Soundproofing jalousie windows

[Onomea]

My place in Hawaii has a cottage, at the bottom of the steep driveway up to the house. This cottage sits next to the highway, just a few yards from it, and the road noise is considerable, especially noticeable at night. The noise comes through two jalousie windows facing the highway, and, to a lesser extent, through the two windows on one side of the cottage perpendicular to the highway.

So I am thinking to soundproof these windows. But I want sunlight and the breeze to come in during the day, although when really hot I will use the airconditioner, with the jalousie louvers shut.

While not a very good one, here is a picture of three of the four jalousies in the cottage.

(The opposite wall, facing directly away from the highway and up the drive to the main house has floor to ceiling sliding glass doors and is not an issue. The fourth wall, perpendicular to the highway and facing the driveway, has no windows)

I'd appreciate suggestions on how to soundproof, or reduce the road noise, coming through the windows.

 

[gm272gs]

You need to install typical "storm" windows, on the inside (so you can more easily take them off, when you want to operate the windows when not air-conditioning) The extra air space should have a better STC rating when you're done. If it's not good enough, do the same thing on the outside, as well.

OR

You can try a length of foam insulating tape on the edge of each pane, where it meets the pane above or below it. This way it will seal (air and sound) more effectively.

 

[2hawk]

Howzit, Onomea

I grew up on Oahu, Kailua to be specific. Became a carpenter, then a contractor there. I am now in Portland OR, where I have continued in the residential remodeling business. So, with that qualification, I have to say that those windows are not ever going to be sound-proofed to the level you want. Double-pane insulated glass is going to be the least you can do and still have some chance of cutting the sound, but it means the windows are shut. Can't really have the breeze w/o the sound, unless you can figure out a different way to get air into the house.

If you can use a panix hedge or similar landscaping on the exterior of the house you may have better luck. A nice tall rock wall would be even better at blocking or channeling the sound you're getting from passing traffic. Given that your walls are not insulated, that may be the best approach. Even if you did change the windows, the sound transmission factors of typical residential construction in Hawaii dictate that blocking the sound before it gets to the home is the best bet.

Sorry I don't have any magic solutions. You might look into sound blocking draperies, there are such things, but I kind of doubt their cost-effectiveness knowing how things are built there.

Feel free to PM if you think I can offer anything else.

 

[LVSteve]

I seem to recall that many homes in Hawaii have single skin walls. You might find after cutting the noise down from the windows just how much gets through the thin walls.

 

[Onomea]

Thanks, guys. If I close the louvers at night, the sound is reduced. I have been thinking to maybe get some sound proofing foam, attach it to some plywood rectangles larger than the window openings, and then attach it to the wall, clamping it firmly to the wall somehow, but so as to be removable in the mornings. My idea is just clamp them on at night..

Not a very elegant solution though. Plus I do not know how to figure out how to clamp them on at night and remove them by day, repeatedly. Need some sort of sturdy, easy to operate, wall mounted, quick release mechanism if I go that route...

Or, fit a sound proof material box to the inside if the windows, but getting that tight but easily removable fit would be difficult, I think...

 

[2hawk]

Well, maybe the sound reducing draperies would work for you. And, from my experience, if you did change the windows to an insulated glass type as is common on the mainland, you'd be amazed at how much quieter things are. I was building a house near KMCAS that was a kit from Canada, and had been shipped with insulated glass. Us Hawaiian carpenters couldn't believe, 1) how heavy the windows were, and, 2) how well they cut the sound. And when you have a house with a good view of the runway of a military station, you do notice the sound.

 

[Onomea]

2hawk, could you post some links to the sorts of insulated glass windows you are talking about? Does one order them to a custom size from the mainland? Sounds like they are not available at Lowes or Home Depot on Oahu, yeah?

Mahalo.

 

[DeathGrip]

Location location location.

 

[kozmic]

Jalousie windows are the number 2 sieve of the window world. They let most everything through! The most effective for both cost and sound transition may in fact be to replace the window with a vinyl double hung window that has insulated glass. On the mainland these would be a lumber yard or Home Depot-type window (even if a custom size) In Hawaii I got no clue on how available they would be or the cost.
If you are able to find new windows with insulated glass I would also suggest pricing low E glass (maybe an additional $1.50- $2.00 per sq. ft. +/-).
The low E coating not only reflects out UV rays (reduces heat gain and furniture fading) but will also better retain radiant heat (great for New York winters but, in your case help keep cool air inside). A new window install also means new caulking and an opportunity to better sound seal the perimeter of the opening. Further, if you wanted additional sound control you could then add a triple-track type storm window that would be fully functional with the new double hung.

Another option would be to replace the glass. If the existing glass is 1/4" thick, I would suggest replacing it with 1/4" laminated glass. Lami glass is the same as your car windshield. It has a clear pvb (vinyl) layer in the center. It's used in cars as a safety glass because when it breaks it stays in the opening and does not shoot daggers and glass shards all over.
As a side benefit, the inner layer also deadens sound. It doesn't eliminate the sound. If you tap on a piece of glass you hear a "tink" noise if you tap on lami glass it's more of a "thud". It would be up to you if that is a viable solution.

A last option for the windows might be an applied film to the existing glass surfaces. They make films which would basically do the same thing (deaden the sound) as replacing with lami glass. The benefit here is that you may find a film that both is sound deadening and has performance characteristics (help with heat gain and furniture fade, etc.). A "typical" tinted or reflective (think "automotive") film will not deaden sound!!!!!

As stated above, any window work should also address the perimeter and adjacent walls, doors, etc.

FYI, I don't know of a storm window configuration that would still allow for the full operation and ventilation of your current jalousie windows.

If you can live with it, I'm quite sure you could cut some pink rigid foam insulation (2-4") tight to the opening dimension and wedge it into place at night and remove it in the morning. Just fashion a "pull handle" to it for easy removal.

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck! Koz

 

[DeathGrip]

I'm only making fun of the jalousie windows because I grew up with them here in S.Fl.

Air conditioning was for the well to do. Fans were for the working folks.

Remember terrazzo floors?


We have some great storm windows these days due to our hurricane codes. I'm sure you can get them also. Not only are the tough, everyone says they are quiet.

One more thing... Insurance here gives you discount for these upgrades.

Cheers,

 

[amazingflapjack]

Land scraping and/or a couple sections of vinyl privacy fence. To attach and remove something daily from the outside windows, you can use industrial Velcro pads from the home store of your choice; it comes in pieces you can cut to size. Sound proof curtains on the inside.

 

[2hawk]

Onomea, this is a window we use here on a lot of replacement jobs:
Vinyl Windows | New Construction, Replacement & Retrofit Window - Milgard Windows and Doors

If you go to Lowes or HD and ask for insulated glass they should be able to get them for you. Or, look for a Milgard or comparable dealer in your area. Figure window and installation is going to run about $500 a hole, depending on the options you need. A pocket installation is fast and easy, usually only about an hour per window if things go right.

Milgard also makes units specifically for sound, those are the Quietline series. More expensive, but they do work well.

HTH
Aloja!

 

[Rule3]

One of life's nagging problems, living in Hawaii and having jalousie windows.

Our first hose had terrazzo floors and jalousie windows. Yes they are emery wasters if you run AC, but they are really nice in the pouring rain, you can still leave them open. Our house had a whole house attic fan and surrounded by huge oaks and pines, No real need for AC other than humidity. Turn that huge fan on and it was like a wind tunnel.

If it's mainly for night time I would cut some sheets of the blue exterior foam panels that would wedge in the inside of the windows providing you are using AC. Might look tacky but would certainly seal them up.

 

[Onomea]

Thanks, Rule3. Got a link to "some sheets of the blue exterior foam panels?" -- not much of a handyman here so am unsure of what material you are referring to.

 

[quneur]

Not much you can do with jalousie windows. There may also be a weight problem with 'normal' double or single hung windows. Framing in a window (mainland) usually require double wall studs on each side. I don't recall if residential construction in Hawai'i requires it. But its been nearly 30 years since I've done any work there and most of it was commercial.

Expense would also be an issue as everything has to be shipped from the mainland. And changing only 3 windows is going to look funny. If you have a neighborhood board, they aren't going to like it.

I would recommend just replacing the screens with storm type screens. Its the stuff they used for cheap window insulation. The other option of building a cmu wall would also be expensive. It would deaden the sound somewhat but won't eliminated it.

 

[doublesharp]

I live directly across the street from the USA's largest inland ship yard, specifically directly across from the steel storage section. Noisy 24/7 except for holidays. This is how I reduced noise. I had the old wooden windows with storms replaced with double pane gas filled tilt in windows. That made a huge difference. This house also has an attached porch that had floor to ceiling jalousie windows. We replaced them with the same type of double pane vinyl tilt in. The way they do it in Louisville is they measure your openings and then manufacture your windows to fit. I had an honest installer but I paid retail which was about $300 per window installed in 2003.

Heavy fabric oversized curtains are what I would put up. Think moving pad thickness doubled. Those windows look like they're about 2 ft high so if you had a 30" curtain with 3 horizontal folds that would give you a 10" strip at windows top that would look like a curtain swag. This will give you the most bang for the buck.

I found even more knowledge than what is on the S&W forum by googling how to soundproof rooms.

 

[YogiBear]

Aloha,

We live on the road coming out of the back gate to Kaneohe Marine Base.

We have SPEEDING cars and motorcycles at all times of day and night.

Our entire house has floor to ceiling jalousie windows.

We just learn to live with the noise. Only the very worst speeders at Wide

Open Throttle get to us. But since they're Speeding it doesn't last too

long.

We do have a wall between the house and the roadway.

Probably the next best would be a thick hedge between the house and

roadway.

We just learn to live with the cool breeze and road noise.

Could be worse, before we moved to Kailua, we lived in lower Kalihi, almost

under the flight path of planes taking off front Honolulu International.

B-52s taking off was the worst.

 

[Bullet Bob]

I think I have the best solution. Let me live in the cottage, and I'll never complain about the noise.

 

[Marshwheeling]

Learn something new every day. I always thought jalousie windows were the ones your wife looks through to catch you with your girl friend.

 

[quneur]

...we lived in lower Kalihi, almost

under the flight path of planes taking off front Honolulu International.

B-52s taking off was the worst.

Kalihi. Brings back a lot of memories. We used to go to Gibson's and buy those $.10 bamboo fishing poles and fish for tilapia in the Kapalama canal.