Who Might Need a Sound Barrier Fence?

Even in the most private neighborhoods, noises can come from all over. Sometimes even from yourself!

• Traffic and Road Noise
• Cookouts and Parties
• Construction
• Pickleball Noise Reduction
• Power Tools and Lawn Equipment
• HVAC Units
• Pool Pump Soundproofing

Choose the right Fence For Noise Reduction - What Fence Materials Work Best

If you are planning to build a new fence for your home, you should consider the type of material you use. Generally speaking, heavier or denser materials block out more sound and are better for street noise reduction. This is why materials like wood and brick will perform better from the start than a chain link fence. But to get the best fence for noise reduction in your yard, you'll need to add additional soundproofing materials. In this article we'll go over the pros and cons as well as price and other factors of these types of fences:

• • • Brick
    • Wood
    • Metal
    • Natural
    • Chain Link

Before constructing a fence be sure to check your local regulations and HOA guidelines. Depending on the size of your property, the type of material, and the perimeter you’re constructing, the job can be very complex and it may be necessary to seek the help of a contractor.

Most of our customers opt to construct a wooden fence or chain link fence. Wood is accessible, fairly easy to install, and looks great. Chain link fences are cheap and easy to build, and great support for an exterior-rated soundproof blanket. There are a few steps to building an effective soundproof fence in your yard. Building the fence itself is the first step, making sure it is tall enough and close enough to the noise source to make a difference, then comes deciding on the right soundproof material and installing those materials. Here are the numbered steps we recommend.

How to Build Residential Sound Barrier Fence

1. Build the fence structure (height and placement are important!)
2. Selecting fence soundproofing material (typically sound blankets or mass loaded vinyl)
3. Install materials without any gaps

Step One: Building the fence Structure

You should check out our section in this article on principles to building a fence for soundproofing for some more in-depth recommendations on building a fence properly. The main points are to be sure that you’re building it high enough to break your line of sight from the source of the noise, and place your fence either close to the source of the noise, or close to where you’ll be hanging out. Try to create a single uninterrupted perimeter, every break or gap compromises the effectiveness of your soundproof fence.

Step Two: Selecting the right soundproofing material

If you’re building your own fence, you'll get the best results if you combine the fence with Quiet Quilt Soundproof Blankets. These sound blankets can be used with wood fences, chain link fences, or any other structure where it can be hung. The fence should be at least 8 feet tall, as close to the noise source as possible, and have no gaps. They're frequently used on construction sites, in event spaces, and around industrial rigs.

Another option for fences is mass loaded vinyl. It’s best to incorporate mass loaded vinyl sound barrier during the initial construction, ideally nailed or screwed in between your fence panels. Mass loaded vinyl works so well for fences, because it’s cost-effective, thin relative to its density, and very durable for outdoor use.

Heavy and dense fencing made with brick or concrete shouldn’t require additional soundproofing if constructed correctly, but they can benefit from an absorptive facing like a Quiet Quilt acoustic blanket or BlocknZorbe sound panel, which are a great mass loaded vinyl alternative.

Step Three: Install Materials without gaps

We often say sound performs like water, and your fence is the walls of the pool. If you have a hole that sound can go through, then all the sound is going to start flowing through those weak points. That’s why you want to make sure you get enough material for your full fence build, even overlapping the edges of the blankets or mass loaded vinyl you are using to ensure you are getting 100% coverage.

• Option 1 - 2" Charcoal BlocknZorbe panels: These sound panels are rated to both block AND absorb sound (STC and NRC), so it's a 2-for-1 addition. The charcoal version of BlocknZorbe is UV stable and will outlive you at your house.
• Option 2 - Quiet Quilt Outdoor Acoustic Blanket: These acoustic blankets are extremely absorptive and built for long-lasting outdoor use. Often used on construction sites in combination with a wood fence to reduce sound reflected and sound transmission through the fence.

If your fence has gaps in it, you can nail or staple mass loaded vinyl to back 100% of the structure to fill those gaps and add density. Be sure to overlap the material and seal the seams to protect from gaps where noise can get through. If you can't close up the gaps, you're looking at building a new fence.

How To soundproof a Wooden fence?

The best way to turn your wooden fence into a soundproof fence is to add a soundproof barrier, most commonly we recommend mass loaded vinyl, which comes in rolls and is great for blocking noise. Addiontally, by adding sound absorption to your fence as well as sound blocking material will give you even more noise reduction.

BRick

Metal

Natural

Chain Link

There are a couple key concepts when it comes to fence soundproofing. The first is the acoustical line of site. If you can see the source of the noise, you’re not blocking it. The second is the diffracted path, which is the path the sound wave takes after encountering an obstacle. A bigger angle of diffraction makes a better noise barrier. Sometimes it’s easiest just to see a picture:

When constructing your fence, there are a few easy tips to keep in mind to create the most effective sound barriers.

Key #1: Fence Height

As a rule of thumb, if you can see it, you can hear it. Now because sound waves don’t travel in a straight line, if you can’t see it, sometimes you can still hear it, but step one in soundproofing is removing the line of sight to the source of the noise. The higher you go, the easier it is to keep sound out.

People often overlook the importance of fence height for creating an exterior sound barrier. As a general rule, once the barrier breaks line-of-site with the noise source, you’ll get a 5 dB noise reduction. And then you’ll add an additional 0.5 dB of noise reduction for each foot above the line of site. For your typical street, you should be thinking about a barrier to be at least 8 feet high to even start to block out traffic noise, and the higher the better. Be sure to double check your local regulations as they often include a fence height restriction.

Key #2: Fence Placement

You may think that where you build your fence doesn’t make a difference, after all, a barrier is a barrier. But actually, by placing your sound barrier as close to the noise source as you can, the soundproofing can prove far more effective. Alternatively, you can also place the barrier as close as possible to where you hang out, to keep that area quieter. Both of these strategies take the most advantage of the line of site rule.

The diagram shows how height and placement of your fence can drastically change how well it keeps out noise. Think of noise as smelly leftovers in the back of your fridge. You can either seal the leftovers in Tupperware (blocking the source) or cover your nose (blocking the receiver), both are effective at stopping the smell. What wouldn’t be helpful is putting the open leftovers behind a kitchen cabinet...trust me.

Key #3: Fence Density

As you saw from our earlier breakdown of fence materials, the denser something is the better it is at blocking noise. As described in the Mass Law Curve, increasing density results in a higher STC rating (and more sound blocked). So the heavier your barrier it is, the more soundproof it will be. Keep that in mind when choosing your fence materials.

Key #4: Fence Construction

Sound moves like water (or smells), as it can move through the smallest of gaps. For the best sound blocking, you want as airtight of a barrier as possible. This means NO GAPS. Ensure your fence goes all the way to the ground. It works just like wall soundproofing. If you can fully seal up your barrier, it will make a world of difference in decreasing the outside noise you hear.

The other key for construction is length. Very short barriers can have what’s called end diffraction. Which just means the noise is going around your barrier. A general rule is that a fence should 4 times as long as the distance between the barrier and the source OR the barrier and the receiver.

Pro Tip

If you have two barriers facing each other (for example on either side of a highway), cover them with sound absorbing materials or tilt them. A vertical, sound-reflective barrier on opposite sides of a road can be more than 10 dB more effective if you treat it with sound absorbing materials.

Fence Soundproofing Around HVAC Units, Pool Pumps, and Other

If you have some stationary machinery on your property that generates a lot of noise, you can create a soundproof fence enclosure much the same way you would create a soundproof fence. Using the instructions above, build a barrier around the noise source, placing it as close to the structure as possible while still leaving enough room for maintenance and access. This is extremely effective around HVAC units, pool pumps, or as a soundproof generator box.

If you're barrier is going to be open on the top, just be sure to build your barrier 50% higher than the structure itself to effectively block the noise.

Finish Up with some Decorating

If you’ve ever been inside an empty house with no furniture or decor, you know how sound can carry, echo, and reverberate inside blank walls. Similarly, a fence alone, although great at sound blocking, can be improved with a few extras.

The additions of trees, shrubbery, gardens, and other landscaping and lawn decor can help absorb and deflect sound to help your patio hangouts feel more private. You can place items on either side of the fence to help with sound blocking as well.

In addition you can create “white noise” to mask the less desirable noises from the outside world. Consider things like water features or wind chimes that are pleasant to the ear. I’ll take a babbling fountain over the noise of highway trucks any day.

There’s something serene about hanging out in our own backyard, listening to the wind whistling and the birds chirping. But that serenity can quickly be interrupted by the sounds of traffic and neighbors yelling. Although it’s impossible to keep out all unwanted noise, with some careful planning and a bit of time, you can create an effective sound barrier for your humble abode and make your backyard your favorite room in the house. If you have more backyard soundproofing projects, then you should check out our soundproof shed article!

Second Skin prides itself on offering this best quality products for any home or automotive soundproofing project. Take a look at our full line and feel free to call us any time you have a project where you'd like some help!