Do Soundproof Fences Work? Ideas and Ways to Use Them
Are you getting a lot of outdoor noise coming from the street? You are probably wondering if there’s anything that you could do.
A few years ago, since my house is located close to the firework factory, I had some terrible noises.
They were testing fireworks all the time, and it sounded like a bomb falling just inside my yard.
We complained a lot, and even went to the court about this matter, and since the case was dismissed, we had to look for an alternative.
So, we searched for a solution and then we bumped onto soundproof fences.
Since our house is positioned on a small hill, a soundproof fence did the job just fine.
If we were in the valley, they would perform even better.
However, if you suffer from, God forbid, some similar noise problem, then I might have a solution for you.
It’s called soundproof fences!
Oh yes, they do work. Since my whole house is insulated, my husband and I decided to insulate it from the street noise as well with some particular method of preventing the sound even coming to our doorsteps.
Of course, you need to take into consideration several factors that can be deciding whether this method will be helpful to you or not.
It depends on your home’s location, the distance between the fences and the house, and angles.
Also, it’s very important to know what type of sound you wish to insulate your home from with a soundproof fence.
Hopefully, this article will provide you with a lot of information regarding the soundproof fences, and that you will decide to try with this solution.
Soundproof Fences as Great Noise Insulators
If you are a homeowner, and there is a lot of noise coming from the busy street outside, you might consider getting some acoustic fence panels. These fence panels can prove quite useful at creating an effective sound barrier.
This is not the only option, but in some scenarios, it might be the best one that you have for a soundproof fence.
Depending on how much noise is coming from outside, if you want to block noise, then you need to go with some thick fences.
The thicker they are, the better they are at noise reduction. They serve as a solid sound barrier and block noise quite well.
There are several conditions that you (and your house) need to meet in order for soundproofing fences to work.
1. The distance between the home and your fences are important
One of the conditions among few of those is that there is more than 20 meters distance between your fences and the house.
The bigger the distance, the lower the traffic noise, and the better results you will get blocking off any unwanted airborne noise.
Even if fences fail to prevent the sound, there is a great possibility for it to fade until it reaches your doorsteps.
However, if you don’t have such a big yard, there are other solutions for reducing noise.
2. Valley and fences can do the job
Namely, if your house is in a valley, even the smallest one, that can make a change to reduce noise.
If you set up some fences that are few meter high, there is a great possibility for the sound to travel higher than your house. This creates a powerful sound barrier for your property. A tall fence will keep you untouched from the street noise and noisy neighbors.
Therefore, the higher are fences, the better they block outdoor noise. They will surely make a difference when it comes to blocking noise.
Since they are produced from the best soundproofing material and usually a thick one, you should not be able to hear any significant noises if it is in a small valley.
Contrary, if it is located even on the smallest hill, you might have some serious problems to block outdoor noise.
This is due to more sound coming in from all directions. There is a considerable amount of unwanted noise in this situation.
You will need to get the highest fences out there to deflect sound.
As long as your house is higher than those fences, there is a huge possibility that you will be more noise. A short fence just won't cut it.
3. The wind direction as a great noise carrier
Basically, with this one, you just need to have some luck.
I know it’s not a huge percentage, but sometimes the wind is the one that makes a difference when it comes to sound blocking.
We all know that the wind is a great noise transporter, so it’s simply not up to you sometimes.
No matter what you do, if the weather is against you, you lose.
4. Traffic noise
The proximity of traffic plays a huge role in noise levels.
The road noise coming from cars and other vehicles is something we have little control over. This is a considerable source of noise that needs to be taken into consideration.
Since there is not much we can do about this, what we can focus on instead is install a soundproof fence.
But what kind? Do soundproof fences really work? Let's find out.
How does a Soundproof Fence work?
As you know, the sound is traveling in straight lines in each direction.
While traveling from all kinds of sources, it bounces from hard surfaces just like an echo effect.
Going with that idea, the sound from the street will also bounce from the soundproofing fences, and in that way leave your household noise untouched.
All of the soundproof fences are hard surfaces, mostly quite thick and act like a great insulator with one goal - to absorb sound.
Some of the noise is absorbed, while the rest is just bouncing back to the street.
Of course, it depends on the angle of the noise source, as well as the noise source itself.
If the source is higher than your house, and there are no barriers between, well, of course, you won’t be able to do much (unless you go with a tall soundproof fence).
Therefore, try to get fences that are tall enough to block the direct line between your house and the source of the noise.
As we said, some of the noise will be absorbed, while the rest noise sources will just bounce back to the street.
Types of Soundproof Fences
There are several types of soundproof fences available. The type of materials used directly affects the quality of noise reduction obtainable.
1. Wooden Fence (Editor's Choice)
Soundproof fences made out of wood can adequately keep off the noise from the street.
If you are looking for the best noise insulation solutions a wooden fence might be your best bet. In essence, a fence with a thick wooden-core will have exceptional noise insulation properties.
This creates a powerful and effective sound barrier. Cedar and redwood are great options for a wooden noise-barrier fence.
Wooden fences are much weaker. They also get damaged easier and, wear fast, and are susceptible to weather conditions.
2. Metal Fence
Metal fences pack on serious soundproofing power in the world of fences. A thick, multi-layered metal fence is a great alternative to if for any reason your existing fence does not do the job.
Make sure your metal fence is waterproof and can withstand corrosion.
3. Concrete Soundproof Fence
Walls and barricades have proven to be strong barrier stopping everything. That includes any noise source out there.
Due to its heavy weight and thickness, rock and concrete mixes have been widely used many projects to reduce noise levels.
A soundproof fence that is made out of concrete, rocks (or both), will have exceptional soundproof qualities.
4. Brushwood Fence
Another type is the brushwood fence. Brushwood walls are made utilizing twigs, little branches, and undergrowth. Building a thick brushwood fence can give some measure of noise reduction. The thickness of the fence must be more than 60 cm to be powerful enough.
5. Acoustic Fence
Acoustic fences (soundproof fences) are grade-A class soundproof fences.
These soundproof fences are designed to deal with noise pollution once and for all.
In most cases they are taller and thicker than non-soundproof fences. Their acoustic properties are unmatched compared to your existing brushwood fences.
The best acoustic fences are made out of layered wood and composite materials..
Cheap Solution to your Noise Problems
If you don’t have such big yard, but instead of that a tiny garden and you just can’t stand the noise anymore, then I can suggest you take a look at this soundproof fence as it may do the job just fine.
They are quite easy to install- it will take no more than a few minutes for of your time.
You will receive 2 packs at an affordable price.
These soundproof fences that act like a barrier are designed to lower the humming or buzzing noise that comes from outside of your garden.
There are few more benefits of this fence.
They can act like a wall, preventing anyone to peek into your privacy, and also, they will prevent the noise from your household from getting outside.
You can use them for the swimming pool, if you have one.
Moreover, they will prevent the sound of the pool heater and pool pump from disturbing your neighbors, as well as you.
They are not included with the particular one that I linked, but you can use fence stakes in order to place these fences permanently.
So, instead of just building some gigantic walls and leave a fortune in them, you could go with these soundproof fences and solve your problem in less than few minutes with less than $300.
Anyway, it’s worth trying.
It will definitely decrease the amount of the noise, but what will that amount be and will it be satisfying to your hearing, depends on (as we mentioned) several reasons.
If you have a garden shed, then check this guide on soundproofing your garden shed.
The alternative solution to combine with soundproof fences
What you can do in order to ignore and reduce the overall noise coming from the street is install some great water features - like a small fountain or glass waterfall.
Water is widely known as a relaxing sound that may, in this case, make you ignore or even prevail over the street noise. It also acts as white noise which further helps with minimizing less desirable noises in a noisy neighborhood.
If you relate to this, you can see that water works like a white noise machine, just in a more natural way.
It’s not just effective against the sound but increases overall appearance of your household.
Also, you can improvise your own soundproof fences.
For that, you will need some soundproofing blankets to hang on or screw into your household fence.
Preferably, you should do it with a wooden fence, instead of a concrete one.
These blankets will act like a second layer of your noise barrier, absorbing the sound easily and effectively.
Things to Consider When Installing a Soundproof Fence
Before starting any soundproofing project you always should plan ahead. Several factors ned to be taken into account to make your soundproofing project successful. Here are some of the most important things to consider.
Distance From Fence To House
The more space between your house and your fence the better.
In this situation sound has more ground to cover so it dissipates faster and comes back less powerful once it bounces off the walls.
Try to create as much open space possible for best soundproofing effects.
Landscape
The location of your house is critical. The sound will travel differently in a wide open flat surface and a tree-heavy area. such as a forest.
Of course the geographical layout of your surroundings will have a major impact on sound transmission overall.
In different circumstance, different soundproofing effects can be achieved. What is more, even small slopes of a valley can make a big difference.
If your property is located on top of a hill you most probably will be dealing with a lot of noise issues from all directions. You might need a tall fence in this case to see (or hear) a significant improvement.
On the other hand, if your household is resting in a valley or in the foot a hill or a mountain you might not need a very high barrier in the first place. You might opt for its shorter alternative.
Winds
Wind can be a tough opponent in your soundproofing battles. Many environments can get noisy very fast constantly changing direction.
The wind can have a major effect on the level of noise you experience. In some areas the wind is very unpredictable and often changes direction.
If your house is situated in the middle of nowhere on a flat surfaces where there is a high chances of continental winds blowing you best bet it to build a solid and thick wall to protect you from such a strong force of nature.
FAQ
1. How effective are soundproofing fences at blocking off noise?
A soundproof fence will never completely block off outside noise. What it can do is lower the overall sound volume coming in. Some materials used in soundproof fences can absorb or bounce incoming sound waves.
2. Does a bush fence help with noises?
Yes. If a fence is made out of thick twigs, branches and heavy leafage it can drastically reduce noise coming from those pesky noisy neighbors.
3. Can I soundproof my backyard?
Not completely. There are many steps you can take to dampen sound and reduce overall backyard noise. If try some of the methods outlined in this article you have a high chance of experiencing less sound disturbance.
4. Can a soundproof fence be waterproofed?
Yes. There are many waterproof paint available. You can check them out here.
5. How well will a soundproof fence reduce noise?
Up to 30 dB for high quality soundproof fences.
On Soundproof Fences
In the light of everything that I previously said, we may conclude that soundproof fences do really work.
However, there are several factors that you should include before even trying with this solution.
Mostly, those factors depend on something that is beyond your power, or at least quite expensive to deal with.
Firstly, keep in mind the distance of the fences from the house.
Secondly, if you are in the valley, you are ready to go and try this solution.
Finally, something that you can affect is the wind as a great transmitter of the sound.
Also, the great importance is the angle from which the sound comes- keep that in mind.
If you find your household suitable for this solution, if it satisfies all the conditions that I mentioned previously, then you should definitely go with soundproof fences- they will do a great job.
All in all, I hope that after this article, you will find your quiet refuge inside your household.