Recently, I had problems with my neighbor who turned his backyard into a workshop. I confronted him about the loud noise, and he promised to keep it down, but the hammering, drilling and other noises coming from the workshop still disturbed me all day.
My wife was also annoyed with the noise, so the only option I had was to find a way to block it from reaching us. I’ve always loved DIY projects, so this wasn’t a terribly hard thing to do. To help you out, I’ll fill you in on a few proven methods you can use to block out the noise that’s coming from your neighbor’s yard.
How to Block Noise From Neighbors Yard
1. Soundproof the Windows
First, you’ll need to soundproof your windows, because they’re one area through which noise can enter your house. You might choose to completely block the windows, but this will stop any natural light from getting into your home.
The easiest and cheapest way to soundproof your windows, without blocking out all the light, is to use sealant. Like doors, windows often contain up to several gaps that let sound pass through. Once you find these gaps in each of your windows, you can use this popular, affordable adhesive sealant to close them off.
If you’re willing to spend a fair amount of money, you may also want to install double-pane windows. These windows have an extra layer of glass that helps reduce heat transmission and the amount of noise that passes through—by up to about 70 percent.
2. Soundproof the Door
Typically, doors in apartments and houses have a hollow core. Hollow doors are lightweight, and there are all kinds of ways for sound to get through them. If you have a hollow-core door, you’ll need to upgrade that door by adding some select soundproofing materials.
As with your windows, the first thing you should do is look closely at your door and find any gaps and cracks. You’ll probably notice that most of the cracks are located on the edge of the door. Once you’ve pinpointed them, you can seal them by using the Great Stuff insulating foam sealant. This is a water-resistant, airtight and paintable sealant that’s an ideal choice for filling and insulating gaps.
If you take a closer look at the bottom of your door when it’s closed, you’ll also notice a gap between the floor and the bottom of the door. To block off this sort of gap, we recommend installing a door sweep. A door sweep will be capable of blocking all the noise that normally passes through the gap whenever the door is closed.
3. Soundproof the Walls
If you have a shared wall with your noisy neighbor, then that’s most likely how the loud noise is getting to you.
One of the most common ways to soundproof a shared wall is by using acoustic foam panels. You mainly see these in recording studios, but they can be used in apartments and houses as well. They look expensive and difficult to install, but trust me, they’re not. In fact, acoustic foam is a great substitute if you don’t want to cover your walls with wallpaper.
To thicken your shared wall, you can add some drywall to it as well. Sound travels a more easily through thinner materials, so the best idea—when you need to block sound—is to add thickness. When installing the drywall, we advise that you add a layer of Green Glue between the drywall and the wall, since Green Glue is able to absorb impact noise.
If you don’t want to spend any money on soundproofing a shared wall, you can simply rearrange pieces of furniture inside your home. First of all, you’ll need to fill the room that contains your shared wall with more furniture, as this will prevent unwanted noise from bouncing off of the walls.
I recommend that you place bookshelves, couches, dressers and such in front of your shared wall, although you should keep in mind that this method won’t bring about dramatic results.
4. Stop Noise From Entering Your Yard
I love to relax in the yard with my wife and kids. But when my neighbor started making noise, early in the morning, my yard quickly came a place to avoid. However, if you’ve got a noisy neighbor, you can effectively block their noise from entering your yard in up to three different ways.
Soundproof Your Fence
I started off by soundproofing my existing fence. Instead of removing your fence, you can soundproof it by applying soundproofing materials to it while it’s standing. I recommend using Mass Loaded Vinyl for this project. You can easily cut the vinyl down to the required size with scissors or a knife, and nail or screw it to the fence.
Plant Some Trees
Planting trees around your yard can make a bit of a difference when it comes to blocking out your neighbor’s noise. Over the long term, trees can also help keep your yard cooler during the summer months.
Talk to Your Neighbor(s)
Talking to my neighbor didn’t help me very much, but your situation may be different. Sometimes your neighbors might not be aware that they’re making noise, and that it’s negatively affecting you. So before calling the cops or starting up any major soundproofing projects, it’s best if you confront them and try to resolve the problem first.
Conclusion
If you can’t solve your noise problem through a simple conversation with your loud neighbor(s), then it’s best to proceed with the steps I’ve listed above, so you can give yourself a noise-free environment. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference these methods can make!
For more information on soundproofing your home, you may want to visit my recent article about soundproofing a room to block out external noise.
image 1: Infrogmation of New Orleans; image 2: Pixabay