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?
Tolentino schrieb:
My point was to make the disturbance more objective in order to define the correction goal. You describe yourself as very sensitive and say that the music might not be that loud. But maybe it actually is very loud.
Then you would have more arguments when talking to the neighbor and wouldn’t criticize yourself so much.
In open spaces, sound usually dissipates quickly because there are no reflections. Yes, bass frequencies, being the most energetic waves, carry further, but at 10 meters (33 feet) I would actually say that at normal neighbor-friendly volume levels it shouldn’t be perceived as disturbing anymore, especially indoors. Maybe it’s not even 10 meters (33 feet)? It could be less, maybe around 5 meters (16 feet)?
Unfortunately, I can’t post links, but I can send you a video via message and you can tell me if you find it disturbing.
There is also a short-link service called “lmy” that uses https and has a .de domain, and if you know the code “V1Ljg” you can already listen to some nice neighbor music. 😀
Schimi17912 Jun 2021 11:34kati1337 schrieb:
I’m not sure if measuring a value would be useful for me besides the cost. ... Isn’t there also an app for smartphones? I have no idea if it’s any good.
haydee schrieb:
The question is how the bass is transmitted. A friend had problems with bass in his condominium from an apartment two floors below. Strangely, the bass was hardly noticeable in the apartment in between.Yes, bass behaves strangely. The phenomenon mentioned above is usually due to the bass wavelength. The lower the frequency, the longer the wavelength, which can cause it to peak unpleasantly in a completely different location. At unfavorable multiples of the wavelength, several amplitudes of the same phase build up (standing wave), which can be very annoying. If a "valley" meets a "peak," cancellation can occur, and then, oddly, you might hear nothing at all.
In the specific case, it could be that the neighbor standing next to the boombox doesn’t perceive it as loud and therefore turns up the bass, while you receive a much stronger bass load due to unfavorable reflections and a standing wave. In an open field, however, this is generally not so critical (fewer reflections).
kati1337 schrieb:
Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to post links, but I can send you a video via message, and you can tell me if you find it disturbing.But then we would all have to calibrate our setups, which is not very efficient. A reasonably accurate sound level meter costs around 100 EUR. Or maybe it can be rented somewhere? Just make sure it doesn’t only measure in dB(A) mode (which filters out bass), but also in dB(C) mode (full spectrum).
Schimi17919 Jun 2021 10:28Might also be interesting for the current question?
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/verkehrslaerm-reduzieren-durch-bauweise-und-schallschutzmauer.39467/
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/verkehrslaerm-reduzieren-durch-bauweise-und-schallschutzmauer.39467/
Schimi1791 schrieb:
Maybe relevant for the current question?
https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/verkehrslaerm-reduzieren-durch-bauweise-und-schallschutzmauer.39467/Thanks, I’ve read through it!In another forum, it is the pool’s water pump that constantly causes disturbance.
He managed the situation by nailing old military blankets (those felted blankets you can still find lying around in many public offices) behind his wooden privacy fence. On the outside, meaning on the neighbor’s side. According to him, this dampened the noise. However, the neighbor found it unattractive and tore it down. Maybe there is an idea here that you could explore?
He managed the situation by nailing old military blankets (those felted blankets you can still find lying around in many public offices) behind his wooden privacy fence. On the outside, meaning on the neighbor’s side. According to him, this dampened the noise. However, the neighbor found it unattractive and tore it down. Maybe there is an idea here that you could explore?