ᐅ Is noise from a street effectively reduced by a house or garage?

This concerns a planned new development consisting of several semi-detached houses (two floors, with pitched roofs) built directly next to each other, KfW55 standard, triple glazing. Garages will be built seamlessly between the houses. The houses are set back 5 meters (16 feet) from the street, which in some parts is heavily trafficked. Noise levels right at the street are typically high. The terrace is located directly behind the house, parallel to it, so there will be an uninterrupted row of houses and garages between the street and the garden.

My main question is: Will the noise on the terrace directly behind the house be noticeably lower or less disturbing? Or could noise be further reduced by adding side soundproof walls to create a U-shaped enclosure around the terrace? Behind the house and garden, there is a wide open field, so no buildings that could reflect sound back.

My purchase decision depends on this question, as everything else fits perfectly. According to the builder, noise inside the rooms will be minimal or not noticeable at all due to the very effective solid insulation.

Thanks in advance!

mm56789 schrieb:

My main question is: Will the noise directly behind the house on the terrace be significantly lower / much less disturbing?

Yes, it will be significantly lower.

Whether you find it acceptable, however, is very subjective. What kind of road is it, and what is the vehicle frequency? Typically, on weekends when you are sitting in the garden or in the evening during the week, the vehicle frequency is generally lower than during peak traffic hours.

Sounds good at first! It’s a local road with a 50 km/h (30 mph) speed limit, which might be reduced to 30 km/h (20 mph). A joint request from the neighbors is reportedly planned. Sometimes there are few cars, but other times 3-6 cars pass per minute. Yes, noise perception varies. Maybe you get used to it after a while.

mm56789 schrieb:

Sounds good at first! It’s a local road with a 50 km/h (30 mph) speed limit, which might be reduced to 30 km/h (20 mph). Neighbors are apparently organizing a joint request for this. Sometimes there are few cars, but other times 3–6 cars pass by per minute. Yes, noise perception varies. Maybe you get somewhat used to it over time.

What you’re describing is a completely normal, not heavily trafficked street. Have you ever lived in a city?

I also think you’ll get used to it well. Especially when you’re sitting in the backyard, it’s quite relaxing.

Check out https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/haus-direkt-wieder-verkaufen-vorfaelligkeitsentschaedigung.47930/ – how much someone finds this disturbing does not depend solely on objective criteria.

mm56789 schrieb:

Behind the house or garden there is an open field, so no buildings where sound could be reflected back.

Consider not only sound and its reflection but also its diffusion and absorption. A garden and a field serve as more effective acoustic elements than “soundproof” walls.

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So, does that mean if I plant some 2-meter (6.5 feet) tall trees all around the garden, the noise might be reduced somewhat?

My second question is, since the house is located 250 meters (820 feet) away from a highway, could fences or trees in the garden further reduce this noise (which is relatively low because the highway is 10 meters (33 feet) lower than the plot level)? Or does highway noise mainly travel through air particles/wind, or is it reflected by clouds?