We have a bedroom window that sits about 10 ft away from our neighbor’s Kitchen (please see diagram).
Our house has stucco exterior and plaster interior walls. I am considering permanently closing off the bedroom window, adding 2 layers of Blueboard sandwiched with an acoustic glue followed by veneer plaster to hopefully reduce the amount of conversation we here from the neighbors.
In addition I would have to replace an existing window (approx 84″ x 24″ window) on the wall perpendicular to the window to be closed with a double pane sliding glass or french door to meet fire escape requirements and compensate for the loss of light.
My question is how much will this help dampen the noise from their kitchen? My intuition is this will help make the conversation we hear less intrusive, but I can find no information to back this up.
Thoughts anybody?
Replies
an easy test would be to buy some 2" foam and fit it tight in the current openning frame for a few days to see.
vegetation along the fence line can help too.
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Foam won't cut the noise much. You'd need a piece of drywall, at least.
The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. --Wilhelm Stekel
What I'm suggesting is just a simple cheap TESTnaturally the permanent fix would have drywall too.I like the idea of a second window panel though.
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But it's a lousy test.
The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. --Wilhelm Stekel
An option is to fit a second window in the opening, separated from the first by 2-3 inches. Wouldn't be as effective as closing off the opening entirely, but would help quite a bit.A storm window would help too, though not quite as much.
The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. --Wilhelm Stekel
Since the view is really of the neighbor's house, I have no interest in keeping the window. The only downfall is I will lose some light.
My plan was to fill it in with a couple of 2 x 4's, fill with R-13 insulation (no exterior insulation is present) and then put another layer of sheetrock followed by accoustic glue (e.g. Green Glue or QuietGlue) followed by sheetrock. This should help with the sound ratings, but since there is another window around the corner about 6 feet (see diagram), I'm wondering how much of the sound will just shift to the other window (even though it is around the corner). Can't seem to find any information of the relationship of sound to direction.
Dedhed6b's suggestion is using a pocket door to cover the door sound's interesting, but I can't really picture it and I don't want anything to look "funky".
Glass block. Or acrylic block if weight is an issue."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
This may help you then:
http://www.soundproofing.org/infopages/windowplug.htm
One thing you should remember is that there is little point making the window "extra soundproof" compared to the rest of your wall. If you stucco the outside and plaster the inside, any additional soundproofing you do where your window was will be offset by the fact that the noise will come through the non-soundproofed area of your wall.
Here is a link to STC ratings for different types of wall construction--I could not find a similar chart for OITC:
http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/pages/STC%20Chart.htm
pocket doors don't do much to prevent sound transfer. Too much air gapping around the panel.
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"I'm wondering how much of the sound will just shift to the other window (even though it is around the corner). Can't seem to find any information of the relationship of sound to direction."Around the corner will be considerably less noise for two reasons:
1. The distance is greater. Sound energy drops as the square of the distance - twice the distance = 1/4 the sound energy.
2. Sound bending around an obstacle diminishes as well - consider the effectiveness of office cubicles and freeway sound walls. Visualize ocean waves bending around a point or breakwater. They are much smaller than waves in the in the straight-on direction.Another possibility might be a "storm window" of laminated plate (like auto windshield glass) whose shear density decreases sound immensely. Certainly if you close up the window and install a glass door in place of the other window, you can specify laminated glass in that door.Is it a one story house? A skylight would get you lots of light. BruceT
You could consider building out the wall and install a cut down solid core pocket door to cover the window,rather than cutting in a new one. Use good hardware like Johnson.
Wier/Barlow
We had a problem with traffic noise, so we added laminated glass inserts to the inside of our bedroom windows and that helped a lot. Having a tight seal is also important. Below are some links that I found helpful in coming up with a solution for us.
http://www.wsdg.com/dynamic.php5/resources/data/edithtml/dynamic.php?id=resources/technology/glass
http://www.plexiglas.com/acrylicsheet/technicaldata/properties/sound
You could also see if you can replace your window with a laminated glass window of the same style, or try an exterior mounted storm window (maybe put one on your neighbor's window!).
What are they talkin' about over there?
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
One of my customers has a chain link fence, that is filled with fake pine boughs (rather than the usual hard plastic slats). It's amazing how much that fence reduces traffic noise. So, I also agree with the vegetation idea. If nothing else, extend the fence using wicker, and weave boughs through it.
I have made a 'privacy screen' using plastic pipe, sun-shade screen, and setting on lengths of rebar I've pounded into the ground. Lightweight, flexible, and cheap, it has survived high winds and snow surprisingly well. Since its' "temporary," it's not likely to become an issue with the city. Perhaps such a thing, with a double layer of screen, and a soft foam between the layers, will "cushion" the sound. Attach it to that fence.
Hard foam isn't that good at blocking noise. A soft foam would work better. For that matter. plexiglass is better than regular glass.
Does your place have the old-fashioned windows, with separate storm windows? If so, place a small speaker between the two ... this will turn the entire pane into a 'speaker,' blocking sound from passing through ... all you hear is what you play on the speaker.
http://www.acousticsciences.com/soundfence/sound-fence.htm
FWIW, radio stations use double glass windows with the panes in a truncated V shape.
My general impression is that mass is a key component to sound control.
"Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Howard Thurman
AND....
pull the interiob window frame off and fill the rough opening around the window with expanding foam- this is your best reduction for the $$$
Edited 12/23/2008 9:05 pm ET by edwardh1
Building next to an airport, the city required "sound rated" windows. We were using vinyl single hung and/or sliders that looked the same as standard vinyl windows, but they weighed a ton more. The glass was thicker. There may have been other differences as well.
If you want light the laminated glass is the way to go - the more mass the better. If you're filling in the hole use QuietRock - it's great.
http://www.quietsolution.com/html/quietrock.html
Jeff
Well, for one customer, we installed an entire wall of glass blocks.
Ya see, she didn't want to lose any light from her bedroom window. The glass block wall seemed to block the sound for her.
Wish I had a picture of it...it was really pretty.