Is it possible to soundproof a garden??

[Etherealcelestialbeing]

Our house is sold and our buyers are starting to get antsy as we are yet to find a suitable property. We have offered on something but couldn't quite meet the asking price.

We have viewed a house which would be great (good space inside and nice sized plot) except it's right next to a main road. The road is a 40mph dual carriageway with parkland on the opposite side. Currently there is a very large perimeter hedge which reduces the noise but I don't know if we could get past the road noise. I'm not so worried about inside the house as we could eventually put in good windows etc.

Are they ways to soundproof a garden? I read briefly about acoustic fencing - anybody tried it? Would brick walls reduce noise? I'm worried they would have to be really high to be effective.

For the vote:
Iabu - you can't reduce the noise enough
Ianbu - there are solutions even if costly

I don’t think you could reduce the noise enough and I’d be worried about breathing in all the emissions from the road. Sorry OP but I think I’d let this one go.

In my experience once youve been in the house a couple of weeks tops you will not hear the traffic noise at all.
I lived beside the A38 with only a hedge between me and the lorries thundering past all day and night and we could comfortably sit outside with no problerms. Marvellous thing the brain.

Don't buy it.

Move out to rented, don’t mess your buyers around. Then you can find just the right property. Trying to find the right place in a hurry will lead to terrible decision making.

I'd be more concerned about airbourne pollution to be honest.

@papadontpreach2me what are your reasons please?

We have considered renting but we have young DC and both work full time, long hours. It would be incredibly disruptive and stressful so will avoid if at all possible.

The market is so odd right now.

No! You can have an acoustic fence like they have at the side of motorways but whilst it may reduce the sound a bit, you can't shut it out.A lot of people adjust and don't seem to notice it.

I found motorbikes were the worst you could hear them a mile away approaching and then a mile away departing.

But maybe I am;
a) a miserable git,
b) overly sensitive,
c) a miserable git,

Do not buy it!

If you ever need to sell it, others will have the doubts you are going thru now.

It’s very hard, maybe impossible to get past a Harley Davidson thundering past the end of your garden at 02:00. Summer nights with no windows open and think of the pollution. Yuk.

Nah, don’t even think about it.

You can get used to noise and tune it out
I moved near to train tracks once and it actually was was comforting even at 05:00 am. Up to you

You can't sound proof a garden. That's not how sound waves work!
Is it a road where traffic is passing fairly continuously? If so, you will mentally adapt and not notice the noise quite quickly. If you get a water feature in the garden that helps too as your brain will key into that noise (eg a small fountain)

If it's near a junction then I'd avoid it. Traffic slowing down and then revving up again is very loud and hard to get used to, especially larger vehicles (lorries etc)

Hmmm most of you are confirming my fears. DH is less bothered about the noise issue but he grew up on a main road (although lower speed limit, single carriageway).

And yes, pollution is a problem.

Look at it this way, if there's a 40mph road next to you, you won't have screaming children on trampolines and booting balls against your fence.

YABU
How busy is the road? Do you have a back garden?

The pollution would make it a no for me

@Leavingasinkingship I was being slightly tongue in cheek - I know you can't completely get rid of noise

I suppose it's more whether as some PP have said, we'll get used to it or be able to reduce it with hedging etc to a manageable level.

It's hard to explain the road really. It's a wide dual carriageway with a large central grass reservation. Traffic is busier at peak times and quieter at other times. It's not far from a junction so traffic would potentially be slowing towards there. There aren't many lorries up and down but there is a fair amount of commuter traffic and the odd bus. It's quite an open aspect, nothing on the other side to reflect noise back towards us. Lots of open space around.

I think realistically, I'm too sensitive to noise to be able to live with it.

I would never have moved into rented. That gets thrown around but I can't imagine the chaos and expense of having to move twice, store everything, give notice etc.

That being said, I agree don't buy it.

I had a beautiful house next to a normal A road in a 30 mph zone. The house was perfect. It had acreage but all behind the house which was about 30 ft from the road.

The road got busier and busier during my ten years there. I grew an 8ft high double beech hedge and there was a 6ft fence between that and the road.

I hated the road, never stopped hating it. It took two years to sell.

No from me. You couldn’t hear it in the house unless the windows were open.

Lived adjacent to a railway bridge next to a main road just round the corner from a police station, a fire station and an ambulance park, and the only things that annoyed me were people standing outside chatting and f*ing motorbikes. And I grew up in the countryside where I'd get annoyed if a bird was too loud! You really do filter out the regular background noises.

I was in a similar position to you about 10 years ago. We went for the perfect house on a busy (30) Rd and instantly regretted it. The house itself was amazing but the road noise really bothered us as we were used to living in a quiet Cul-de-sac. We decided to move after a year (luckily we managed to sell quickly) and would never ever buy on a busy road again.

Depends on the house. We bought near a busy road as I'd be unable to get the same or similar house otherwise.

I'm near and very busy road and have tuned it out . You'll not completely hide the noise but you can mitigate it , trees , hedges , fencing , good windows and in time electric vehicles will reduce noise , not of tyres but engines and it all helps .

Years ago, I moved from a quiet, coastal town to a high street between zone 1-2 in London. Nearby was an overground train line, I could hear the tube running under the flat and we could hear cars/buses/bikes on the road outside. The noise was overwhelming at first! Within a week or so, I didn't notice it as much.

My biggest concern though was the pollution and health aspects. We'd get a black soot on the windows that faced the road, along with soot on the carpet underneath those windows. We TTC 12yrs with no medical issues ever found. I do wonder whether the pollution and toxins contributed. Personally, I'd keep looking, especially as you have young children.