Ask Slashdot: Cost Effective Way To Soundproof My Home?

An anonymous reader writes: As more and more people live closer together in tightly packed subdivisions, the mental stress of noise becomes a serious issue. Noise nuisance complaints are on the rise, litigation increasing. We try to tune it out, yet the stress it causes is still present, and there's seemingly no way around it." Six months ago a new neighbor moved in next door who has two dogs, one of which barks incessantly with a high pitched yip that is driving my wife crazy and making it difficult for me to read or work on the computer. I've already talked to my neighbor and he will bring the dog inside but three days later it starts again. What is a cost effective technical solution to knock 10 or 20 dB off the exterior noise? soundproof windows, an interior acoustic blanket,a sound blocking fence, a sound absorbing fence, planting foliage or noise cancelling headphones, or something else. I'm sure I'm not the first slashdotter to have this problem. What has worked for you?

Comments

Get an anti bark device

[clifwlkr]

If it is for an annoying dog, just get one of the anti bark devices that look like a bird house first. There are several with good reviews on Amazon. They don't work on all dogs, but there often is success with them. It is worth a shot since they are only like 50 bucks, and soundproofing your home is going to cost a lot more.

Otherwise what I have found the most effective is outside vegetation around your property border. Gives you privacy from both sight and sound. Also pretty....

Good luck with that.

[Anonymous Coward]

Aside from the real estate market still being quite soft around the country, moving every time there's too much noise just isn't practical. It's expensive to move even with just getting help paid by pizza and beer.

And the thing is, no matter where you are, you have to deal with leaf blowers and other lawn equipment, motorcycles, people who insist on having car stereos that can be heard a mile away, people who have those loud pickup trucks and of course the dogs that were mentioned.

We live in a narcissistic obnoxious society that has no consideration for others.

Re:Overall sound-reducing strategy...

[dgatwood]

In other words, build a soundproof box around the dog.

Re:neighbor

[BronsCon]

Dogs bark when something is wrong, or when they perceive that something is wrong. Letting your dog keep barking for any length of time (I think 10 minutes is too long in this case) is animal abuse. Either the dog needs something, is afraid of something, or is trying to warn you of something; ignoring it and letting it keep barking is not the answer. So yes, calling the cops over ANIMAL ABUSE is perfectly reasonable and only a narcissistic asshole dog owner would argue otherwise.