Soundproof/sound deadening tropical shrub?

[PalmWarbler]

Recent rule changes effecting the Florida railway system are making my pull my hair out. My wife and I purchased a home about 3/4 of a mile from the train crossing along the East coast of FL about 3 years ago. No issues with train noise at all.

 

About a year ago, the rail system installed much louder horns. Now they've implemented a ruling where they must blow the horn 4x at each intersection. There are 5 intersections within 2 miles of my house and you can imagine the noise. 24/7, 365 days a year. Tired of waking up at 2AM from train horns. While I wait for community action I need to install a shrub line on the back corner of my property to hopefully block some of the noise.

I'm thinking anything with thick/heavy/dense foliage that is moderate to fast growing and I would like to stay with the tropical theme, maybe a line of Clusia Rosea?

Anyone have a better idea?

[redbeard917]

http://www.floridata.com/Plants/Caprifoliaceae/Viburnum%20odoratissimum/256

These Viburnums are used often around here. They're very fast growing, dense, and also cheap. You can find them at every big box store garden center. According to the link they are used for noise control along highways.

[Rory]

A hedge of gracilis bamboo would significantly block out any noise once it filled in. They grow pretty fast once established, not sure if they'd be easy to find in your exact area though.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Plants can block the sun.  Plants can block the wind.  Plants cannot block noise.  What they can do is "camouflage" the noise though.  They might break up some of the sound just by physically absorbing sound waves but it is the leaves rustling and the branches creaking that might disguise the noise just a bit.

 

BTW, expect a great deal more noise when the FEC expands to 32 trains a day.

 

http://www.allaboardflorida.com/

[PalmWarbler]

V. odoratissimum was my 2nd choice. First choice for look, but I figured the denser leaf on Clusia Rosea would deaden the sound more... tossup. The area isn't a "seen" area of the yard though.

 

Jerry, I'm no scientist so I'm basing my opinion on gut feeling but I think anything I put up could block some of the sound waves and some choices would be better than others. I'm not expecting a 100% blockage, just trying to knock the DB down a bit. Do you think in general a thicker/denser material of any kind would likely block/absorb more of the sound waves than say a more sprightly plant?

And yes, unfortunately, I know more of this is coming my way and I'm trying to be pro-active. Not to get too policital about this, but that all aboard Florida is what happens when ex Disney executive who are still shareholders start making decisions for all of us. For example, my county (Martin) gets all of the negatives with that deal and not one positive. Plus we have to pay for updating all the crossings for them.

[Pando]

You may need to upgrade your windows to double/triple pane glass with good insulation, and keep your windows closed.

Human ear generally distinguishes sounds between 20Hz and 20kHz, which corresponds to wavelengths between 17 meters and 17 millimeters respectively. To block sounds of certain frequency you would need a structure that is capable of absorbing the energy of displaced air at that frequency. Generally you would need a structure with a thickness that exceeds 5x the wavelength of sound you are trying to block, and that object will need to be a sufficient weight. Low frequency sound displaces a lot more air, requiring a larger structure such as large heavy buildings, large hills, etc.. High-frequency sound is much easier to block.

This generally refers to direct sound waves however, but a train horn echoes all around the landscape. You can hear train horns even across thick pine forests, so it's very difficult to block that with just plants.

[PalmWarbler]

Honestly the window upgrade has been on my mind but if it gets to that point I think I'm going to go after FEC railroad. They changed the horn and the required # of toots after we bought this house and moved in and now we're in a position that it's waking us up throughout the night. Us and many thousands more I should add.

The window upgrade will do us nothing as the weather cools and our hopes of actually opening a window in the bedroom to enjoy the cool air are dashed. Looks like we'll be running the A/C 365 night/year now.

I took home 30 Clusia Rosea today and am hoping to get them planted on the property line tomorrow barring us getting rained out. They're 4' tall plants so it'll be a bit before they're thick/tall enough to make a difference (if, in fact, they will). Hoping for the best..

Pando, the info you posted is interesting and helpful however it leads me to believe I'm fighting a losing battle. At the very least I'll have a lush green backdrop in the back corner of my property and there are worse things in life than that.

Edited November 22, 2015 by PalmWarbler

[Loxahatchee Adam]

"Going to go after FEC railroad" isn't going to accomplish much of anything.  The tracks were built 100 years before you bought your house.  They were running many more trains historically than they do now (of course will increase in future with AAF and more freight). 

As Pando said, vegetation planting isn't going to do much.  The higher frequency noises will have been attenuated by the time they reach you.  If you lived near the tracks, planting would help with higher-pitched steel squeaks a lot.  The long range lower horn frequencies will travel right through most anything you plant.  Only radial distance will cut that down.  

 

Your best bet is to go to your County Commission meetings and encourage them to petition the FRA for funding to upgrade crossings by you. Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties will be a nearly continuous quiet zone.  Train horns will not be sounded at nearly any of the crossings, except for an emergency.   That road work, median building and funding is on the counties, not FEC.  But it does require their cooperation on gate arm upgrades when necessary. 

 

It it is a great reason to green up the yard though still

[PalmWarbler]

I hope I didn't come across as someone sue-happy by mentioning my disdain for the FEC. I couldn't be further from the sue-happy type. The issue isn't the train, the issue isn't the tracks nor my home's proximity - or lack thereof - to them.

We lived here ~2 years with no issues at all, no bothersome sound from the trains and very restful nights. The issue was when they recently installed the immensely louder horns - and starting using them multiple times at every crossing 24/7. The new horn is incredibly loud; a piercing noise - even from 3/4 of a mile away. I have one window in my bedroom completely filled in with sound board covered with dense rubber sound deadening material. It's no longer a window. That was the only way we could get a night's sleep.

Forget about opening a ANY windows come cooler weather.

For comparison, my neighbor has lived there since '54 and has never had an issue. That's 61 years there and never even thought about the train as it's 3/4 of a mile away. Now they are suffering the same as we are and they are in their late 80's.

So, the plants are just a wish and a prayer to help with the situation. And of course, an excuse to add more plants to the yard!

 

[Moose]

8 hours ago, PalmWarbler said:

I hope I didn't come across as someone sue-happy by mentioning my disdain for the FEC. I couldn't be further from the sue-happy type. The issue isn't the train, the issue isn't the tracks nor my home's proximity - or lack thereof - to them.

We lived here ~2 years with no issues at all, no bothersome sound from the trains and very restful nights. The issue was when they recently installed the immensely louder horns - and starting using them multiple times at every crossing 24/7. The new horn is incredibly loud; a piercing noise - even from 3/4 of a mile away. I have one window in my bedroom completely filled in with sound board covered with dense rubber sound deadening material. It's no longer a window. That was the only way we could get a night's sleep.

Forget about opening a ANY windows come cooler weather.

For comparison, my neighbor has lived there since '54 and has never had an issue. That's 61 years there and never even thought about the train as it's 3/4 of a mile away. Now they are suffering the same as we are and they are in their late 80's.

So, the plants are just a wish and a prayer to help with the situation. And of course, an excuse to add more plants to the yard!

 

Don't blame the FEC, most old institutions do not make changes readily unless compelled to do so. We can thank our Nation's law schools for churning out the problem makers.

[Sandy Loam]

I agree with whoever recommended installing double-pane windows. I have seen that make a massive difference in blocking out the sound of traffic.  However, I also love the look of clusia rosea/clusia guttifera.  (The one that is used for large, dense hedges in South Florida is clusia guttifera, isn't it?)

[cycadjungle]

That sound is coming from that direction, but it is also much higher than any 8 foot hedge you can plant. +1 on the textilis gracilis. Tight growing, culms aren't so huge they cause problems later on, and only 30 feet tall. I've landscaped well over 1000 houses, and I can tell you the bushes won't help very much.

Also +1 on the windows for the time you do keep the windows closed.

Tom

[PalmWarbler]

I might have found a better solution. 20 x 20 shed with a 12' side wall on that side of the yard. Backed up by the Clusia which is already in and doing well.

Hopefully that will block some noise..

Edited December 11, 2015 by PalmWarbler

[Kim]

Yes, and build the shed with concrete block to better deflect the sound.

I live under the general flight path of a major airport.  I'm not sure how the process came about, citizen action most likely, but some years back, the airport (or port authority?) paid to retrofit homes in a certain footprint beneath the flight path with double-pane windows.  My 1941 bungalow is not very stoutly built (single wall construction!) but the double-pane windows do indeed deaden the sound from overhead jets to a tolerable level and I can usually sleep through the rule-breaking late-night departures.