ᐅ Is it possible to have a quiet home despite an uncontrolled railroad crossing (train horns)?
Created on: 24 Feb 2021 21:22
J
JamaikaJoe
Hello,
as a backup option, we were able to reserve a plot of land in a new development area within the Nuremberg metropolitan region.
Everything fits well there except for one issue that concerns me: next to the development area (about 150m (490 feet) from our potential plot), a regional train passes over ungated level crossings and sounds its horn before each one. I am worried that the horn will be audible inside the house and disturb sleep.
The neighbors we spoke to, who have lived there for a long time, said they don’t notice the horn at all. They looked at us incredulously when we asked about it :-) The noise assessment assumes there is no significant noise emission from the railway line. However, I think this refers to the train noise itself, which is actually almost imperceptible, and not the horn.
During the day, I don’t find the horn disturbing. It fits the rural setting. But my wish is to have the house as a retreat, completely quiet from outside noises, including the horn.
Do you have experience whether such train horns can be “blocked out” by appropriate wall construction, a centralized mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, and soundproof windows? Or is the horn too loud for these measures to effectively reduce the noise?
Thank you very much for your opinions
Jo
as a backup option, we were able to reserve a plot of land in a new development area within the Nuremberg metropolitan region.
Everything fits well there except for one issue that concerns me: next to the development area (about 150m (490 feet) from our potential plot), a regional train passes over ungated level crossings and sounds its horn before each one. I am worried that the horn will be audible inside the house and disturb sleep.
The neighbors we spoke to, who have lived there for a long time, said they don’t notice the horn at all. They looked at us incredulously when we asked about it :-) The noise assessment assumes there is no significant noise emission from the railway line. However, I think this refers to the train noise itself, which is actually almost imperceptible, and not the horn.
During the day, I don’t find the horn disturbing. It fits the rural setting. But my wish is to have the house as a retreat, completely quiet from outside noises, including the horn.
Do you have experience whether such train horns can be “blocked out” by appropriate wall construction, a centralized mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, and soundproof windows? Or is the horn too loud for these measures to effectively reduce the noise?
Thank you very much for your opinions
Jo
P
pagoni20202 Mar 2021 20:35The way you approach this issue will likely be a significant cost factor in achieving the results you want. Ultimately, however, there is always a risk regarding how it will actually turn out in reality.
Perhaps it makes sense to involve a specialist on this topic from the very beginning, so that you don’t end up investing a lot in different areas only to find the problem still occurs in two places.
My feeling is that you may currently be overestimating the challenge, particularly with the roof design, floor plan, and some measures implemented because of the "noise." At some point, you may also need to ask yourself whether the building site suits you if you are this concerned.
Restrictions on planning freedom will be unavoidable, and the financial impact will also be considerable, which in turn could prevent you from realizing other dreams.
Perhaps it makes sense to involve a specialist on this topic from the very beginning, so that you don’t end up investing a lot in different areas only to find the problem still occurs in two places.
My feeling is that you may currently be overestimating the challenge, particularly with the roof design, floor plan, and some measures implemented because of the "noise." At some point, you may also need to ask yourself whether the building site suits you if you are this concerned.
Restrictions on planning freedom will be unavoidable, and the financial impact will also be considerable, which in turn could prevent you from realizing other dreams.
J
JamaikaJoe3 Mar 2021 20:47pagoni2020 schrieb:
At some point, the question arises whether the plot is really suitable for you, given how worried you are. Fortunately, my worries are getting smaller every day 🙂
pagoni2020 schrieb:
My feeling is that you might be making the saber-toothed tiger too big right now, meaning the roof design. It’s quite possible that this is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. But later on, I prefer feeling secure rather than otherwise. Financially, I’m sure reality will bring me back down to earth sooner or later.
My interest in the roof shape is more out of general curiosity. If the consensus were that the best sound insulation comes with a barrel roof, that wouldn’t suit me because of the appearance. But for a roof style that is already in the short list, the sound insulation factor could be the deciding factor. Why not...
pagoni2020 schrieb:
Maybe it also makes sense to involve a specialist on this topic right from the start. Do you mean an architect or someone even more specialized?
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pagoni20203 Mar 2021 21:07JamaikaJoe schrieb:
Fortunately, the concern is getting a little smaller every day 😀 😀 😀 .....Aha.... so just wait a few more days, eventually it will be where it belongs. It’s a valid feeling, but definitely not a big bang.
I would first focus on finding my own floor plan, which can already be quite challenging. The roof shape usually results from a combination of building regulations (building permit / planning permission), personal taste, costs, and so on. In my opinion, you can build a great house with any roof style; the most important things happen inside the house. Some designs look fantastic from the outside but don’t work well inside, so I would put that consideration aside for now.
I can’t imagine that a particular roof shape will help with the noise issue; there can be many factors involved in the end.
If you pay attention to it or focus on “hearing” it, you will hear it anyway. If the concern really weighed heavily on you, I wouldn’t buy the building plot.
When planning, you can keep it in mind and consider individual details that you might want to implement anyway or similarly. What I meant is that you could spend endless amounts of money on soundproofing, but with windows open or if you focus on the noise, you’ll still hear it. The loud neighbor or the humming heat pump becomes noticeable eventually, even when they are not actively doing anything, and values alone are not enough because your perception is personal.
When my mother used to tiptoe around upstairs at night, it was a nice feeling; later, during an injection, I sometimes wanted to bite the windowsill — from the exact same sound!
I think it will settle down for you yet 😀
JamaikaJoe schrieb:
Are you thinking of an architect or someone more specialized? If this really is my big, individual “problem” — and only then — I would want to educate myself on the topic because it’s not really within the architect’s expertise. There are various institutes and organizations that deal with these topics and certainly experts who can provide properly informed advice. When searching, talking, and reading, your feelings about it might change. You can do the usual, straightforward measures anyway to ensure adequate sound insulation. Then you also see the costs and can decide.
J
JamaikaJoe8 Mar 2021 20:38pagoni2020 schrieb:
I think you’ll get there eventually.....with you 😀I’m coming to terms with it 🙂 Thank you very much for your feedback on this. At the moment, everything points to us taking the plot. I would like to include any reasonably priced and available soundproofing options and will keep that in mind.
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