Hello everyone!
I’ve mentioned before that we plan to install a wooden privacy fence along the side of our property bordering the neighbor. The plan was for rounded fence panels, 180cm (71 inches) tall at the highest point and the same width.
The local DIY store gave me a quote for the materials, including delivery. Normally, this store is not particularly expensive.
The total for materials for 19.5m (64 feet) of fencing came to over 1000€. The panels themselves were about 500€, with the rest being the “miscellaneous parts.” One costly item is the wood stain planned (three times 4L (1 gallon) of Bondex long-lasting protective stain) for nearly 200€. The advisor also said we need to use H-posts and set them in concrete. He quoted a 40kg (88 lbs) bag of screed concrete for each post.
I know that here in northern Germany it’s probably better to set the posts in concrete, but do I really need 400kg (880 lbs) of concrete for a 19.5m (64 feet) wooden fence? It seems crazy to me.
With L-brackets, screws, posts, etc., the entire project came to just over 1000€, and then we still have to assemble it ourselves — and we’re not sure if we can manage that. I had originally thought of using the quick-setting concrete that only needs watering, but I expected 2–3 bags would be enough.
Do you think the quote for materials is realistic? I’m a bit shocked.
Now we’re considering alternatives. For example, I could order a mixed package of “natural hedge bouquet” with 160 plants online for about 280€, which would green up the whole garden and cost only about a quarter of what the fence would. However, the noise insulation to the neighbor’s property would probably be weaker than with a wooden fence (anyone with experience here?), and we would have to wait a few years until the plants grow tall enough to screen the view of the metal shed. But honestly, I’d almost prefer to invest a four-figure amount in greenery rather than in a fence.
What would you recommend?
I’ve mentioned before that we plan to install a wooden privacy fence along the side of our property bordering the neighbor. The plan was for rounded fence panels, 180cm (71 inches) tall at the highest point and the same width.
The local DIY store gave me a quote for the materials, including delivery. Normally, this store is not particularly expensive.
The total for materials for 19.5m (64 feet) of fencing came to over 1000€. The panels themselves were about 500€, with the rest being the “miscellaneous parts.” One costly item is the wood stain planned (three times 4L (1 gallon) of Bondex long-lasting protective stain) for nearly 200€. The advisor also said we need to use H-posts and set them in concrete. He quoted a 40kg (88 lbs) bag of screed concrete for each post.
I know that here in northern Germany it’s probably better to set the posts in concrete, but do I really need 400kg (880 lbs) of concrete for a 19.5m (64 feet) wooden fence? It seems crazy to me.
With L-brackets, screws, posts, etc., the entire project came to just over 1000€, and then we still have to assemble it ourselves — and we’re not sure if we can manage that. I had originally thought of using the quick-setting concrete that only needs watering, but I expected 2–3 bags would be enough.
Do you think the quote for materials is realistic? I’m a bit shocked.
Now we’re considering alternatives. For example, I could order a mixed package of “natural hedge bouquet” with 160 plants online for about 280€, which would green up the whole garden and cost only about a quarter of what the fence would. However, the noise insulation to the neighbor’s property would probably be weaker than with a wooden fence (anyone with experience here?), and we would have to wait a few years until the plants grow tall enough to screen the view of the metal shed. But honestly, I’d almost prefer to invest a four-figure amount in greenery rather than in a fence.
What would you recommend?
Smialbuddler schrieb:
But I can hardly imagine a normally thin wall with the perfect effect of our shed, even with the best engineering skills using specially shaped, very dense bricks :-/ In my mind, I’m currently building a very narrow, very tall shed, 20 meters long (65.6 feet), running along my entire property line. 😀 I wonder what it would look like? It would definitely be practical—you could store all sorts of things under it. 😀
Schimi1791 schrieb:
This is about bass. It has already been mentioned that it can only be dampened by mass.Repeating misconceptions does not make them true.kati1337 schrieb:
What would flexible obstacles be?
And do you have any ideas which materials could be used as diffusers outdoors?11ant schrieb:
I think back in 2018 (and I don’t have time to look it up right now) I recommended in several threads, both on sound and on strong winds, combinations of absorption and diffusion, for which firs / thuja / conifers work well (and there are artificial versions if you don’t want to wait for growth).https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Schimi179115 Aug 2021 14:32kati1337 schrieb:
Didn’t someone write in this thread that their 2-meter (6.5 feet) tall, very old and dense thuja trees hardly provide any benefits?See, among others, post #101.We also have such "monsters" at the property boundary. In my opinion, they serve mainly as a visual screen.
S
Smialbuddler15 Aug 2021 14:32kati1337 schrieb:
Didn’t someone write in this thread that their 2-meter (6.5-foot) tall, very old and dense arborvitae basically don’t do much?Yes, that was me. Unfortunately, that’s the case for us.We have about a 20-meter (65-foot) long arborvitae hedge behind which the neighbors have their seating area and sound system. I can hear everything almost as well as in a spot without any arborvitae. It’s slightly muffled, yes, but it’s more like the neighbors just turned the volume down a bit.
On the other side of the garden, our property borders a field/horse paddock. There are also arborvitae there, but they have kind of... escalated. They used to be 4 meters (13 feet) tall (now about 2.5 meters [8 feet]) and are easily 2 meters (6.5 feet) wide. Still, I can clearly hear horses neighing, grazing, and even snoring over there.
I don’t want to raise false hopes—maybe our hedges have become hollow inside because of their age—but they really don’t reduce noise much for us. On the other hand, they are fantastic windbreaks.
If you have to choose between hedges and a wall, based on my personal experience I would definitely recommend a (solid!) wall. And of course, consulting a professional is always advisable 🙂
H
hampshire15 Aug 2021 14:33kati1337 schrieb:
I once read about coconut fiber mats that might be effective for sound absorption. However, I haven’t found good offers to buy them in larger quantities and preferably in long or wide rolls.
There is also this "acoustic foam" with triangular shapes used in music studios, for example, but I doubt it is suitable for outdoor use? Coconut fiber mats do not absorb low frequencies sufficiently, so you’ll end up with work and frustration but no real results.
The pyramid-shaped foam from studios serves – similar to the function of a coconut fiber mat – absorption to reduce reverberation effects. Here too, the effectiveness decreases as frequency lowers.
kati1337 schrieb:
Didn’t someone write in this thread that their 2-meter (6.5 feet) tall, very old and dense arborvitae hedge barely makes a difference? To understand why there is no building measure that could gain approval for you, first familiarize yourself with how sound waves propagate depending on frequency. Lower frequencies spread spherically, higher frequencies are more directional. That’s why you can block higher frequencies fairly easily, but not the lower ones.
A 2-meter (6.5 feet) tall arborvitae hedge absorbs many mid and higher frequencies and some low frequencies, while it also deflects part of the sound. Most of the bass “passes over” it and reflects off your house wall or anywhere nearby. If I have gotten an approximate picture of your sensitivity to bass-heavy rhythms, even this measure will not provide relief.
There are exactly three solutions:
1. An agreement with your neighbors that leads to acceptable quiet times
2. A change in your own attitude and perception (I know this can be done with help)
3. Removing yourself from the situation
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