Three Ways to Use Landscaping to Reduce Noise Pollution
Can you engage the art of landscaping to keep noise pollution at bay? The answer is a qualified affirmative. The qualification arrives in the form of possibilities. In order to create some landscaped barriers to noise coming in from around the yard area in a way not diffused enough to create the level of comfort you seek, you may need more land. And as everybody knows, to the rich go the spoils of war. If your war is against unwanted noise and you aren’t rich in land, you can still do what you have with what you got. And that just may be more than you think.
Disguise the Noise
One method of reducing the distraction of noise you don’t like is to replace it with a more mellifluous noise you don’t mind as much. The introduction of an outdoor fountain system can produce a soothing bit of white noise that can succeed in drowning out the unpleasant cacophony of noise. Just how complex and sophisticated the fountain system you need will depend on budgetary restraints and the level of noise that is polluting your living area. In many cases, a simple waterfall will be enough to lull you into solitude since white noise has a funny way of drowning out sounds arriving from farther away.
Hedges
Growing a hedge is not just an effective landscaping device for keeping away unwanted noise, but you also get the additional benefit of great looks. A nice thick hedge situated between where the sound is coming from and where you are spending your quality time can do wonders to block the vibrations that are messing with your quality of life. Dense foliage in the form of shrubbery can be utilized for everything from building a wall against sound along the lines of your house to creating an aesthetically pleasing curved wall around a patio. Hedges made of Cherry laurel, Leyland cypress or medium-sized evergreen trees are all very effective.
Berm
When you are driving along the interstate, have you ever noticed a built-up mound of land protecting houses located nearby? A berm is the name given to a gently sloping mound of earth and the berm can be introduced into your landscaping design for purpose of lessening the impact of unwanted noise. If the topography of your home is such that you can build up a berm on the side adjacent to the incoming noise to create an upswept slope over a house that is downhill, then you can do wonders to stop incoming noise pollution. If your house is on an even keel, then you can build up the berm with soil and then add fencing as a baffle to offer added protection.
