Reduce noise with acoustic fencing for your backyard
4 MinsIf you’re looking to reduce noise in your backyard or home, finding the perfect acoustic fencing for your needs comes down to 3 main factors:
- Noise source
- Noise type
- Fence material
Noise and sound are different; sounds include things we don’t mind hearing, like the gentle warbling of magpies in the mornings, or the calming trickle of your water feature.
Noise, however, is unwanted sound that you don’t want or need; and understanding the noise source and type is crucial to picking the right solution for you.
Noise source
First, you need to be specific about what you’re actually trying to drown out. Some common residential noise sources include:
- Traffic noise from busy or main roads
- Air-conditioning units or hot water heaters
- Vocal noise from neighbours or animals
- Pool pumps or tools like chainsaws, leaf blowers and lawn mowers
- Music from radios, sound systems and instruments
Once you’ve specified what you’re dealing with, you can narrow down the kind of acoustic fencing you’re going to need:
- Traffic noise will most likely require a tall acoustic fence made from thicker, higher performance materials than traditional timber or metal fences can offer.
- Acoustic enclosures around the source may be better for A/C units or hot water heaters.
- The last three noise sources listed above can be solved by a sturdy boundary solution.
Change in Noise Level | Subjective Rating | Subjective Response |
---|---|---|
0 dB | No reduction | No Change |
1 - 3 dB | Slight reduction | Perceivable difference |
3 - 5 dB | Moderate reduction | Noticeable difference |
5 - 10 dB | Good reduction | Up to a halving in loudness |
10 dB and more | Extensive reduction | More than a halving in loudness |
Noise type
Noise type is important if you’re measuring the level of sound you need to reduce; it can also help you compare different products against the decibel (dB) reduction they’re offering. Without getting too technical, a 10dB reduction will generally reduce the noise you can hear by half.
It’s also useful to know if it’s airborne noise or impact noise:
- Airborne noise is any noise travelling through the air, which acoustic fencing can effectively take care of.
- Impact noise is passed through materials – think of banging doors, scraping furniture, vibrations from loud music – which a fence may not do as much for.
Fence materials
Metal and wood offer minimal sound protection and provide aesthetics that age badly. Brick and block offer strong noise attenuation, but they can be incredibly pricey and their wide strip footings and heavyweight nature aren’t suitable for all locations or applications.
That’s where modular fencing comes in; it’s the ‘in betweener’ that combines noise reduction and affordability, all within a beautiful render-look finish.
To help you find the perfect solution for your needs, ModularWalls’ Executive Director, Jason Harvey (JH), has offered specialist advice for each kind of noise reduction issue.
How can ModularWalls help with my noise reduction needs?
JH: We have a range of different acoustic solutions, from acoustic fencing to sound absorbing enclosures. Choosing the right solution for you is all about what you’re trying to achieve, so I’ve broken it down into some common residential noise reduction projects that you can flick through:
Do timber or metal fences reduce noise?
JH: Timber fencing doesn’t achieve any acoustic requirements, unless they use a weighted or hardened timber, which drives costs up. Ultimately, you really aren’t saving a lot of money by going with timber, and you’re settling for a less durable and higher maintenance solution.
Metal fencing has very limited acoustic ability and doesn’t meet any acoustic requirements at all.
Do brick walls reduce noise?
JH: Brick walls offers strong acoustic benefits, with a noise reduction of up to 40db…but for twice the cost. For what we’ve seen around Australia, the modular wall, at half the price, will exceed the requirements of 95% of acoustic projects presented.
Extra advice
JH: If you’re really unhappy with the level of noise you’re experiencing, check your state’s EPA guidelines – while they aren’t laws, they do provide a good background with what’s acceptable within a community.
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Written by Evelyn Kandris