We live in an older farm house between the Slocan River and the highway. Traffic noise from the highway is terrible at times, especially when the chip trucks are traveling, which is most days of the week. Have you got any suggestions for noise control in our house that may limit this awful howling highway sound?

I have experienced first hand the noise of which you write. It’s not pleasant to live in the country and listen to the siren sounds more common to life on the banks of a freeway. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do that will decrease the amount of highway noise you experience. Here are a few tips.

Try planting a thick and tall privacy hedge of juniper, cedar or spruce trees. Of course the best species to select will be a tree that branches close to the ground, grows a thick mass of branches and reaches 20 to 30 feet high. Also, select a species that matures quickly so you aren’t waiting for years for the relief you seek. If you can, plant a double row of trees with spacings specified by a local arborist or garden nursery technician.

Of course, there will be a delay no matter how quickly these trees grow. So, in the interim, even if you have good quality thermo-pane windows, here is another recommendation that you will find an effective sound barrier. Contact a local window supplier who can build storm windows. Engage this company to construct exterior or interior mounted storm windows for at least each existing window that faces the highway. If you can afford to install storm windows on the adjacent sides and rear walls of your house, all the better. 

In my opinion, the best glazing for reducing the sound transmission is laminated glass. The “sandwiched” layer of shatter resistant plastic (similar to windshield glass) is very effective in diffusing unwanted noise, probably because the sounds are diffused before they can find their way through three plies of material (an outer glass,  plastic, and an inner glass). When ordering the windows, for a reasonable additional charge, you can choose a laminated glass with a solar reflective coating that will help keep your house cool in the summer and warmer throughout the cold season. If some of your original windows open for ventilation, the storms windows can also be installed with hinges and opening hardware so you won’t have to remove them to get the benefits of fresh outside air. You can also install glazed storm doors on your exterior entrance doors to complete your sound control project.       

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This article was written by Steven Cannon, a Registered Building Official and partner in Lynch Building Inspection Services Ltd. of Nelson, British Columbia. It originally appeared in The Nelson Express.

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