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The British weather is not exactly predictable, but when the sun does shine we enjoy nothing more than sitting outside in the privacy of our own gardens. A barbecue at the weekend or early in the evening; sitting with a cold drink on a lounger; reading a book in the shade; playing games with our children – our gardens are a very important part of our living space and should be somewhere we can enjoy in peace. But unwanted noise can ruin a relaxing afternoon outside. Unwanted noise could come from: • Busy roads; • Railway tracks; • Neighbours’ dogs; • Burglar alarms; • Car alarms; • Local factories or shops; • Play parks or schools; • Planes flying overhead. Some people do not mind a bit of background noise and people who live close to busy roads even find that they do not really notice the sound of traffic. But if noise is spoiling your time in the garden, why not consider soundproofing your garden? soundproofing a garden can be difficult. Sound travels through most materials and so you need specially-designed sound barriers around your property to notice any difference to the noise level. A standard boundary fence will not suffice. You could plant some greenery to act as a natural sound barrier: a really dense hedge can help. But hedges and trees take time to grow, and they also need regular maintenance to avoid them becoming a nuisance to your neighbours and to avoid them blocking out your light. Instead, look for specialist fences, curtains and gates that have been designed to deflect or absorb unwanted sounds. Often referred to as ‘acoustic fencing’ or ‘sound barriers’ these products can be designed and fitted so that they are the best possible size and density to reduce the nuisance noise. They should be placed as close as possible to wherever the noise is coming from: along your boundary closest to a road, for example, would be ideal. These products are designed to absorb sound but not water, so they need minimal maintenance and upkeep. If the noise nuisance you are experiencing is down to someone else’s negligence then there are other steps you can take. Report a barking dog to the Local Authority; contact their Environment Agency department about noisy neighbours or traffic noise. If a recently-constructed road is causing problems, club together with your neighbours to make a complaint to the Highways Agency to petition for it to install appropriate sound barriers.
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Soundproofing, Garden soundproofing, acoustic fences,
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