Traffic noise

My house is, unfortunately, in the vicinity of a freeway. The noise didn't sound too bad when we first looked at the place, and we even went back at night to see if it seemed worse then. It didn't.

Now it's starting to get to me.

There's a lot of things I could do, but I'm not sure what the most effective would be or what order I should tackle things in.

The ceiling is not insulated at the moment, and that's something I'm attending to sooner rather than later anyway.

Other things I have up my sleeve are a brick front fence, double glazing, insulating the floors and walls and carpeting (floorboards at the moment).

Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated!

Turn the radio on so you have a different background noise.

It's not so much during the day that it bothers me though. It's at night when we're trying to sleep, so the radio isn't really an option.

During the day it isn't so bad, the power tools drown out a lot of noise...

How long have you been there? I lived in a house on Rocky Point Road in Sydney. Traffic all day and night, including trucks plus a set of lights just up the road, so it would all come to a stop then rev off when the lights changed. The first week or two, I couldn't sleep but by the time I left a year later, I could sleep through anything.

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Originally Posted by echnidna

Turn the radio on so you have a different background noise.

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Yeah - put on that 1981 album "Shake It Up". Who was that by again?? Oh yeah - The Cars. https://www.ubeaut.biz/auto.gif ;):rolleyes::p

Sorry mate - I don't have any good advice for you. Insulating sounds like the way to go, whether it is done with a garden or if you insulate your ceiling. Perhaps a dedicated noise barrier between you and the freeway? Can look a bit ugly but could be softened with bushes.

Good luck.

We moved in just before christmas, so I'm not sure we're going to get used to it any time soon.

I've noticed it also depends on which way the wind blows too, so I've planted a number of small trees to try and baffle the sound a bit, but it'll be a few years before they're big enough.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention those were my party days and I was usually more in a coma than actually sleeping :o

I've heard double glazing makes a big difference. Will help with heating too.

Replacing the glass with thicker glass (say 8mm) will be cheaper and just as, or more effective than cheap double glazing. If you dont' believe me search the web for data on sound transmission.

Check out CSR's website on acoustic systems, then see how your construction rates and work on the weak links. I'd bet that the windows are pretty much the weakest at the moment.

if you sleep with the windows open, it won't work! I have actually experienced this with a customer who bought a unit on a main road, and then complained about the noise, despite our acoustic treatment. Said he couldn't stand the airconditioner on at night!

Install an airconditioner, but you only have to run it in "fan" mode to provide a bit of background noise, which will reduce what you can hear to a dull roar.

Cheers,

P

Look for gaps. Where air can flow through, so too can sound. Draft excluders on external doors will help. Check for gaps around window sashes as well.

I had friends who live in a Queenslander that was off the ground by about 2-3 metres at the front.

They ended up doubleglazing the windows, putting in an airconditioner, put sound deadening in the walls and underneath the floor,which was simply the floorboards.

Works well even without the air con on.

cheers
Wendy

Hey ruffly, what was the sound deadening material they used?

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Originally Posted by atregent

My house is, unfortunately, in the vicinity of a freeway. The noise didn't sound too bad when we first looked at the place, and we even went back at night to see if it seemed worse then. It didn't.

Now it's starting to get to me.

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I've been through that. The peak hour seems to esculate the noise to levels you didn't dream of when you were looking at the place. I went through a stage where I was a little obsessed with it, and I get the feeling that you're there now. I went to Queensland Uni and looked through their books on road noise and acoustics and had a whole lot of earthworks done to bounce the noise back at them (we live on acerage). In your case the simple but expensive solution is to insulate the walls and so on with acoustic insulation and to re-plaster with acoustic gyprock, double glaze ....

But really, you get used to it. Your brain will erase it so well that you'll have to tune back into it if a visitor mentions it. SWMBO tells me that when she's alone of a day the noise can be a comfort to her.

Good luck with it.:)

I know what you mean about traffic noise,

It's getting bad down here too!!!!!!

Must be 50 to 100 cars going past each day now!! :eek: :eek:

You think you got it bad :p where we live we get annoyed if more than 20 vehicles a day go past and thats including grain truck semies. Last year one day was blo...dy annoying 150 Variet Club cars went past all blaring their horns when we waved :eek: :D Tonto

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Originally Posted by atregent

The ceiling is not insulated at the moment, and that's something I'm attending to sooner rather than later anyway.

Other things I have up my sleeve are a brick front fence, double glazing, insulating the floors and walls and carpeting (floorboards at the moment).

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If you are level with the freeway the brick fence may be the best thing to reflect the sound. Make sure it is higher than a car's wheels. For a super-soundproof fence, make it a double walled brick fence with a garden in the middle - like a really long and tall planter box (about 600mm wide). Expensive to build but you will need to do very little to the house.

If you are below the freeway you are in trouble, the roof will need a lot of soundproofing and double glazing is on the cards.

Above the freeway a fence should help a lot and little else would be necessary.

Deep rumbles you are stuck with, due to the long wavelength and its ability to penetrate the ground, house and everything else besides.

Groggy (who lives on a very busy street and is dreaming of Al offering to build his ultimate-fence ;) )