Good soundproofing elements near the property boundary - recommendations?

I have such a 'problem' with the ticking of clocks. I can hardly stay in rooms where I hear a clock ticking, even subliminally. And my hearing is certainly by no means very good. It even got to the point where I couldn’t fall asleep at night because I heard ticking from somewhere. Eventually I found a ticking wristwatch in the jewelry box in my wife’s closet...

I can relate to that well. It also shows what different things somehow trigger different people. I find my perception so special that I am considering mentioning it to my family doctor to see if I somehow have a problem with my head.

Then you can honestly only advise to address the issue very politely. Building some kind of soundproof wall to the neighbor can come across as quite passive-aggressive under certain circumstances. At least as a neighbor, I would feel pretty stupid about it.

I would also make googly eyes and judge it negatively. It’s like "we don’t want to see you, smell you, hear you, or anything else." It can also get you down. But probably they lack this sensitivity :cool:

We aren’t communication dummies; of course, we have already talked to them. I also spoke to them personally about the privacy fence beforehand, and regarding the noise issue, I am still a bit clueless; I first have to find a solution that can be presented, and then we'll discuss it with them personally. I find that better than via WhatsApp; that is so impersonal.

And what if you ask the neighbors to reposition the source of the noise? Would it be possible for the neighbors to shield the bass with a small back wall? Paragraph 17 of the Regulatory Offenses Act: ‘(1) Whoever causes noise without justified cause or to an impermissible or avoidable extent under the circumstances, which is suitable to considerably disturb the public or the neighborhood or to harm the health of another, commits an administrative offense.’ The guideline value is about 40 dB. At least in apartments.

I don’t know those paragraphs so well; I think the neighbors aren’t really the types to care about paragraphs either. I casually mentioned once that the neighbors on our other side fenced us in (of course agreed upon) and paid half the costs although we had the obligation to do so, and they said they don’t even know exactly what the legal text says. :D

I can understand your aversion to involuntarily switched-on music very well. The first question with soundproofing is: what bothers you the most? Mass helps against low frequencies. Since these frequencies spread spherically, a heavy wall provides only slight protection – the sound also passes over it. Look at sound barriers on highways – what they can and cannot do. The effect against bass in the neighbor’s garden is minor. At higher frequencies, the spread is more directional. Here you can either absorb (dampen) the energy or scatter it. A dense hedge is enough for that. From what I read of your attitude here, I think a combination of measures (I wouldn’t try bass as an effective wall would have to be too high) and conversation/arrangement is effective. Turning down the bass a bit and switching off loudness is cheaper and more effective than a wall. In case of emergency, investing in good noise-cancelling headphones is definitely worth it. You won’t communicate with others as much, but you’ll probably have better control over the program. I had the same challenge in our former townhouse estate. I got annoyed when neighbors played the boombox on the terrace without being there themselves. That was a habit, no bad intention, and could be easily minimized in a conversation over the fence. Good luck, Max

It’s actually almost exclusively the low frequencies. Those are also the ones I hear in the living room. The other day "Blinding Lights" came on, I actually love the song, but not when I only hear the bass line through the wall. ;) And even my favorite song can get on my nerves if I hear it involuntarily when I don’t want to listen to music at all. I don’t expect the measures to reduce the problem to zero. Unfortunately, it’s hard for me to develop tolerance unless I can at least mitigate it. Therefore, I am considering which measure makes the most sense to get the thumping somewhat under control. It will get better over the years anyway as both gardens grow in more. It’s also a new development problem. But I think sitting on the veranda with guests, I would have found the level extremely disturbing. But it was Father’s Day after all, and we’re in Northern Germany, and here there’s a lot with beer and such. ;) Edit: The neighbors also mentioned that they will eventually get a side wall on their veranda towards us, mainly to prevent drafts, which should already slow down the problem. If we do something on our side, it should be manageable in the long run.

I thought of gabions while on the way. These have both mass and a diffusely reflective surface and absorb sound better than masonry. I find them quite bulky and would let them be overgrown.

I thought of gabions on the way. These have both mass and a diffusely reflective surface and absorb sound better than masonry. I find them quite bulky and would let them be overgrown.

There are also very narrow gabion walls, with support elements. [ATTACH alt="Azaun.JPG" type="full"]61476[/ATTACH]