your clients throw things or have temper tantrums? Do you expect an earthquake, or what makes you thing you need these products. What size is your wall penetration? Let me give you some advice. Unless you have the money to throw away on the "best specifications" stick with float glass. Ever tried to break a 3/8" thick piece of glass? Ok, if it breaks, it breaks into large shards with sharp edges. But all the edges are supported by a frame/jamb etc.
Depending on size, this just about doubles the impact resistance of the pane. besides, who sits by the window when they are recording. You sure don't want a mic by it cause its a great big reflector. And either your console blocks the window in the control room, or you have a producers couch in front of it, which if is the case, put up a sign saying "No throwing of amplifyers or beer bottles allowed" But if you insist on these products, make SURE of your measurments. Allow 1/4" in your frame for clearance. We get glass all the time that is oversize, undersize etc. Glass tolerances are usually 1/16" + or minus. Ha! I've seen it 1/2" oversize. You can't recut tempered,(you can grind a 1/16th if your carefull) and laminated can be cut, but its PAIN in the you know what! So unless you are expecting disaster, stick with float. As for the edges, think about it. They are IN THE FRAME. And unless you have less than a 1/2" framed, you can't see the edges. So why have them polished. Just seam all. One more thing, if your codes demand these, then make sure the complience sticker is on the pane for the inspector to see. Otherwise he might make you tear it out.
Fitz
 
Rick,

a couple of points:.......

Sorry for saying this but laminate IS MUCH SAFER than float glass!!! And I find that advocating cost before safety in any situation is irresponsible to say the least.

Laminate, by it's very nature has less resonance than float or tempered, consequently is more suited to studio applications. If you really want to be serious and spend more money, there is a laminate with a thicker membrane specifically used in "noise control" situations...........personally in a home studio I think it would be an overkill.

For the record, I have worked with glass for a long time and am very aware of it's strengths and weaknesses and the injury it can cause. Not a pretty sight.




:cool:
 
"best specification"

Hi-Rick again-with that in mind I assume you have laminate in all your windows for the same reason. I agreed with the previous post. However, this is a home studiio forum and cost is ever present. Hey, I would put those extra $ towards a pro tools, or MSR-24 any day, given a choice. But look at it this way. Macys uses laminate glass in thier fine jewelry showcases for anti theft. Large food stores with window glass 6' x 12' do not, and they have thousands of customers a day. And its only 1/4" Go figure. Its not in the code here, so I think its a matter of personal financial ability vs. probability.
Otherwise, all homestudios would be +4. I do agree with you on the point of safety.
However, do you plan on putting in battery powered lights or a generater fed lighting system, in case of blackouts. Thats unsafe too. How about lever door handles in the event of semi unconcious clients trying to get out in the dark after a fire raged through your studio, that has wood paneling that exploded from the ignition of contact cement that was not specified correctly in the design documents.and thier hands couldnt turn a door knob as it was 200 degees cause of the fire. Or because of the fire, the hvac
system shuts down, and because the studio is airtight(you know, all the stuff you did to make it soundproof) it makes it airproof also, cause you had the foresight to install an nc20 HVAC so no noise could enter through the ducting. Let us know what other safety
items you have. How about ground fault interupts or isolated ground outlets for the equipment so you don't electricute some high paying client with a isolated ground loop that accidently is connected to 120v by an engineer who removed the ground lug from a $3000 fx, and it fried, giving a direct path to ground through the mic line, to the client
who happened to reach over to his amp, of which is plugged into a circuit out of phase.
 
I don't have a commercial studio, but we are gradually building up our home-based recording facility. And yes, I have both 10mm and 6mm laminate here to cut and fit as required......both are way in excess of the stringent Aust. building codes for the areas concerned but properly fitted they will keep sound transmission to almost zero.


:cool:
 
The most important issues for construction are: airtight, multi-paned w/ as large spacing between panes as possible, and thick panes of dissimilar thickness, an absorbent(fiberglass) lining the space.

Some people think it's important to angle the panes relative to each other but, despite seeming intuitively obvious for resonance reasons, this is just an old myth and a waste of time and space.
 
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