Running water has long been employed to "drown out" extraneous noise and create a sense of serenity - picture the fountains in medieval cloisters or Japanese gardens. Hubbard considered another tactic for dealing with noise that reached the front yard of the house: a fountain fashioned from a rustic granite watering trough and a copper spigot. The base stones are supported by a 6- to 12-inch bed of 1/4-inch cut stone over sandy soil to prevent heaving in winter. "And it looks like it's been there forever." 2. "You have a nice feeling of enclosure," says TOH landscape contractor Roger Cook, who brought in masons from O'Hara & Company in nearby Ashland to build the stone structure. Consider the Character a Fence Can AddĮqually important is the character the wall adds to the front yard. And since it will be close to the source of the noise, it can bounce the sound waves away before they head toward the house. Though traffic noise can still spill over the low structure, the wall's mass will help deaden the sound of tires on the road. So instead, landscape designer Stephanie Hubbard has called for a traditional 2 1/2-foot-high, dry-laid stone wall along the front of the property. Plus, such a big barrier would detract from the historic farmhouse's curb appeal. The house sits on a corner lot, and like many municipalities, the town restricts fences and walls that could block views at traffic intersections. To the human ear, a 10-decibel drop seems like half as much noise - in this case, from an old dishwasher to a refrigerator's hum.Īt Carlisle, unfortunately, an 8-to 10-foot fence or wall isn't a possibility. That might not seem like much, but the decibel scale is logarithmic. Will a High Fence Reduce Traffic Noise?Īn 8-foot-high solid fence or wall might knock 6 to 10 decibels off traffic and other ambient noise, which typically measures 60 to 70 decibels-about equal to the noise an older dishwasher makes.
Wood suggests simply building as solid a fence as possible, as high and long as local regulations and practicality allow while still being aesthetically pleasing.
Even a very high fence-say 8 or 10 feet-will not provide much sound reduction for an elevated deck or balcony on the other side. "That's the weakest link in any fence," says Wood, who applies a "line-of-sight" rule: If you can see the source of the noise, you'll be able to hear it. Likewise, a low fence will allow more sound waves to flow over the top. A fence that does not reach to the ground will allow the sound of passing car tires to go right under.
The fence should have no gaps because sound waves, like liquid, will always take the path of least resistance and flow through any holes. Pro2ProTip: One way to fill in the gaps along the bottom is to stack pressure-treated timbers on the ground, running them right up to the fence sections.īut the material is not as significant as the construction. Season 10 - The Lexington Bed and Breakfast Season 24 - The Lake Forest Dream Kitchen Season 29 - The Newton Shingle-Style House Season 35 - The Arlington Italianate House Season 36 - The Veteran’s Special House Project Season 38 - The Arlington Arts & Crafts House Season 39 - The Newton GenerationNEXT House Season 40 - The Brookline Mid-Century Modern Season 42 - The Seaside Victorian Cottage