When real estate expert Andrew Winter (host of Selling Houses Australia & co-host of Love it Or List It Australia) needed privacy in his backyard, our acoustic fence was the perfect choice.
As any real estate professional will tell you, it’s all about location when it comes to choosing your forever home.
However, when Andrew Winter found the perfect place for his family home, it needed a backyard makeover to address a few challenges:
- The backyard lacked privacy from surrounding neighbours on all three sides of the yard.
- On such a small block, noise transference between yards was a concern when spending time outdoors.
- One neighbour’s block of land was lower, and therefore, required a retaining fence solution.
Finally, the fence solution needed to look great to complement the house and keep the neighbours happy. (Where’s Charlie Albone when you need him!) With no Charlie on hand, ModularWalls gladly stepped in to help Andrew create the privacy and modern design he and his family needed.
Why our acoustic fence is the answer for a small block
As Australian blocks of land decrease in size and houses are closer together than ever before, an acoustic fence is becoming a must-have. So, with this in mind, an acoustic fence that looks great was needed, and our SlimWall and TrendWall systems were the perfect solutions.
SlimWall and TrendWall are lightweight premium fencing, making them easy to deliver and install. As access on a small block can be a challenge, a modular fence easily overcomes access issues — each panel weighs approximately 33kg making them easy to move by hand. While professionals installed Andrew Winter’s fence, if you’re handy and comfortable with tools, you can install ModularWalls yourself!
The ModularWalls used at ‘Winty Towers’ were 1.8metres high (2.7m high for the property on the low side). This height not only creates privacy, but the solid panel composition also provides up to a 25dB noise reduction. To rephrase it, this equates to a quarter of the loudness transferring between backyards! Of course, in such a tight, small block where enjoying the pool or cooking up a feast on the BBQ can be a daily occurrence, any noise reduction is an enormous benefit.
As Andrew Winter says, ‘you can’t hear the neighbours so, that’s got to be good!’
A fence that stands out for all the right reasons
Located in sunny Queensland, indoor-outdoor living is a way of life at the ‘Winter’ house. Therefore, the boundary fences needed to minimise noise and meet the modern and sophisticated aesthetic of the home.
To achieve the modern design to complement their home, the Winter family made the following design choices:
- SlimWall with flush post tops and flush wall capping
- TrendWall with integrated retaining panels and flush post tops and flush wall capping
- Taubmans Volcanic Ash paint to complement the pool tiles and outdoor living area
The result is a stunning backdrop to the pool and tropical foliage in the surrounding garden. Overall, the modern design of the backyard creates a warm and inviting space where the family will no doubt spend many hours with their dogs, Louis and Scoot.
Lastly, as a self-confessed ‘real estate guy,’ Andrew Winter can’t help but think of a home’s future value and aesthetics. With this in mind, a ModularWalls acoustic fence is a fantastic choice for:
- Adding property value
- Providing a modern and sophisticated aesthetic
- Providing privacy
- Reducing noise between neighbours. (great if you have dogs, a pool or like to entertain outdoors)
The perfect partnership — an acoustic fence and integrated retaining wall
You never know what challenges will pop up when renovating or rebuilding. As mentioned above, at Winty Towers, one neighbour’s property was lower than Andrew’s. Therefore, it soon became apparent an integrated retaining wall was needed along one boundary fence.
So, to ensure the best retaining wall solution, all factors were considered, including:
- The amount of soil to be retained, which was approximately 750mm
- The desired height of the boundary fence
- The overall desired aesthetic
- The purpose of the wall, which in this case was for privacy and reducing noise
- The location of the wall, which was next to a pool, so aluminium posts were preferable
With this purpose in mind, our TrendWall acoustic fence was the perfect solution. TrendWall utilises corrosion-resistant aluminium posts, perfect for pool and coastal areas. This system also easily met the height requirements needed to reduce noise and give privacy in such a small urban block. Lastly, and most importantly in this instance, TrendWall integrates with our TerraFirm 75 retaining panels. As you can see, the result is a seamless finish! Most people won’t even notice where the retaining wall ends and the boundary fence begins.
An integrated retaining and boundary wall is a great way to frame your backyard and add value to your property.
Overall, Andrew Winter has achieved the perfect Australian backyard. Our acoustic fence is ticking all the boxes regarding privacy, minimising noise, and giving a premium aesthetic. In Andrew’s own words, ‘ModularWalls look fantastic and give that bit of privacy vital in an urban location.’
