sliding glass window

  • Thread starter Thread starter Falopo
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Falopo

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Hey, i was wondering if anyone uses a sliding glass window for the control room? where would i get someting like that and is there any way to make it sound proof.

also if im going the regular route, from what i understand, i should get two peices of glass of different thickness( 1/4" and 3/8"), and put them in at an angle. is that somewhat the idea?
how soundproof effective would that be?
thanks
 
I would by 2 large pieces of plate glass or Lexan (like 1/2" or even 3/8"), available at any good glass company in a variety of sizes. Then build a frame around them (Either route out a 1/2" channel for the glass in some 1"x1" stock, or possibly by some pre-grooved moulding for this-Try Home Depot). You can purchase track hardware at Home Depot or most other hardware or Building supply companies. Congrats!!! Your first homebuilt sliding glass window, and for a fraction of the price you would pay to have one custom built. If you feel the need you can even try going double plate windows (Twice the glass needed). Now build the complete window frame in the wall. At this point I would put in good door too. Your best bet for complete Isolation is a complete SOLID Exterior Door and Frame. As far as the angle goes, you should be relatively safe if you keep the recorded sounds from projecting at the glass. Try to get the sounds to project more parrallel to the glass than perpindicular, and apply a raised acoustic treatment around the glass in both rooms.

Good Luck. You'll have to post a pic when your done. I plan on doing it this way too. I've got the wall frame done. Just need to finish my recording room first.
 
Thanks for the advice. I got a wuestion about a regular glass window. Lets say i did get 2 pieces of glass, 1/4" and 3/8". Is it even worth putting in glass with those thicknesses. i understand 1/4" is a little thin.

I also see that it is done with a space in the wall between the two pieces of glass. If i dont have that space and it is one wall, is that still worth it?

Im just wondering how much this window will help with those specs because its going to be money i dont have, but if it will help, then i want it. thanks
 
If you can't set it up where you have separate wall frames, a double glass window won't get you enough isolation to be worth it. The only way a window can even get close to the sound isolation of a wall, is if you use laminated glass that weighs very close to the same per square foot as your wall panels. If you have double wallboard, this would mean that a 1 square foot piece of the glass should weigh close to the same as two 1 square foot pieces of the wallboard.

There is some question whether splaying the glasses in a studio window is better or worse for sound isolation. On the one hand, you already have a limited amount of air space, and less air space between wall leaves decreases the sound proofing. On the other hand, splaying the glasses removes the parallel surfaces caused by two plates of glass, and there is no practical way to eliminate flutter echo between two glasses without making them opaque by filling the gap with fiberglas insulation.

The only thing for sure is that tilting the glass removes glare and makes it easier to see thru the glass.

If you can't split the frames so that each glass is bedded in rubber in its own isolated frame, I wouldn't be too ahxious to go that way. You would be better off spending the money you don't have on an inexpensive video camera and monitor, and not breaking the wall surface at all... Steve
 
hey, i could do that video thing, but the problem is when first got the place that i am in, it had a window space between the two rooms. so i am stuck unless i fill it in with something.
 
would something like glass bricks work at all? You'd still sort of be able to see thru them...
 
Most likely, the way that wall is constructed is that it will have solid wood "headers" above the window, which should be at least as deep (top to bottom) in INCHES as the window is WIDE (in feet) - Sooo, 4' wide window, 4" header - 6' wide, 6" header, etc -

In order to get even SLIGHT isolation between wall surfaces at the window, you'd have to saw out at least 1/2" of wood all around the window frame to separate the two sides. Even if doing this were possible (it is, but you don't and shouldn't WANT to) you would STILL have the whole wall that was NOT separated, so even if you went with two glasses as thick as 3/8" and 1/2" and bedded them in neoprene, placing them as far apart as the wall thickness allowed, the rest of your wall construction would still limit the sound reduction between rooms to around STC 33.

If you want to keep the window, your best bet would be to check the classifieds for used/surplus building materials and see if you can find some bare, heavy, preferably laminated glass. You will probably have to have it custom cut to size, unless you get really lucky. It might be cheaper to re-size the window frame, but go carefully here unless you're SURE the wall is NOT LOAD BEARING.

Remove the window and any hardware, seal any holes with Fixall (paint supply area of Home Depot, etc) - install 3/4" square cleats all around the perimeter of the window casing, inset enough to allow room for neoprene "gaskets" inside, outside, and on the edges of each glass piece, with enough room left over outside each glass piece for the neoprene gasket and outer cleat. Caulk the glass all around each side before putting the outer neoprene and cleat on each side - use high grade silicone caulk at least.

With this narrow a space, you don't have enough depth to splay the glasses - be aware that you may get standing waves that will be centered somewhere near 1600 hZ - it may not happen, but if you see problems in that range the parallel glass could be the culprit.

If you can live without the glass, another alternative is building a window plug similar to this -

http://www.homer.com.au/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=239

The advantage to this is easy removal with little or no damage to the existing construction, should you move later... Steve
 
Glass bricks aren't very good sound proofing, and I've yet to see any that let you see more than vague movement... Steve
 
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