Road noise in new house

Davesnave

sevenhills wrote: »

If you have a front garden, then trees or a hedge may well be better than a tall fence.
Evergreen for all year round sound baffling, a Laurel hedge can grow 4/5m high

Before spending money on this, look for the scientific evidence to support it. I did and I didn't find any!

Serious roadside noise reduction can be achieved with a combination of evergreens and land shaping, but we're talking of many, many metres of thickness here.

Jacksons make an acoustic panel, the effectiveness of which is supported by proper testing, but it could not be deployed beside a road at the height necessary without planning permission. It would probably prove unacceptable from a visual perspective anyway.

moneyistooshorttomention

Whether you'll "get used to the noise or no" may depend, to some extent, on whether you have a vehicle yourself or no. If you do - then....

As someone who doesnt have a car myself - then I would never "get used to it" and it would always annoy me.

Davesnave

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Whether you'll "get used to the noise or no" may depend, to some extent, on whether you have a vehicle yourself or no. If you do - then....

As someone who doesnt have a car myself - then I would never "get used to it" and it would always annoy me.

I don't think it's anything like a dislike of smoking, where participation dulls perception of effects that others dislike.

You must use buses, coaches or trains, all of which will make someone's home noisier than it otherwise would be, so you participate in this as much as the drivers among us.

People who choose to live in the quietest places, which by their nature are remote, almost always drive there, because public transport is sparse or non-existent.

trailingspouse

Agree with the hedge suggestion by a previous poster.

Our house is on one of the main routes out of town, and gets pretty busy at the beginning and end of the day (actually, it's better if it's really really busy, as the traffic grinds to a halt and goes quiet!!). There was a huge hedge bordering the front garden when we moved in, which we eventually removed because it was getting too big for its boots and damaging the retaining wall. The increase in noise was noticeable.

Having said that, it's a couple of years since the hedge went, and I'm totally used to it now. It's 07:45 and I'm sitting in the front room, and I hadn't even thought about the traffic until I read this post!!

[Deleted User]

I think we have to be realistic these days in that certainly in the South East there would be a noise of some sort in the majority of locations, whether it be road noise, trains, aircraft etc etc.


I myself have lived near a major road for 10 years and can honestly say I have tuned it out and when I do hear it I find it comforting, like an old friend. I would far rather the constant hum of the road than an intermittent noise or bone shaking house rattler like trains or aircraft.


OP has to decide what she can cope with but a week is not nearly enough to judge by. She also has to bear in mind her house will be significantly more expensive in a quiet area.


As an aside my neighbour has just sold for £750k on an asking price of £995k not because of road noise but because the buyer didn't want the land that came with the house so a separate deal was done. Not everyone is put off by noise.

Norman_Castle

Check for gaps around the frames and where the windows close. Even small gaps can increase airborne traffic noise.

Secondary glazing should also reduce heat loss. As the costs are likely to be hundreds rather than thousands its certainly worth trying.

ProDave

I spent my childhood in the front bedroom of a house on a busy road. The worst was when it was wet, and the traffic noise takes on more of a "swoosh" as the cars spray through the puddles.

That is the reason now why I am most particular about noise and am very very careful about where I would buy a house.

I think a lot of people who have never lived in constant noise don't think much about it when looking for a house and are then shocked that the house you viewed at 10AM on a Sunday, is actually quite noisy weekday mornings and evenings.

3mph

A regular pattern on noises and your brain is likely to switch them off.

Our flat is on the beach and the sound of the waves can be quite loud, but weirdly lying in bed you do not hear it until you remember there is waves and then it comes through like turning up the volume.

But irregular noises could be a problem.

Vegetation rarely makes a good sound barrier, you just have to go to a wooded area next to a motorway. Whereas solid acoustic barriers can protect.

3mph

I learnt when buying a house / flat to visit it at different times and different days to check on noise, smell, lights (street lamps etc) and warnings such as bus stops. First flat we found in a different block / area to where we now are was great. But on checking on a Friday night I found the Iranian restaurant nearby was in full swing and they had a huge extractor which blew smells towards the flats. I reckon we could lie in bed and know what the dish of the day was.

aliby21

I sympathise. I also fell for the lovely cottage in a quaint village and was shocked by the amount, and type, of traffic thundering past. and shocked by how much it bothered me. Secondary glazing might help to reduce the noise but I would hold of doing anything for now. You might, as others have done, get used to the noise. I'm afraid to say I didn't, and have just purchased a 1960s chalet in a very quiet cul de sac. Yes, i was paranoid about checking it out for noise! But for me more glazing wouldn't have solved the problem - what about in summer when you want your windows open, or want to be in the garden? I also found as another poster has said, the grime was an issue, and also just not being able to walk out of the front door (no pavement) with all the lorries. I hope it works out for you.