# Issue with Sound Proofing - A Big window



## Gremlin (Jan 14, 2010)

Hi guys and thanks for the opportunity to ask my question.

My soon to be new HT room in our yet finished new home has measurements of: W 14'1" x L 16'10" x H 9'. Yes I know it's not the best shape for a HT room but at least it's going to be mine to do with as I please.

However there is just one small glitch in the whole design. A window! Unfortunately due to current design regulations and the ever current warm tree hugging, whale kissing, vote winning feeling which has been forced onto us by a group of people who really don't understand we need to use fossil fuel etc to produce enough electricity to allow us hear in the shack to endulge in our passions....... phew take a deep breath and continue....... means I am forced to have a window incorporated into the room which measures W 7' X H 4' with two sliding panels from either side.

I will be placing sound insulation batts between brick and drywall, and the drywall is a product called 'Sound Check Plaster' which is a very dense compound nearly 3/4 " thick. The window will have a roller security shutter on the outside which darkens the room to almost most pitch black, but its not a sound barrier (although it will stop some noise).

My system will be incorporating a class A 35watt valve amp and I'll also be incorporating bass traps in the corners to control the 16" subby but I'd like to have any suggestions for window treatment.

Hope you can help and chat with you guys soon.

P.S. I actually like kissing whales by the way


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## Ted White (May 4, 2009)

Looking forward to this!


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## dyohn (Apr 17, 2008)

Drapery.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Window, shcmindow :huh:. If you want it closed, close it - just not permanently to pass code. Build a plug that's easily removable with mass on the inner side to finish the light control and provide some isolation. Use 4 thumb screws that can be taken out in a minute if you ever need to egress.

Bryan


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## Gremlin (Jan 14, 2010)

Thanks guys for the advice. I've just finished going through many websites within Australia and have just had a quote for an 'add on' double glazing system guarenteed to block out 75% of all noise both internal and external.

For a window this size it will cost me $1100 AUS ($1,010 US) fitted. Investigated super heavy draps and almost ended up with the same figure. This product combined with the external window security shutter, it is expected up to 87% of all noise will be surpressed. As my nearest neighbour facing this window is approximately 45 feet away with a 6' high fence between us, I think just about all the sound will have dissapated significantly and not be an issue.


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## Ted White (May 4, 2009)

bpape said:


> Window, shcmindow :huh:. If you want it closed, close it - just not permanently to pass code. Build a plug that's easily removable with mass on the inner side to finish the light control and provide some isolation. Use 4 thumb screws that can be taken out in a minute if you ever need to egress.
> 
> Bryan


There ya go! I can't find "shcmindow" in the dictionary. Maybe this is spelled "schmindow?"


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Thanks for catching that typo Ted... 

Bryan


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## bbieger (Sep 15, 2009)

Gremlin said:


> Hi guys and thanks for the opportunity to ask my question.
> and the ever current warm tree hugging, whale kissing, vote winning feeling which has been forced onto us by a group of people who really don't understand we need to use fossil fuel etc to produce enough electricity to allow us hear in the shack to endulge in our passions....... phew take a deep breath and continue....... means I am forced to have a window incorporated into the room which measures W 7' X H 4' with two sliding panels from either side.


Oooh, you mean those people that decided hey, if there is a fire in the basement maybe, just maybe there should be a way to let fire fighters in and people out. Yeah, how dare those people pass such laws!!! 

BTW, my home theater is completely driven by renewable power.... Never ceases to amaze me how short sighted and resistant to change people can be. THE WORLD IS FLAT I TELL YOU, ITS FLAT!!

ok, my rant over. I'd go with velvet curtain via e-bay.


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## Lonely Raven (Aug 27, 2008)

bbieger said:


> Oooh, you mean those people that decided hey, if there is a fire in the basement maybe, just maybe there should be a way to let fire fighters in and people out. Yeah, how dare those people pass such laws!!!
> 
> BTW, my home theater is completely driven by renewable power.... Never ceases to amaze me how short sighted and resistant to change people can be. THE WORLD IS FLAT I TELL YOU, ITS FLAT!!
> 
> ok, my rant over. I'd go with velvet curtain via e-bay.


I so wish I could do that. But solar would cost me 1/4 what my house would cost, and would take 30 years to pay for itself...and I have no way of doing wind, water, or geothermal. 

I'm all for change! I just wish the technology would catch up with my needs and budget!


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## bbieger (Sep 15, 2009)

Lonely Raven said:


> I so wish I could do that. But solar would cost me 1/4 what my house would cost, and would take 30 years to pay for itself...and I have no way of doing wind, water, or geothermal.
> 
> I'm all for change! I just wish the technology would catch up with my needs and budget!


Well, I think you may be overestimating the cost of solar..typically its around 20k for a whole system and the average payback time for most solar is 15 years. Its an awesome time to invest in solar with all the tax incentives but perhaps hold off, there may be some energy efficiency and alternative energy incentive programs coming nationwide but we are talking a couple of years (enough time to get private investors to buy utility backed improvement mortgages) My wife is an energy guru and just applied for a 90 million dollar grant to start such a program so I know a little bit more about it than the average jo schmoo. Home owner gets low interest loan for weatherization and effeciency upgrades, they pay on that loan through their utility bill..which is lowered due to reduced energy usage so the total is only marginally higher. The payment default rate on utilities is very very low so these loans rank very low in terms of risk. They loans are then sold just like home mortgages are to investors that make money on the interest. (which is fairly low but since the risk is also low, fairly solid investment. Overall energy consumption lowers, less power plants have to be built, carbon emissions are lower (which is going to equal cash for lower emitters), people spend less money on utilities, and have more comfortable homes. If that isn't a good system I don't know what is. 


There are also urban turbans that are pretty cheap and do fine in "dirty" i.e. turbulant air. They look like a dna helix..they are super cool.

I have neither but porttland gets around 60% of its power from hydro, another 5-10% from wind, and you can purchase "green energy" at a higher rate. You are funding more sustainable power projects and paying per KW what those would cost but its all the same transmission lines so yeah, there is some coal burning to power my house.

So ummm, whats the U rating on that window?


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