When you live on a busy street, it can be difficult to relax without feeling constantly bombarded by the world on your doorstep. The sound of vehicles motoring by, the wandering eyes of passersby and the sense that your home isn't as secure as it should be are hardly a recipe for a peaceful family home.
Fortunately, with the right additions to your home's exterior, you can create a safe and secluded environment. Natural privacy screens such as hedges, trees, and bushes can help. However, if your driveway is open, or sealed off by a low gate that has a million small openings in it, the outside world will waltz right on in.
A house on a busy street requires a driveway gate that offers privacy, peace, and protection.
Driveway Gate Design Is Important
On a busy street, an open driveway invites noise, trespassers, door-to-door sales people, and prying eyes. More importantly, an open driveway provides an exit point for dogs and children, while also allowing would-be burglars an opportunity to get a good look at your home. Ideally, you need a driveway gate that removes the above risks while adding value to your property.
With that in mind, you should consider installing a driveway gate that is up to 3 metres in height, has no gaps through which sound waves can travel, and is made of a solid material such as timber. A horizontal wooden driveway gate, for example, would be ideal for a home that is on a busy street.
Driveway Gates Combat Noise Pollution
If the noise of nearby traffic is especially loud, a solid wooden driveway gate can help to deflect some of the noise. Dampening the racket caused by traffic doesn't just create a more peaceful environment. It also helps to protect you and your family from various health problems, such as tinnitus, sleep interruptio,n and even cognitive impairment in children.
According to a report released by the World Health Organisation in 2011, traffic noise pollution is second only to air pollution in terms of environmental health risks. Keep in mind, however, that your driveway gate may need some assistance when it comes to keeping traffic noise at bay. The following tips can help with this.
Additional Traffic Noise–Dampening Methods
You can further dampen traffic noise by installing a fountain in your front yard. Fountains create white noise. If you install a fountain near the area where the traffic noise is most severe, it can add an additional layer of noise reduction to go along with that of your driveway gate.
As was mentioned earlier, trees, leafy plants, and shrubs planted next to an existing fence can absorb some of the traffic noise. Additionally, you can even combine your driveway gate and fence with nature to give it the ability to refract, or disperse, sound waves. You can achieve this effect by adding a trellis to your driveway gate, upon which a climbing vine, such as wisteria, can grow.
A Driveway Gate Can Be Combined With Landscaping
With the privacy, security and noise reduction you gain from installing a driveway gate, you can better enjoy the comfort of your front yard. Hidden from wandering eyes, protected from the worst of the noise outside, and safe from intruders, you can relax on your porch while your pets or children play in your front yard.
Moreover, if at some point in the future, you decide you would like to sell your home, a well-designed and placed driveway gate could add a nice chunk to your property's value. Remember, however, as you plan for your driveway gate, to contact your local council to ask about their building codes. Some fences or gates may require a building permit.
Share13 February 2018
Our dogs are lots of fun and very energetic, but they also have a scary bark. It's great to make the house more secure, but I am always worried that they'll scare people just passing by the house, so we have a tall fence to keep the dogs in. It makes people feel better if they can't see the dogs, and it makes me feel better to know that the dogs are safe and secure in our yard. This blog is all about keeping your yard secure so that your dogs will be safe inside and don't make the neighbours feel nervous.