What Kinds Of Fences Block Sound From Your Home?

Most homeowners desire for their backyard to be a place where their family can gather or where they can escape to find peace and quiet. But these dreams can be crushed if you live in a loud area; many people struggle to keep noise out of their backyard. If you live on a busy street or your neighbors love blasting music, you probably know this all too well. 

If your backyard isn't a relaxing sanctuary, you may want to take action. The first step to soundproofing a backyard is building a wall or fence. One great option for removing noise is a masonry wall; this is a wall made of bricks, stones, or tiles that have been traditionally cemented together with mortar, per Home Questions Answered.

However, while a masonry wall may be the best soundproofing option, some may choose to build a wooden fence for a number of reasons. These include a cheaper price, a faster build, a customizable look, and a thinner design, per Brick Hunter. If you're opting to buy a fence, there are a few things to consider.

The first thing you'll want to decide is the material of your fence. If you choose to build a wooden fence, the Sound Proof Guide recommends using cedar or redwood. To block out more sound, you can have mass-loaded vinyl sheets placed between the wood boards, which can be layered. Just make sure the vinyl is intended for outdoor use. You can also choose a PVC fence, which will require less maintenance (per Fencing South Florida).

Another factor to consider is the height and width of your fence. When wanting to dampen sound, the higher and wider, the better. This is because the more materials placed between your backyard and the cause of the noise, the more the sound will be dampened.

Finally, make sure your fence has no gaps in it. You'll want to use tongue and groove fencing and make sure the boards are placed right next to each other. After the fence is built, you'll want to routinely check for holes caused by damage, pests, or weather, per Jay Fencing.

Building the fence is only the first step to soundproofing your backyard. To that end, here are some more fence building tips you can use to dampen sound. The first is to plant shrubbery; surrounding your fence with greenery will add more materials between your backyard and the cause of the noise, which will help keep the sound to a minimum (via the Arbor Day Foundation).

The second tip is to distract from unwanted racket with more soothing noises. For instance, if you hate the sound of the busy street behind your house, you could add a water fountain to your backyard, per Botanical Concepts Chicago. The white noise of the fountain may take your mind off of the busy street and may add serenity to your space. Wind chimes can act in a similar way.

When soundproofing your backyard, it's important to keep all these things in mind. Building a tall, dense fence may not be enough. But adding elements such as plants and other features that add enjoyable noise will help you create the backyard of your dreams.