With the rise of
the automobile, Americans have grown accustomed to living with high levels of noise pollution. In some cases this has become a serious problem; in others it’s just an annoyance. This paper investigates reducing traffic noise by analyzing the soundscape and identifying natural means for minimizing the noise at home. The results show that there are several simple steps homeowners can take to reduce their traffic-noise exposure.

When you are trying to get a good night’s sleep, the last thing you want is traffic noise. Unfortunately, many people have no other option than to live with the noise. They can reduce it by following these tips. Read more in detail here: how to reduce traffic noise in my backyard.

How to Reduce Traffic Noise in Your Backyard: Bringing back Peace 2022

If spending time on your deck or patio isn’t as relaxing as you’d like, it’s time to take charge and discover how to lessen road noise in your yard. It is, after all, your own area.

It’s now up to you to reclaim it.

Fortunately, it’s a simple process. To gain the edge on serenity, all you need is a little forethought, elbow sweat, and a reasonable budget.

Contents

The Advantages of Taking Charge

It’s not simply about noise reduction. It’s also about taking back control of your home and making the most of your outside environment. We hate it when a new neighborhood appears, complete with the nicest homes but no landscaping! It’s not at all appealing, and it has a cold, harsh air to it.

But it isn’t just about looks. Taking actions to lessen traffic noise has a number of major advantages that go beyond the loudness and that you may not have considered.

Privacy

This is the most important of the lot. Creating barriers to prevent what you don’t want to hear is the key to reducing road noise and other undesirable noises in the area.

As a result, your backyard becomes a garden room. Isn’t it amazing?

You may do it in a number of ways that are both visually beautiful and reduce the volume. It may create a more intimate and appealing environment, encouraging you to spend more time outside.

Establishing Limits

Fences are said to create excellent neighbors. If you haven’t already discovered this, you will once you begin blocking those unwanted sound waves. Boundaries are beneficial.

The scope creep begins with the kids next door leaving their bikes in your driveway. Then their family dog believes that your yard should be included in his territory as well. The boundaries blur quickly, and you no longer have the seclusion you want.

You get my drift.

Pets are aware of their boundaries.

Your established boundaries will also aid in keeping your dogs where they belong – in your yard. If a passerby activates their protective instinct, it may also stop them from barking.

It provides a secure environment for your pets. Furthermore, you may save money by using a wireless fence with a barrier to keep them from leaving.

Contact with Nature and Mental Health

There are advantages for you as well. Less noise equals less stress, and gardening allows you to get closer to nature. Ahh.

Noise reduction does not have to be a frigid and uninviting experience. Plants will hit the proper chord while blocking out all other noises.

Indirect Advantages

Aside from the monetary benefits, there are also the delightful intangibles that we all value. The use of barriers may protect your landscape from road salt and other waste.

It may also increase the value of your home, making it a smart investment. Because of all of these considerations, decreasing traffic noise is about more than simply staying sane. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s good for the community and the environment.

Noise Reduction Strategy

Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work now that we’ve got your attention. It all begins with a game plan to ensure that you’ve thought of everything and ticked all the correct boxes.

The steps are as follows:

  • Checking the lines of the property
  • Obtaining a permission, if required
  • Investigating your options
  • Creating a landscape design
  • Making a financial plan
  • Getting down to business

Let’s take a look at each one and provide some advice on how to make your project a success.

Step 1: Establish Your Limits

You must make two phone calls before digging one shovel full of dirt — or soil, as the specialists like to call it. One option is to engage a surveyor to determine the precise position of your property boundaries.

Make no assumptions about where they could be hiding. It’s a lot less work than tearing down a fence that encroached on someone else’s property.

To prevent any catastrophes, dial 811 to find out where the wires coming from your home go. Depending on where you reside, they may not be too far down.

Your utility provider will send someone out to mark the areas. But do yourself a favor and don’t have him inspect the whole property if you simply want to dig near the road.

Step 2: Legalize it

While you’re on the phone, find out what permissions you’ll need and what restrictions you’ll have to follow if you want to put up a fence on your land. If you’re a member of a homeowners association, let them know as well.

By neglecting this vital step, you risk receiving a fine or worse. Remember that you’re attempting to lower your stress levels as a result of traffic noise – and everything else.

Step 3: Research Your Options and Know What to Expect

Now comes the exciting part. But, before you get too enthusiastic, here’s some advice: When contemplating alternative ventures, do your research. Consider what you want to get out of your job.

If you live close to a highway, things may operate differently than if you live near a major traffic intersection in town. Planting bushes beside the road, for example, might be a formula for disaster if the salt kills them.

To make the best decisions, you must first understand the lay of the land and your specific issues. With that out of the way, here’s what you can do:

Physical Obstacles

Your project’s purpose is to block sound waves as effectively as possible, considering your budget and the geography of your site. Make use of the land’s qualities to your advantage.

Fences are the most apparent option, and they work well in most instances. It’s critical to recognize right away that the goal is to reduce noise rather than eliminate it.

When you set up a fence, though, you may expect to notice something. For the best effect, place it as near to the source of road noise as feasible. That’s why we emphasized the importance of understanding your property borders.

Each material has advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of before you begin buying. Wooden ones, for example, are attractive and come in a variety of styles. On the negative, they need maintenance to maintain them in excellent working order. Because of the spaces between the boards, they don’t give the best soundproofing. But we’ll return to this decision later.

We highly advise you to learn all there is to know about any of these projects. It’s not as simple as placing posts in the ground to build a fence. You’ll need to dig foundations. This entails hiring an auger, putting in the long hours, pouring the cement, and straightening the posts and boards.

When it comes to noise reduction, brick is unrivaled. However, it isn’t always considered a do-it-yourself project. It’s a time-consuming process that’s best left to the pros.

An acoustic fence material is another option to consider. As the name says, they will generally do the work at a lower cost than brick. If you choose this path, make sure it’s something appealing to the eye. Simply having something to gaze at other than traffic might give you the impression that the noise levels have decreased.

Psychoacoustics is the term used by scientists to describe this phenomenon. If it works, we say, we’ll take it.

Options for Landscaping

Building a fort around your property isn’t necessary to reduce road noise. It may be used into your landscape to serve a dual purpose. In keeping with the privacy idea, you might enlist the support of nature.

Among the natural options are:

They’re great for reducing noise while also providing a decorative touch to your yard. You also have a wide selection of alternatives to match the concept of your landscape with the appropriate plants.

You won’t obtain perfect soundproofing, however, as with wooden barriers. With the waves bouncing about in the vegetation, you’ll notice a decrease.

When you mix a natural fence with an artificial fence, you may take it to the next level. Consider a row of hedges on the other side of a wooden fence. It will fill in the gaps and give you the feeling of being in touch with nature. It will also increase the level of privacy.

Before you go shopping at your neighborhood garden store, there are a few things to consider.

They are as follows:

  • The plant hardiness zone in your location
  • You’ll need to cover a lot of ground, both in terms of height and breadth.
  • Any potential stumbling blocks, such as electricity wires

Consider what additional things you’d want to include as well. Do you wish to brighten up your yard with some flowers? Is one of your goals to attract animals to your yard?

Keep other factors in mind as well. If someone in your family is allergic to bees, stay away from plants that attract them. If you have tiny children, stay clear from harmful plants like yew.

Consider the following plant options:

  • Arborvitae
  • Forsythia
  • Privet
  • Hedges of boxwood
  • bushes of lilacs

It’s important to remember that employing these herbs isn’t a quick remedy. Arborvitae, for instance, grows at a rate of around a foot each year.

Larger plants are available, but they will be more expensive. If you want to plant shrubs or hedges, you can get a better bargain at the end of the season, in the autumn.

Always stick to the proper spacing, no matter how tempting it may seem. Don’t overcrowd them merely for the sake of a fast fix. Vary the layers of a natural barrier to get the most out of it. To provide a more substantial impediment to sound waves, plant some higher trees mixed with shrubs.

This option comes with certain maintenance responsibilities. To keep them happy, you’ll need to prune or trim them on a regular basis. We’d also recommend researching the intricacies of owning a certain plant. Maple trees are magnificent in the autumn, with their vibrant hues.

Be honest with yourself about how much time you want or can dedicate to upkeep. The greatest answer for this dilemma is a set-it-and-forget-it option, which allows you to get the advantages without the hassle.

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Featured Water

Another option for dealing with traffic noise is to replace it with something more pleasant. You may add a water feature to hide the noises you don’t want to hear with calming sounds.

A waterfall cascading into a tiny pond is ideal for unwinding at the end of the day and shutting out the rest of the world.

Of course, this project requires upkeep, and it isn’t a year-round solution in most places. Don’t be seduced by their beauty without considering the long-term work and care requirements, just as you wouldn’t with plants.

However, the mental health advantages can make it a good match for your landscaping theme.

Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Last update on 2022-02-23.


Step 4: Make a Strategy

When you begin your layout, you’ll need graph paper, a ruler, and an eraser. A tape measure should also be on hand. Don’t ignore this step since it will save you a lot of time and aggravation in the future. As the adage goes, if you don’t plan, you’ll plan to fail.

This is where all of your previous research will be useful. We can’t stress how important it is to take measurements whenever height and breadth are important. If you have a good view despite the road noise, consider overhead power lines or sightlines. It’s also necessary if you’re restricted by municipal regulations or homeowner association guidelines.

It’ll also come in handy while choosing plants. When we see utility providers chopping off the tops of lovely trees because they were too tall for the place, we always think it’s a pity. Based on the projected sizes of any plants or trees you wish to acquire, organize your arrangement. You don’t want to be caught off guard.

If you’re going to plant trees or higher plants, don’t forget to account for the shadow. Landscaping that is well-placed may assist cool your house in the summer, lower your electricity costs, and increase the advantages of noise reduction.

The goal isn’t to enshrine anything in stone. It’s a chance for you to observe how everything fits together and contribute to the next, most crucial step: the budget.

Step 5: Stay True to Yourself

This is the point at which the pedal hits the metal. Money.

Of course, completing the job yourself will save you money. If you’re handy and competent, go ahead and finish the job!

Consider the price of jobbing it out as well. Depending on the material and where you reside, you may expect to spend anywhere from $1,000 to more than $3,000 for that fence. In this scenario, you may calculate the cost difference between a 6-foot tall and an 8-foot tall item. It has the potential to have a huge financial effect.

Remember that you don’t have to limit yourself to just one option. You may accomplish the same effect with a combination of fence and plants while keeping your prices low. To make things simpler on your wallet, you might schedule your task in phases. You may acquire some inexpensive young plants online and set them in front of a makeshift fence until they grow big enough to give soundproofing.

Step 6: Let’s Get Started!

This is when all of your preparation and research will pay off handsomely. We’re not going to lie to you. It’s exhausting job that will have you reaching for the ibuprofen bottle many times.

Before you begin digging, use your draft to position plants in their proper locations. Before beginning, the prudent DIYer will estimate the area for fence as well as the supplies.

Your project is still in the works. If the fence seems too restrictive, replace it with a line of shrubs to maintain the sense of openness. You’ll have to walk a fine line between functionality and beauty. This activity requires a high level of adaptability.

Your job isn’t over just because you’ve covered the final bush or hammered in the last nail. The first two weeks after you’ve planted your plants in the ground are crucial. Keep an eye out for indicators of undue stress in them.

Inspect any fence on a regular basis, particularly after severe weather events, to ensure that it has survived the storm. After you’ve completed the task, we recommend that you keep an eye on the noise levels. If the reality does not match the plan, don’t be scared to make changes.

Last Thoughts

We all like having our own quiet areas where we can let our hair down and relax after a long day at work. The ability to keep the volume under control is an added bonus.

Fortunately, a project of this kind allows you to check off a number of boxes. Landscape decisions that give seclusion and create boundaries while increasing the well-being of you and your family may add value to your home.

The greatest part is that you’ll see these advantages very immediately. You may regain your peace of mind and enjoy your living space as you see fit by looking into ways to lessen road noise in your backyard.

The “backyard noise reduction speakers” are a great way to bring back peace in your backyard. You can place them anywhere you want and they will reduce the traffic noise.

Related Tags

  • traffic noise reduction fences
  • noise cancelling speakers traffic
  • outdoor sound barriers residential
  • living with road traffic noise
  • how to reduce noise from outside

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