Milgard Quietline windows

laptoppop · Post by **laptoppop** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 11:18 am

Any opinions on Milgard's Quietline windows? They say that they have a STC from 40-47, depending on exact configuration. Is this pretty good for an exterior window?

I'm trying to decide if I can use these for my little project studio, or if I need to go with a second window inside the windows.

I know, I could try these and then add a covering above and beyond these if I really needed it - but I'd like to know my chances of suceeding first.

-lee-

knightfly · Post by **knightfly** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 4:39 pm

Lee this

http://www.acousticalsolutions.com/prod ... etline.htm

would have saved a google search, but no biggie -

These being offered by an acoustic site tells me you could probably get them cheaper; aside from that, they don't list ANY useful specs to work with (at least that I could find) - sounds like they are just double glazed windows, possibly with a large air gap.

47 STC isn't bad for a stock window, but not too good for music isolation.

Playing with the Insul calculator, using 6mm and 9mm standard glass at 50 mm gap gives STC 42 - this makes me thing I'm close to their dimensions - changing that to laminated would probably account for their higher optional value. (the freebie calculator doesn't do laminated)

The way you go would be affected by your DIY proclivities, (it's obvious you CAN DIY, but are you tired of it and rich?) budget, isolation needs (quiet isolated country home or LA ghetto, bullet proof and gunfire suppression) - also whether you want them to OPEN. Your best isolation would be heavy, dissimilar laminated glass, non-opening, DIY with isolated wall frames and glass. The quickest would be readymade, but installed by someone knowledgable in acoustics (total sealing, but still vented

)

I'm not seeing a design anywhere, have you gotten that far yet? It would probably help some, as it's not practical to plan a studio as anything but a "system" approach. (STC 1,000 windows won't help if your walls are cardboard, perfect sound isolation is worthless if the acoustics are bad, etc)

Sooo, wazzup? Steve

laptoppop · Post by **laptoppop** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 11:43 pm

Sorry about not linking, Steve! At least it was a quick and easy search.

An STC of 47 seemed pretty good to me - of course, that undoubtedly assumes good construction...

I'm still working toward the definitions of my new space - lots happening all at once. I should know later this coming week, Lord willing!

If I end up where I think I'm going to be -- its a strange little space, but its cheap.

I'd be going one step at a time - the first few steps wouldn't be perfect from a sound point of view, but would be VERY good for a $/risk point of view.

The place that I'm considering is a two bedroom apartment(!). Its not as bad as it sounds -- it covers the entire top floor of a little building, with a photography studio below. Each of the bedrooms is about 12x15, and the living room is about 13x25. I'd use one of the bedrooms as a control room, the other as a drum room/recording area, and the living room as a recording area. There's also a kitchenette/dining area that would work well as a break room. I'll get exact measurements very soon, if I end up there.

I'm expecting to trade off performance versus costs.... BIG time to start. For sound isolation issues, I'd probably just put some extra layers on the walls. I might go so far as to use the wallboard/plywood/wallboard sandwich on each side that worked so well in my current little room. I'd also use gasketed solid core doors. But in general - that's probably it for this phase.

There are some windows in this place that I have to deal with. I could make covers as per the sticky thread, but then I saw these Milgard puppies and it made some sense. They describe them as being for houses that are near airports that need to attenuate the sound. There's some traffic noise not too far from the studio that I need to be careful about -- but if I have to redo a take once in a while because a BIG truck drove past, it may be a tradeoff I need to make for now.

What would be your guesstimate of the STC of a window that's an old aluminum thin single window with a "cover" of 1/2" glass a couple of inches away at a slant? (yeah, I know STC doesn't measure all the righ things in determining real musical isolation...but its a start)

Thanks!
-lee-

knightfly · Post by **knightfly** » Tue Mar 02, 2004 4:03 am

Looks like about STC 43, if you can seal the old aluminum window hermetically... Steve