Berm considerations
- Thread starter jmfox
- Start date
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
Sounds like an expensive way to cut down on noise. Is that why you are building it?
Have you considered a fast growing evergreen tree like Thuja?
If it's for noise, it will have to be taller then the place you hear the noise. Berms and sound walls work pretty good when below them, but the sound keeps going and it will drop down futher out just as loud. If it's not tall enough, you might actually make it worse!!!
Eddie
Have you considered a fast growing evergreen tree like Thuja?
If it's for noise, it will have to be taller then the place you hear the noise. Berms and sound walls work pretty good when below them, but the sound keeps going and it will drop down futher out just as loud. If it's not tall enough, you might actually make it worse!!!
Eddie
schmism
Super Member
how high the wall/berm has to be is relative to how far away from it YOUR going to be.
expensive is relative. all you need is someone in the area digging a new pond and looking to get rid of cut. (as in cut/fill)
expensive is relative. all you need is someone in the area digging a new pond and looking to get rid of cut. (as in cut/fill)
Blagadan
Gold Member
..../\
.../..\
../....\Pines
.....|....^
.....|.../..\ 4' Berm
Creative use of the keyboard there jm.....
.../..\
../....\Pines
.....|....^
.....|.../..\ 4' Berm
Creative use of the keyboard there jm.....
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
Since it's a visual thing, cost will be your biggest factor. Where will the dirt come from and what type is available. Clay does real well at holding itself together in the rain, loam will rut out on you fairly quckly. If you want to plant trees on top of it, you will have to make it wide enough on top so that the trees can establish a strong enough root ball to support themselves when mature. If you are planting the trees behind it, you need to decide if it's something you want to maintain by mowing it. A 3:12 pitch, as in a house roof angle, is pretty steep for side hill mowing, but doable. When you get steeper then that, it gets dangerous, but I don't know what the limit is. You might be fine with a 4:12 pitch, but I think that would be the max.
If you just want to let it go native, and you have clay soils, you can make it just about as steep as you want it. If compacted, the clay will hold up pretty good.
Schmism has a good point about free dirt. If you have anybody doing dirt work in the area, all you need is a sign saying you want "clean fill dirt" and another sign showing where you want them to dump it. I'm always amazed at how a sign will show up and then the dirt will start getting dumped there.
If you are bringing it in yourself, or digging it from another location, distance and the size of your equipment will be the decideing factor. 500 feet is a very long way to build anything!!!
Have you seen a berm that you thought was attractive? The ones I've come across look like berms. Nothing that I'd want to use myself, but for sound, they do a good job. Look up Thuja Trees, I think you might be suprised at what you can buy and plant that will give you a very nice screen.
Eddie
If you just want to let it go native, and you have clay soils, you can make it just about as steep as you want it. If compacted, the clay will hold up pretty good.
Schmism has a good point about free dirt. If you have anybody doing dirt work in the area, all you need is a sign saying you want "clean fill dirt" and another sign showing where you want them to dump it. I'm always amazed at how a sign will show up and then the dirt will start getting dumped there.
If you are bringing it in yourself, or digging it from another location, distance and the size of your equipment will be the decideing factor. 500 feet is a very long way to build anything!!!
Have you seen a berm that you thought was attractive? The ones I've come across look like berms. Nothing that I'd want to use myself, but for sound, they do a good job. Look up Thuja Trees, I think you might be suprised at what you can buy and plant that will give you a very nice screen.
Eddie
tlbuser
Veteran Member
jmfox said:
Maybe plant another line of something like burning bush, red tipped photinia, boxwood or azaleas to add color and privacy. For the berm, you'll have two main issues to deal with after construction - erosion and mowing.
ampsucker
Platinum Member
around here, berms are mostly used to divert rain runoff.
if i was looking for a visual barrier, i think i'd look real close at a natural hedge row of plants that grow the proper height to hide what you don't wan't seen.
if i was looking for a visual barrier, i think i'd look real close at a natural hedge row of plants that grow the proper height to hide what you don't wan't seen.
AndyMA
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You could easily drop 500 yards of material into a berm that long. At $10/ yeard that's about $5000 for material. I suppose depending on your location you could use some large bolders to fill the center of the berm.
Andy
Andy
My property is hilly and dirt is abundant, the one thing that does concern me is maintenance. I like to use what I have, so ornamentals are not an option. I considered another row of pines, but I need cover right away and pines take some time to fill out the space. I'm hoping the berm along with the existing pines will provide a visual barrier for my 600 foot entrance, but I'm still open to suggestions. Pines (I have plenty) are still an option.
jmf
jmf