Road Traffic Noise Strategy

Install a Wall

• If your home is within 300 feet of the source of local traffic noise, install a noise barrier to block out a considerable amount of traffic noise, according to TrafficNoise.org. If it is farther than 300 feet, the barrier will not likely make much difference.

  Use solid material such as concrete with no openings and no gate. Place the wall or an earthen berm in the direct line of sight from where the noise comes from. A 6-foot-high barrier will likely reduce noise from cars, but if there is heavy truck traffic on your road, then you will need a higher barrier. Think of where the exhaust lets out on a semi truck to determine the height you need.

  The U.S. Department of Transportation doles out federal aid to state-level transportation departments for building noise barriers. Find out if there is any aid available for your area by speaking to someone at the state DOT offices. If they do not know you need the work done, they will obviously not help you.

Isolation Quality

• Ensure that your home has good sound isolation quality. The weakest points in the house typically let in the most sound from outside. Often this is from the windows, according to TrafficNoise.org.

  Windows are labeled with a sound transmission rating (STC) that indicates how much sound will get through to the house. Typical single-pane windows have a rating of 22 to 25, while double-paned glass is rated 27 to 32. Replace your windows with higher STC-rated glass to reduce noise. If this proves to be too expensive, then look into purchasing window inserts that fit onto the inside of windows to reduce the penetration of noise.

Sound Masking

• If you can’t beat ‘em--join ‘em. That’s the theory behind sound masking. One way of reducing the annoyances of traffic noise is to mask it using other noises, according to TrafficNoise.org.

  Some people consider this method simply adding more noise to a noisy situation, but sometimes the right noises will make the irregular traffic noises seem nonexistent.

  Try installing a water feature in the home or outside windows. Run ceiling fans or purchase a noise machine that makes soothing sounds fill the home. There are even white-noise makers that make a nondescript constant noise that will drown out distant noise such as traffic in many cases without you ever noticing.

Get Involved

• In serious nuisance situations, go through your local county or city government to get something done about controlling the source of the noise.

  Starting a petition to lower speed limits, prohibit the use of trucks on your street or resurface the road with rubberized asphalt or some other quiet pavement option may prove to be beneficial to you and your neighbors in the long run.