Glass Blocks. Soundproof?

[Lite Beer]

The noise in our village is becoming more and more annoying.

There is a spare bedroom in our house where I tend to escape to when things get too noisy.

 

I am thinking of replacing the standard thin glass window with those chunky glass blocks.

Hoping it will cut the noise down a bit more.

Any one know just how soundproof they are?

 

They should help in theory.

 

[bankruatsteve]

Not a practical solution in my view, but yes they would obviously be better as a sound buffer than normal glass.  It will still vibrate through the roof and walls.  Earplugs or earphones would be better, I think.  Better yet would be to just accept that some things are what they are and not likely to change just because it annoys you.

[Lite Beer]

31 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Not a practical solution in my view, but yes they would obviously be better as a sound buffer than normal glass.  It will still vibrate through the roof and walls.  Earplugs or earphones would be better, I think.  Better yet would be to just accept that some things are what they are and not likely to change just because it annoys you.

Difficult to accept when it is all day every day. 

I have noise cancelling headphones that help a bit but not practical to wear all day. 

Glass blocks are cheap and every little helps. 

 

[canopy]

A key to stopping noise with windows is the 2nd pane needs to be a much different thickness than the first. Otherwise noise that can resonate through the first pane also goes right through the 2nd. But switching to glass blocks and thus having the rim cemented versus a loose fitting sash with gaps should make a good difference. Overall you are fighting a losing battle as you can't have any chinks in the armor like roof, walls, etc as another said.

 

A complete redo of the room to a recording studio quality is needed. I'd contact an SCG center who has a wide array of sound proofing products and get a professional to design it right for your space. They do things like put up several layers of cement boards of differing thicknesses. They also have sound blocks, sound proofing paneling, and much more.

 

[Kwasaki]

The glass blocks will shut noise out much more than windows.

You can do many things to reduce noise by insulation of a room.

Ground level room or first floor room 

Insulate the ceiling area and floor if practical or reline a ceiling by lowering with insulation.

Reline the walls and insulate as well.

Thin heavy curtain over door and seal door closure with foam draft strips. 

Buy a humidifier. 

[sometimewoodworker]

Our house has double AAC block walls, double glazing using an outer laminated layer with a different thickness inner and an insulated ceiling and roof. With this you can have deafening level sound inside which is virtually silent just a few metres away. Equally the temple sound system which, when there is a local festival, points almost directly towards us, is hardly audible with the doors and windows closed.

 

We did not design the house to reduce noise it's just a fortuitous side effect.

[sometimewoodworker]

7 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Buy a humidifier. 

That is one thing that is totally redundant in Thailand.

 

I've never seen any humidity less than 50% and you need to go down to less than 30% for one of those to be much use.

[Kwasaki]

48 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

That is one thing that is totally redundant in Thailand.

 

I've never seen any humidity less than 50% and you need to go down to less than 30% for one of those to be much use.

You've never seen OK but something is better than nothing in a sealed off room that's my take.

[sometimewoodworker]

On 11/01/2018 at 8:34 PM, Kwasaki said:

You've never seen OK but something is better than nothing in a sealed off room that's my take.

As I do actually have hygrometers and they are used in rooms similar to the one you described and I have never seen anything remotely close to a humidity level that might benefit from a humidifier, your take is IMNSHO BS.

 

So as I said a totally useless piece of equipment in Thailand.

 

this is unlike the area I have lived in for the last 27 years where, in winter, 10% to 20% humidity is not uncommon and a humidifier is a requirement for comfortable breathing.

[Kwasaki]

13 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

So as I said a totally useless piece of equipment in Thailand.

How about a bowl of salt water in the room then.

[tutsiwarrior]

when a low frequency bass starts up close by there's nothing that you can do...it rattles the walls and shivers the timbers...

 

'children's day' celebration starting this morning at 0630 next door at the tessebaan and no relief until 1100hrs...with amplified screaming and yelling...and horrible amplified percussive noise with no pretense to music...

 

'but, I am an old man with diabetes and high blood pressure...' and then there are big smiles all around (LoS?) and they turn it up a notch...

 

tutsi is a hateful western ogre....

 

 

[canopy]

No relief until 1100hrs, surely you jest. I have observed rural Thai's can't possibly have lunch at a day long event or even a school day without extremely loud music played all throughout lunch. Everyone sits down to eat and they blast music at extreme levels. You'd think maybe they would want a break from the noise, some peace with their meal, and maybe a little chat, but no never. It's a strange thing to see.

 

[Lite Beer]

On 1/14/2018 at 7:17 AM, canopy said:

No relief until 1100hrs, surely you jest. I have observed rural Thai's can't possibly have lunch at a day long event or even a school day without extremely loud music played all throughout lunch. Everyone sits down to eat and they blast music at extreme levels. You'd think maybe they would want a break from the noise, some peace with their meal, and maybe a little chat, but no never. It's a strange thing to see.

 

Yep.

It is as though they are scared of silence.

They have to have noise.

Go and sit in a restaurant and there is either a TV blasting out or someone will open their phone and watch a movie on youtube or both together.

I went to McDonalds the other week and some moron started watching videos on his phone at full volume.

I moved to the other end of the room but could still hear it.

 

[Lite Beer]

Got my glass blocks installed yesterday and they do help.

 

Apart from the usual Phu Yai Baan speakers and funerals, be a monk for a week parties, weddings etc we have the moron across the road who has decided to turn his front garden into a workshop.

Non stop cutting, grinding, sawing, banging.

Phu Yai baan says it is up to him what he does on his own property.

Other Thai neighbours do not see it as a problem or are too spineless to say anything.

 

A shame that one scumbag can make life unbearable.

 

[Damrongsak]

5 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

Yep.

It is as though they are scared of silence.

They have to have noise.  ...

Yes.  I am fond of silence, or at least enough quiet to hear the dull roar of my last few brain cells rubbing together.  Always thought I'd end up in a monastery.  But not the one up the street from our house in Loei, at least on festival days.  Thais seem to be scared of ghosts, so why do they play stuff loud enough to wake the dead?

[lopburi3]

Not sure if you have but a cheap rug or carpet on cement or tile floor will help a lot - as will drapes and such.  You want to make it as much unlike a bathroom as possible.  

[Lite Beer]

14 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Not sure if you have but a cheap rug or carpet on cement or tile floor will help a lot - as will drapes and such.  You want to make it as much unlike a bathroom as possible.  

Thanks Lop. All things to think about.

[lopburi3]

3 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

Thanks Lop. All things to think about.

Also the more furniture the better.  Even pictures hung on walls will be of help.  Empty egg crates have always been a good material and should be cheap in market.  

[Lite Beer]

[Jai Dee]

I see that your tradesman is using the old line-of-sight method of levelling... 

 

Agree with Lop LB... some rugs and drapes will assist absorbing noise.  

[Lite Beer]

1 hour ago, Jai Dee said:

I see that your tradesman is using the old line-of-sight method of levelling... 

 

Agree with Lop LB... some rugs and drapes will assist absorbing noise.  

Tradesman?

He actually did quite a good job. 

Blocks not expensive at 49 baht each. 

[CGW]

On 1/15/2018 at 9:43 AM, Lite Beer said:

Got my glass blocks installed yesterday and they do help.

 

Apart from the usual Phu Yai Baan speakers and funerals, be a monk for a week parties, weddings etc we have the moron across the road who has decided to turn his front garden into a workshop.

Non stop cutting, grinding, sawing, banging.

Phu Yai baan says it is up to him what he does on his own property.

Other Thai neighbours do not see it as a problem or are too spineless to say anything.

 

A shame that one scumbag can make life unbearable.

 

I feel for you, for whatever reason I hate noise, I find it intolerable!

My take on Thai folks not complaining is they know what potential lunatics there fellow country folk are so prefer to keep quite rather than risk being attacked by the ignorant noise maker!