Is peace possible in the house despite an unprotected railway crossing (honking)?

Is there good Schlager that isn't annoying? :eek:

the question is rather, is there GOOD Schlager :D?

I'll tell Wendler......he is a self-proclaimed composer and has written at least 20,000 Schlager songs. Compared to that, Mozart was rather a low performer.

I live about 2-3 km from the main train station. Depending on the wind, I hear the announcements. I always hear trains. When work was being done day and night on the tracks the year before last, there was a horn every 15 minutes. When I was inside, I heard it less with the windows closed. Outside it was already annoying. But it was also really often.

What bothers me more are other people. Loud talking under the window or in the neighbor’s garden in the middle of the night. Or the deep voice of my neighbor that pierces through bone and marrow. Or the lengthy farewell ceremonies at the neighbors with 100 door slams in the middle of the night. Or the car horn to announce oneself.

Everyone is different there. I would rather have the train than my two neighbors.

Is there any good Schlager that isn't annoying? :eek:

Good Schlager becomes at least danceable from 1 per mille upwards. Bad Schlager is just always bad.

There is also a difference depending on the noise source. So something that no one can do anything about anyway, like trains, highways, even airports, that is different from a neighbor who turns up their stereo with bad Schlager music at full volume at 2:00 AM.

My neighbors listen to Heavy Metal
Whether they want to or not ;)

We also have 150m straight line distance to the railway crossing here. The first time I consciously noticed the train was 2 days after moving in. When it honks because someone is still quickly crossing, you hear it, but it’s OK. The neighbors around are definitely more disturbing if they sit on the balcony at night.

Hi and thanks for your helpful answers.

And do trains actually run there at night or is it quiet from 10 pm anyway?

The last train is just before 1:00 am and the first train is at 5:00 am. Twice per hour. Only regional trains, which run slowly, no freight trains. There is no shaking. The sound of wheels on rails is not audible.

Where are the tracks located in relation to the property? Otherwise: go there, spend time.

The tracks are south of the property. There is another row of houses and at the edge of the construction site there are trees and shrubs in front. We have been there often. During the day I do not find the horn blowing bad. What I miss is understanding it at night behind walls. Trial overnight in the motorhome did not reassure me :) The metal wall dampens nothing of course and with such an unusual overnight stay the sleep is never really deep anyway.

or keep looking

Today/in my region, it takes good consideration to turn down a building plot. That’s why I’m asking here.

in a new development area you often have many children

That speaks in favor of a new development area for us. We have two children who mostly belong to the loud ones :) But then it is quiet in the evenings.

A massive heavy shell (lime sandstone, Poroton filled) helps and definitely windows/connections/roof etc. must all be designed accordingly. In total it should achieve at least 40db, better 50db.

Thanks for the specific information. I think if anything, I would build with a focus on sound insulation. Is there a roof shape that is advantageous for sound insulation?

In general, a new development area is not for you, too many children and years of construction noise. Here, some older residents have already packed up their tents again after 2-3 years. A new development area is no retirement home.

I’m young, with kids :) We had years of construction noise in front of the apartment. That does not scare me. However, I don’t know train horns and therefore cannot judge how annoying that is, especially at night.

Is it not comparable to church bells?

Probably similarly loud. Don’t church bells have to be silent or quiet at night? Where we live now, they don’t ring from 8 pm to 7 am. I find that fair.

If it bothers you now, it is very likely that it will bother you much more later.

You may be right. In the best case it is like with parquet, I was annoyed at every scratch in the beginning and at some point it didn’t matter in the everyday chaos.

What matters is how often and when the train passes by?

See this post a bit further above.

The OP should just take a day off and sit on his plot. Then he will see what goes by and how.

See this post a bit further above.

In the end, everyone has something. Sometimes it is the near/distant highway, the train, the fire department, a production company, a farm, poultry breeding, well-behaved children packs, dog barking, the annoying neighbor, kindergarten, school, sports field, church.

Yes, I will not get the absolutely perfect building plot in my time frame (before the kids start school) and financial possibilities. That’s why I try to weigh things up.

For me as someone not affected in this case, this reads more like a luxury problem, since I would not fear this so much or I could rather react allergically to another kind of environment or human behavior.

Thanks for clarifying. Honestly.

When I was inside, I heard it less with closed windows.

Did you install special sound insulation?