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  Richard@www.seasons-garden.co.uk April 3, 2010 at 5:56pm

  No idea how busy the road is or db levels, but I don't think a hedge will reduce the noise by any significant margin other than visually screen it of course.
  I was taught at college that you would need at least 50m dense planting to significantly reduce traffic noise. Not sure if that's spot on figure and I'm sure someone on LJN will know but I do remember it was a colossal amount of hedging.
  Other ways of dealing with traffic noise are to install features which themselves make noise as a more pleasant distraction, such as a water feature or even chimes.
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  ARTNOIRE April 3, 2010 at 6:20pm

  Thanks Richard - re other distraction noise. we are looking at installing a waterfall feature to do this so hopefully the combination of the two will reduce the noise. It's not a really busy road but the speed limit is 60 so sadly, cars do race past.
  
  Anne
  
  Richard said:

  No idea how busy the road is or db levels, but I don't think a hedge will reduce the noise by any significant margin other than visually screen it of course.
  I was taught at college that you would need at least 50m dense planting to significantly reduce traffic noise. Not sure if that's spot on figure and I'm sure someone on LJN will know but I do remember it was a colossal amount of hedging.
  Other ways of dealing with traffic noise are to install features which themselves make noise as a more pleasant distraction, such as a water feature or even chimes.
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  ARTNOIRE April 3, 2010 at 6:22pm

  Thanks for comments Steve. Will keep you posted on the final selection.
  
  Anne
  
  Steve Kenyon The Garden Company said:

  leylandi is a great noise reducer also 12 months of the year ! , to 2nd that a laural would be not as good but ok
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  Andy Thorne April 3, 2010 at 11:18pm

  Hi Anne
  I would 2nd what Richard says: No hedge will significantly reduce traffic noise.
  
  What you need is density (or a vacuum!). A good example would be a earthen berm. Like an inverted ditch to absorb the (mainly low frequency) sound from the traffic.
  Objects that are less dense, eg a plant will not absorb low frequency sound at all. A good thick, dense Leylandii hedge will absorb some mid to high frequencies, but not massively.
  
  Sorry there are no easy answers here - a 6' high brick wall would defo work better, but may not be the 'look' the customer's aiming for.
  
  Make sure that you don't promise ANY reducing in noise with a hedge!
  
  Andy, Sound nerd :o
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  Gareth April 4, 2010 at 7:32am

  Has anyone used thickets of bamboo to drown out traffic noise? A dense thicket of the taller varieties can produce a significant sound from their movement, sometimes enough to reduce the impact of traffic noise. Bamboo one side of an earthen berm!?