Noise reduction fence

[Dougryan]

Hi,
I have an A/C unit next to my house and near a patio area. It's annoying to hear the unit kick on while out there trying to have a conversation...
Oh, the problems I have

Anyway, I'd like to build a barrier to block some of the noise. Here's what I'm thinking.

Three 4x4x8 posts three to four feet into the ground spaced 4' apart.
Then weave 5/4" x 6" deck boards into the posts to create a 8' long 'basket weave' fence panel that would be about 4 feet tall.

The primary goal is to block the sound, but I also want it to look nice.

Thoughts?
Thanks,
Doug

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Hi,
I have an A/C unit next to my house and near a patio area. It's annoying to hear the unit kick on while out there trying to have a conversation...
Oh, the problems I have

Anyway, I'd like to build a barrier to block some of the noise. Here's what I'm thinking.

Three 4x4x8 posts three to four feet into the ground spaced 4' apart.
Then weave 5/4" x 6" deck boards into the posts to create a 8' long 'basket weave' fence panel that would be about 4 feet tall.

The primary goal is to block the sound, but I also want it to look nice.

Thoughts?
Thanks,
Doug

Block Your Backyard Noise With a Noise Reduction Fence | Acoustical Solutions

 

[s219]

Wood by itself won’t help much, would need to be something soft with damping. Like the link posted above.

 

[skipperbrown]

If you go with your original design, you will need some wide stringers to keep your fence from sagging as it will be heavy.

 

[EddieWalker]

My AC condenser sits beside my back porch and it makes a lot of noise when it kicks on. I'm in the process of making my porch a lot bigger and to cut down on the noise, I built a 3 foot tall wall between the porch and the AC condenser. It's only on one side and the difference has been HUGE!!! So far it's simple 2x4 framing with OSB on the sides. A couple weeks ago I poured more concrete to extend the 3 foot tall wall out and away from the porch so it's on two sides of the condenser. My house is on the other side, and there is nothing on the side farthest away from the porch so its still easy to get to. The wall is about a foot away from the condenser on all sides so there is still good air flow, and there is nothing above it. Just a short wall on the sides. Eventually it will be covered in Hardie Lap Siding and painted to match my house. The goal wasn't to make it perfectly quiet, just to reduce the noise level significantly. It worked better then I had hoped for!!!

 

[Lelandwelds]

Block Your Backyard Noise With a Noise Reduction Fence | Acoustical Solutions

Wood by itself won’t help much, would need to be something soft with damping. Like the link posted above.

Soft stuff works well for some frequencies of reflected sound. (Mostly upper.) A slightly different approach is to put something sticky/soft on the vibrating wall/plate. (Asphalt. Rubber. Green Glue.) Mass works better. (Concrete. Masonry. Lead. Layers of sheetrock. )

 

[ruffdog]

Does the compressor have the sound deadener blanket attached? Those help some.

 

[cdaigle430]

Green Giants work for me

 

[dodge man]

We actually had ours moved, and it didn't cost that much, but I don't remember how much.

 

[dadster4]

As a former HVAC tech, try to keep at least 2'-3' clear around the condensing unit, it provides better air movement and access for servicing the unit. You will find that sides that have a wall nearby get dirtier faster, but are more difficult to clean.