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#1
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Terribly annoying road noise
I made the mistake of buying a new duplex just 30 feet away from a road
where vehicles routinely pass by at 40+ mph every few minutes. I did check the noise level before buying the house but my test case only consisted of one car passing by at 25 mph. Plus the AC was on which significantly damped out the sound ;-( I spoked to some neighbours and they do not seem bothered by noise. I suppose to each their own. I was hoping it bothered them too so we could request the condo association to put up some kind of fence. I did a google search and it seems I can reduce noise quite a lot by doing some window "treatment". I have read about all sorts of things from triple pane windows to interior windows to window plugs. My question is there something really cheap I can build from materials at Home Depot to see if this has potential? I thought I could buy some half-inch plywood sheet, place it in the window frame and seal it with old clothes. What do you think? Thx! |
#2
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#4
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John A. Weeks III wrote:
wrote: I made the mistake of buying a new duplex just 30 feet away from a road where vehicles routinely pass by at 40+ mph every few minutes. I did check the noise level before buying the house but my test case only consisted of one car passing by at 25 mph. Plus the AC was on which significantly damped out the sound ;-( I lived a number of years in a house that 72 feet from US-51 freeway, which may soon be Interstate 39. I've noticed a number of new homes being built here immediately adjacent to an interstate highway. Not by the exit, mind you, but in between two exits and RIGHT UP against the highway. So close that you can see the expressions on the kid's faces as they jump in their pool. These are nice homes - in a typical residential development they might cost $250K or so. Why do people build right up against the highway when there is so much other land available? Are land values on the highway so much lower than they are 'inland', or is it some kind of fascination with the traffic or highway itself? |
#5
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"Travis Jordan" wrote:
Why do people build right up against the highway when there is so much other land available? Are land values on the highway so much lower than they are 'inland', or is it some kind of fascination with the traffic or highway itself? As with many major purchases, its a question of balancing a number of factors. While I wouldn't buy within a couple of miles of an interstate or major highway, some people feel access to a particular school district, distance to work, distance to shops, potential for equity growth, etc are all more important. |
#6
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#7
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I agree, white noise with a fan and/or furnace help a lot. I think that
will only be the best solution. Modifying the window just costs too much with questionable benefits. I am never going to buy a property close to a road ever again! |
#8
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The odd thing is the houses near the road are priced the same as those
away from the road in the same subdivision. You would think they would be lower priced to reflect their less desirable location. When I asked my neighbours about the road noise they responded as though they had never thought about it till I brought it up. I suppose the majority are not concerned with it, while a minority are. Just my observations. |
#9
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#10
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On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 12:47:03 GMT, someone wrote:
Why do people build right up against the highway when there is so much other land available? Because in many areas, there is NOT so much land available - that is within a reasonable commute, in a good school district, in a low crime area, reasonably priced, etc. Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file. |
#11
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On 30 Jan 2005 22:46:17 -0800, someone wrote:
If you live where it is quiet, the smallest noise will annoy you. If you live where it is noisy, you won't even notice. Now I live in a rural area now, 400 feet back for a lightly traveled dirt road. If I listen real hard, on a quiet night I can hear the interstate about 2 miles away. However, the wind and the wildlife keep some city visitors awake. I used to live on a 4-lane U.S. route. I also lived in a major city with the trolley line going by on its rails. When in the city, the interstate was actually much closer as the crow flies, but I never heard it, far to much closer noise masked it. If you don't get used to it soon, move. Where and under what circumstances did you live before that there was "no" noise? Sometimes what bothers people is a "different" noise, not "more" noise. Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file. |
#12
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v wrote:
Because in many areas, there is NOT so much land available - that is within a reasonable commute, in a good school district, in a low crime area, reasonably priced, etc. That I understand. But the homes I'm curious about are built directly on the highway in the middle of large, undeveloped areas where much of the adjacent property is still for sale. |
#13
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"Travis Jordan" wrote in message ... v wrote: Because in many areas, there is NOT so much land available - that is within a reasonable commute, in a good school district, in a low crime area, reasonably priced, etc. That I understand. But the homes I'm curious about are built directly on the highway in the middle of large, undeveloped areas where much of the adjacent property is still for sale. because the land is cheap, really cheap, and there is more profit to be had by the builder. there may not be roads to the other land, which the builder would have to put in. it always comes down to money. |
#14
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Andy Hill wrote: First, how long have you lived there? I once rented an apartment that was about that distance from a major highway. It took me well under a month to get used to the noise level (and, having come from pretty rural area, it *did* take some getting used to). Soothing background noise, if you choose to look at it that way. If you've been there more than a couple of months and still haven't adapted, I have a feeling it's going to be cheaper to take your losses, sell, and move elsewhere than to try to retrofit the condo. You have some good points. I guess there is noise everywhere. So rather than move where there isn't noise, focus on trying to minimize what reaches your ear by white noise and perhaps sound proofing windows. Thx! |
#15
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On Tue, 01 Feb 2005 18:06:40 GMT, someone wrote:
That I understand. But the homes I'm curious about are built directly on the highway in the middle of large, undeveloped areas where much of the adjacent property is still for sale. Okay, yeah, that's a Q. Would be interesting to find out how much (if any) less $ the homes go for. One thing to consider - where do the buyers come from - if they are city people buying their first suburban home, a coupla thousand bucks may make a big difference to them, AND it may not occur to them that it is noisy when compared to where they already lived. Not everyone EXPECTS "quiet" as a criteria in a new house. There are some people around the corner from me, whose house is an old mill only a few feet from the state highway. They are owners, they are educated people, they are not hurting for money. They did tell me that they were certainly not going to buy a house where they might have trouble getting out to the road in the winter (some nights you can't get up the hill I live on without 4WD). Apparently the trucks whizzing by don't bother them, and perhaps they think that I am nuts for building in such an inaccessible palce. -v. Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file. |
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