Monthly Archives2017 May

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Sometimes life just doesn’t work out how you would like it to. While automotive road service companies have been popular over the past 20 years, the times are changing and as everyone keeps looking for way to save money, one of the ways in which they are doing is by canceling those policies with popular roadside service companies. Of course, even if you are a member of one of those two companies you may get stuck with a flat tire on a remote road with no phone. Given the typical way in which things work, as soon as you get stuck with a flat all of the traffic disappears and nobody is around leaving you to change the tire by yourself. So here is a quick rundown on the 6 steps involved in changing a tire.

Step 1: Secure the vehicle so that it won’t roll away from you or over you and loosen the lug nuts or bolts of the wheel that you need to remove. Do not remove the nuts or bolts at this time.

Step 2: Jack up the vehicle in a safe manner and use jack stands to support the vehicle.

Step 3: Remove the lug nuts or bolts and remove the old wheel and tire.

Step 4: Center the new wheel or tire on the car and install the lug nuts or bolts.

Step 5: Remove jack stands if present and lower the vehicle.

Step 6: Ensure tightness of lug nuts and bolts, and then enjoy a drive on your new tire.

Remember, blocking the tires is an important safety step not to miss. Also, jack stands can help prevent injury to yourself or damage to the car in the event that the jack itself begins to collapse. Both of those elements are critical in ensuring that you can change your tire as safely as possible.

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Source by Sean J Williams

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In the world of four wheel driving, most people know about winches and snatch straps. They are very different in many ways (including the price) but will achieve very similar outcomes. A Snatch Strap is basically a long strap with some elasticity in it, allowing the strap to stretch up to 20% of its length. The idea behind these is simple – when a four wheel drive is stuck, you attach the strap to rated recovery points on both vehicles and one vehicle pulls the other out. The advantage of a strap that can stretch is that you can get a run up and when the strap takes up it will stretch and the energy is slowly applied to the stuck vehicle. If you did it with a rope that didn’t stretch, it would either snap or it would put some serious shock onto both vehicles.

Snatch straps are great for recovering in sand, mud, snow and even rocks. In many cases you only need a small tug anyway, so the stretch is not needed. However, in some cases having the ability to get a bit of extra momentum is needed. These start off at around $40 and are well worth having in your vehicle. The only downside though, is that you need two cars to use them!

Winches on the other hand, are a bit more versatile. They can be attached to another vehicle or tree, meaning you can usually get out even when you don’t have another vehicle around. If there is no trees, you can bury a spare tyre and winch off that. Winches have a number of advantages over snatch straps, but the main one is that they are slower and more controlled. Rather than having to build up a considerable amount of kinetic energy, you can slowly pull a vehicle out. This is very advantageous when you are four wheel driving on rocks. If you give a sudden tug to a vehicle on rocks you are likely to cause damage or make the situation worse.

Obviously winches are much more expensive (and you can only pull forwards unless you have a rear winch!), but they are very common on four wheel drives today. The biggest gripe I have with both winches and snatch straps is the risk that they can apply to both people and four wheel drives. If either snaps, some serious damage can occur. Many people have been killed using these, and they are very dangerous if used correctly.

My preference then (for everything except rocks) is Maxtrax. These are engineer grade nylon boards which you simply place under the tyres of your vehicle. From there, you can drive onto them and you are out in seconds. There is no need for excessive force on the vehicle (and you can do it without needing another car), there is no risk of anything breaking and going flying through the air and they are considerably quicker and easier to use. You will get a four wheel drive that is stuck on the beach out in half of the time it takes to rig up a snatch strap or winch (with no risk too!)

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Source by Aaron Schubert

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Tracking sales and business expenses is one of the most fundamental functions of running a successful company. Without knowing how much money your company is making or spending it’s difficult to ascertain true performance and profitability. Many entrepreneurs tell me that they think they are making money but when I ask how much, they’re usually stumped.

QuickBooks makes sales and expense tracking easy but to get it right, you must properly set it up from the start. The setup begins with the Chart of Accounts List. This is a list containing all financial categories in a company’s accounting system. An account is a unique category representing a specific type of a financial transaction. This list is used to organize a company’s finances, prepare financial reports and record various transactions such as expenses, sales, investments, purchase of assets, loans, etc.

The most important point about designing an effective Chart of Accounts is to begin with the end in mind. In other words, you first need to identify what information is relevant to your decision making process and then determine how detailed you want your Chart of Accounts to be. For instance, if you are running a trucking company it might be relevant to know what you spend on gas, parking, and tolls. Since these expenses may represent a substantial portion of your total financial output, many trucking companies will specifically track these expenses individually. However, if you are an interior design business then the individual breakdown of these auto/truck expenses might not be relevant or significant. Designers often record all auto related expenses into one general category called “Automobile Expenses”. For an interior design company the level of expense detail might be more important in a different area such as: client purchases like art, furniture, fabric, etc. Or in the area of job related costs such as: blue print reproduction, travel or subcontractor fees. Therefore, identifying the level of detail you need is the most important step in designing a well functioning Chart of Accounts.

QuickBooks allows you to group and organize expenses into a standard Chart of Accounts template using one master category and numerous sub-accounts.The sub-accounts enable users to get detail level reporting along with a master category summary. For examples: most companies pay various types of insurance expenses. QuickBooks allows you to create a master category called Insurance with sub-categories listing various types such as: health, liability, auto, etc. At the end of the period you’ll be able to see not only your total Insurance costs but also amounts for each individual sub-category. This level of reporting will help you understand your company better and enable you to solve problems quicker, strategize smarter, and make intelligent decisions faster.

Simple Step by Step Instructions for Setting Up Your Chart of Accounts Using QuickBooks Software

Make sure your QuickBooks software is open.

1. Chose Lists on the upper menu bar and then click Chart of Accounts

2. Click on the Account button on the lower left and choose New. This command is used to create a new account

3. When the New Account window opens, identify which type of category the account belongs to. QuickBooks will use this information for reporting purposes

4. Click Continue

5. In the Name field type the name you are assigning to the account. For example: Insurance, Legal Expense, Accounting Fees, etc. Please keep it short and don’t use Vendor or Customer names names such as: Jon’s Automotive. The category name is a general description.

6. If you are adding a sub-account to a master category, click on the Subaccount checkbox. If you have created an account called Utilities you can now create sub-accounts such as: Electric, Gas, Water, Recycling, etc.

7. In the Description box provide a short explanation as to the purpose of this account

8. Proceed to enter any relevant information about your bank in the other fields

9. If you know which tax return line item the new account belong to you can select it from the Tax Line drop-down menu. Most people leave it blank and you can do so too. Unless you plan to import QuickBooks financial data into an Intuit compatible tax preparation software, you do not need to map the tax lines for your new accounts

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Source by Kerry Daniels

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Gel seat cushions are recommended by health professionals. The development of the gel seat cushion is fueled by the need for a comfortable and healthy seating option for cars and the office. They ensure maximum comfort for a long period of time. The extra-wide design fits any body type and offers full protection from direct pressure.

You can take them anywhere. Gel seat cushions are light and compact they are easy to bring anywhere. They are ideal for long road trips, flights, picnics, ball games, and camping. You can have them at the office or at home. They can cover the entire width of a chair, the church pew, and even stadium seats. A gel cushion is also widely used on car seats.

There are gel cushions especially designed for office chairs. They are ideally placed against the back rest. Support comes from the lumbar or lower back region, effectively eliminating lower back pain. The cushion follows the back’s natural curve, making you feel more relaxed at work.

They are durable and easy to maintain. To clean your gel cushion, spot clean using only a damp cloth. When you buy a product from a reputable manufacturer, you can be sure that you are making a long-term investment. A typical gel seat cushion is very thick and thus, exhibits a long life expectancy.

Gel seat cushions are good for our health. Sitting in one position for a prolonged period such as watching TV, a sporting event, during commute, at church, or in the office can have harmful effects to our posture and our overall health. Stiffness or numbness of the legs, hemorrhoids, displaced hip, back pain, varicose veins, and arthritis are some of the common effects of sitting for long hours at a time.

Having your own gel seat cushion helps alleviate discomfort and ward off problems that may arise in the future. As satisfied users describe it, sitting on a gel seat cushion gives you the feeling that you are sitting on top of a cloud. The idea is to distribute your weight evenly on the surface you are sitting on so you don’t feel as much pressure.

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Source by Kat Brooks

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If you are in the market for a new catalytic converter, and are a performance enthusiast, chances are that you will be considering buying a high flow catalytic converter. If you aren’t, then you should read this article, and consider the benefits.

Let me tell you what this article is not about. I’m not going to talk about boring OEM universal catalytic converters that you put on your moms minivan. I’m going to be talking about high performance parts whose sole purpose is to increase the horsepower and torque of your vehicle. If you are just searching for a replacement cat for your 92 Chevy Cavalier, then reading this article is not worth your time. So let’s get into it, shall we?

I’m going to assume that you have a high performance vehicle, or at the very least, a stock vehicle that you plan on modifying. If you aren’t familiar with high flow catalytic converters, let me explain what they are and how they help your car gain horsepower.

First, the point of the catalytic converter is to convert toxic engine exhaust gases into cleaner more environmentally friendly substances. This is done using a catalyst inside of the device, hence the name “Catalytic” converter. Anyway, the problem with OEM or aftermarket OEM cats is that they restrict airflow. This is mainly because they are built to work as effectively as possible, and have little focus on increasing the power of your vehicle. Your 95 Honda Civic wasn’t built to be a high performance machine from the factory, but that’s not going to stop you from changing that! The High Flow Catalytic Converter was created with performance in mind and ultimately it lets more air flow unrestricted through your entire exhaust system. The best scenario would be to have no cat at all, and many people who race their cars do not have a catalytic converter, but if you are looking to have your car be street legal, then your car must have a cat in order to pass emissions tests during inspection.

So how does a high flow catalytic converter help your cars performance and should you buy one? Well first, let me ask you, do you have aftermarket headers or exhausts on your vehicle? If not, then a high flow cat is not the thing to be buying just yet. I think of a high performance cat as the third part to your aftermarket exhaust system. The most important piece of your exhaust system is the Cat-Back. This is all of the piping that comes after your catalytic converter. The second most important piece is a high flow exhaust manifold, or headers. These come before the cat. Without one or two of those pieces installed on your car, I would not purchase a high performance cat as it is the least important and will not be as effective if not combined with a high flow exhaust system.

If you do have an aftermarket exhaust system, then a high flow catalytic converter might be the logical next piece to purchase. The more freely your exhaust gases flow from your engine, the more power your car will make. If you have a high performance cat-back, and headers, then a regular cat will cause a bottleneck in the airflow, and that is something we don’t want. By installing a high performance cat, you will increase the air flow, and gain more power. How much power will you gain? Well that depends on your engine size. Larger V6 and V8 engines will see a higher increase in power than i4s. This is because they produce much more exhaust gases. But for simplicity, we’ll say adding a high flow cat can increase your horsepower by 4hp to 10hp. If that sounds like a gain you would like to benefit from, then buying a high flow cat might be the right choice for you.

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Source by Steve Gomez

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Several businesses deal with cash on a daily basis that doesn’t have any maximum limit. It depends on the need of the moment and accordingly the concerned people withdraw money from banks. Withdrawing a huge sum of cash and commuting from one place to the other can be risky given the fact that there are miscreants around and thus facing the brute of the money getting stolen. If you have a business and are in need of money to be withdrawn from the bank and brought to your workplace or wherever required, there is a need for the right security to help you out.

Unless you have a security service of your own, you could take help from professional security services which ensure that your money is withdrawn, transported and brought to you safely. They are trained to do so and thus ensuring clients that their money is in safe hands. Hiring them isn’t a difficult task as most businesses and organisations hire efficient security services that can provide effective cash escorts. While you hire them, here are the benefits that you would receive.

• Concealed identity – If the professionals are specially clothed with uniforms, there are chances of being attacked by miscreants. Most cash escorts are plain clothed professionals that reduce the chances of being conscious and ensuring concealment.

• Highly professional officers – To keep up the reputation of the security service that they provide, the officers responsible to escort your cash are highly professional. They are known to protect your cash in the best possible way right from the time it is being withdrawn to the time it reaches its destination.

• Secured vehicles – The vehicles used in transporting the cash from one place to the other is known to be transported in vehicles that are fitted with modern technology. The use of GPS tracking systems and cameras in the vehicle ensures that they can be tracked while travelling and thus keeping a track on the safety of the money that is being transported.

• Systematic approach – The collection of cash either from your place of work or the bank is made through valid documents where only authorised personnel on either end can receive or dispatch the cash. It involves the signing of documents from either ends and accordingly keeping a proof of the safekeeping on the money.

• Unmarked vehicles – The vehicles used for carrying around the money is unmarked. There are no traces on the body or the structure of the car where people on the road can identify its purpose and what the vehicle contains. It looks just like any other vehicle to ensure its safety.

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Source by Cathy Smith

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Being a temporary installation for the purpose of controlling traffic, road blockers perform various other life saving functions. There are various types of road blockers that are used for the purpose of road traffic. These road blockers include: The hydraulic blockers, the anti ram blockers and the security blockers. The security road blockers mainly play the function if ensuring that traffic is secure. They are the common type since anyone who purchases a car must have them intact in case of any road emergencies.

One good type of security blocker is the high security blocker. It is frequently used on roads for the purpose of access control. The concrete blocker is another common type of blocker that is used for the purpose of security. It is normally featured by some yellow and black physical reflector strips. They are known to provide a very high level of security. Their application is during road construction or police security check. The antiterrorist road block is another commonly used road block. This one is normally installed on the ground by the road constructors for the purpose of tracking any illegal persons or terrorists.

The hydraulic road blocker is a perfect type of road blocker that is commonly used for electro hydraulic purposes. With this type of road block, no car can be able to access the blocked route. It helps in maintaining the motorist speed in order to prevent accidents. This type of road block is also used for the purpose of controlling gangways together with parking lots perhaps in a home or industrial setting. The Hydraulic road block is normally designed with some rising kerbs that are sharp-pointed in order to perfectly prevent any vehicle from accessing that particular route that has been blocked. In America the anti ram road block is normally used for controlling traffic. The block looks like a long string that is laid across the road to prevent cars from accessing a certain blocked route.

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Source by Jim Johannasen

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There are ample reasons why a Pick-up van or an ATV need more care than a normal SUV. They are used for trading goods to distant borders, need to carry higher amounts of loads and they act as a lifeline for a tradie in certain situations. However unwelcoming be the conditions, the vehicle needs to perform in order to get the job done. But what makes them endure a corrosive path, convoluted roads, near-zero visibility or an accidental collision? Tyres and engine help only to a little extent. Any tradie vehicle needs to be laden with utility accessories, and a very wide range of them. Hence a complete assortment of all components must be sought for, that you’ll surely get in a Tradie Chattel.

A tradie chattel pack may consist of a wide range of working accessories and equipments- A bull bar with an air bag compatible mounting architecture and room for other utilities such as fog lights and winch connection. IPF lights, heavily guarded with a tough body and lens, waterproof with multidirectional mounting, providing spot and driving beam in all directions. These lights are available with their bulbs, looms, clear covers, lock nuts and light stays. A towing bar is of great importance if a pick-up truck has to stand to its name. A weight distribution system with drop shanks, safety chain extenders, adapters for boat trailers and caravans and sway controllers is an another must-have.

The most vulnerable part while driving on rough roads might be the chassis. There’s under vehicle protection covered as well in many Tradie Chattel packs. This includes diff covers, magnets to attract metallic wear particles and a cap screws in many cases. What about getting a customized canopy? It has to be relentlessly strong and durable. They come with fitted interior lights and a safety glass for the windows. The sides of the vehicle also need to be protected. For this, the pack must provide you rocker rails and other daftly engineered specifications for the sides.

Tradie chattels are available in various packs through various esteemed automobile manufacturers. Each pack has a certain set of features that suit a particular terrain type. The range of features that are available in all tradie packs, in general, are myriad. They include recovery equipment such as variations of winches, camping accessories such as tents, awnings and swags, additional vehicle lighting, roof racks and bars, safari snorkels, drawers, cargo barriers, power solutions and even general accessories such as first aid kits, tyres and radios.

It must be remembered that most tradie chattel accessories are detachable, so there might be some vague chance you may get these features on a trial period for free. The point is, one shall always have an option to make his vehicle befitting to a terrain.

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Source by Shalini Madhav

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Moving can be very wearisome, particularly if you have a lot of things to move. Packing up all of your things, properly, hiring a truck, loading the truck, driving the truck to your new home, and then unloading the truck again. It’s very time-consuming and it probably makes you tired just thinking about it. Consequently, many people elect to hire professional moving companies to take on all or most of these tasks.

The fact is that, while hiring a moving company can help you save time and hassle, picking the wrong movers can add up to more grief than you want to think about. To guard yourself and your valuables, you might want to consider a few things before choosing a company to transport your things.

Some points to consider before you decide on a moving company.

1) Exactly which parts of the move do you want delegate to the moving company.

Needless to say, anything you require the mover to do will be reflected in their bill. Probably the most common scenario is that people will pack their own goods and then hire a moving company to load transport and unload all the boxes. Sometimes people, particularly if they may be moving cross-country, will rent a large truck and employ a crew to pack their goods and load the truck. Then they will drive the truck cross-country themselves and even higher a crew at the other end to unload the truck again. Of course others will employ a moving company to do absolutely everything, from packing their goods, loading, transporting and even unpacking and removing boxes and packing materials at the new location.

2) Your budget, exchanging money for convenience.

The fact is you can hire someone to do pretty much anything, for a price and when it comes to movers and moving nothing could be closer to the truth. If your funds are limited, you we’ll need to balance your funds with a certain amount of sweat equity. Consequently you may have to perform much of the work yourself and then simply pay the movers to perform those tasks that are the most difficult. Compare estimates from several moving companies and look for the most reasonable rate for the work you need performed. Note: Always check a moving companies references, as with many things, the lowest price is not always the best deal.

4) Is your mover adequately insured to protect your belongings from loss and damage?

You probably have a lot of money invested in things and there is always a degree of risk when you move them. The cost of an accidental mishap during transport could be enormous. A moving company, even a top rated one, will usually be insured to meet basic requirements however, if you wish to be fully covered for every eventuality, it would be wise to purchase additional moving insurance for your total peace of mind.

3) Going the distance.

Long-distance moves are a very different animal from local moves. Moving long distances usually entails greater expense and requires a more experienced and properly licensed moving company. Moving from state to state or province to province is usually not performed by local movers. Long-distance moves typically require specialized paperwork as well as a number of other considerations unique to this kind of move. One very important aspect of booking a long-distance moving company is the matter of the lead time. Most long distance movers require advance scheduling and will need as much advance notice as possible.

5) Reputation is everything especially when it comes to a moving company

You’ve probably heard stories about people’s bad experiences with moving companies. You may have even seen bad moving experiences depicted in comedy movies for laughs, but in the real world there is nothing funny about finding broken or missing goods after the movers have finished up and left. sometimes all the insurance in the world cannot replace an item that has special sentimental value. You want to know that the moving company you choose will treat all your belongings with the same care that you would. It cannot be stressed enough that the moving company you choose should have the best references available and it’s important for you to do your very best to find out everything you can about the moving company you choose.

Your mover should be a member of the Better Business Bureau and ideally the longer they have been in business the better. As it is difficult for a moving company to stay in business for long if they do bad work, generally movers who have been in business a long time will be more reliable. These days, checking a moving companies’ reputation and history of handling problems is easy to look up by doing a search on the Internet as well as checking directly with Better Business Bureau complaints records.

Some final thoughts on selecting the right moving company.

Depending on the value of your possessions and the distance will be moving them, you may want to consider enlisting the services of moving agent. For reasonable commission a moving agent will make an experienced estimate of the volume and weight of your contents and act as a go between matching your requirements and budget with a reputable mover, storage if necessary, insurance, etc.

You can, of course do this process yourself however, you will need to prepare yourself before hand with a list of questions for the various moving companies you will be contacting and an appropriate amount of time to conduct thorough interviews with each company.

When estimating your insurance needs it’s important to bear in mind that most often we will underestimate the value of our possessions because they have been acquired over a period of time however, if you should experience the misfortune of having to replace all of your things you may be in for a shock when you realize the cost of replacing everything at today’s prices.

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Source by Hugh Randall

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It Seems to Be Coming From Everywhere

Outdoor noises can come from all sorts of directions at the same time and may have many sources. They can also be reflected all over the place. People tend to look at what they think is the source and imagine that the sound is traveling along a straight line from the source to their yard. In reality it is likely that sounds have detoured, bouncing off buildings and other objects, arriving at your yard amplified and from a different direction to the source. The amplification which occurs is no different to sound amplification which happens when a murmur is channeled through a wind instrument and emerges at the other end as a trumpet blast. So your first step is to identify the source of the problem and the path that it is taking to get to your yard.

Words & Regulations Are Great Soundproofers

It might be possible that a nearby business or industry is exceeding acceptable noise levels or duration or operating at inappropriate times of the day. Sometimes you can solve the problem by simply raising the issue with the proprietor in a friendly manner. It may even pay to check with your municipal council and make sure that your noisy neighbors are not breaking local laws. People are often surprised to learn that there are a lot of laws protecting residential amenity (provided the noise is not from aviation which seems to be a law unto itself in many countries). I have seen laws which restrict the use of air conditioners after a certain time, prohibit leaf blowers and even outlaw pets like roosters and barking dogs.

Having exhausted logical commonsense approaches to reducing the noise you have two options for solving the problem. The first option is to create some sort of acoustic barrier in the yard. The second option is to return indoors and work on your internal soundproofing.

An Air Tight Yard!

It is impossible to make a yard airtight. You will always have to deal with flanking sound. Flanking sound is noise which wraps over, under or around your soundproofing structures. All of the principles of internal sound barriers and sound absorption still apply outdoors.

Lower frequency noise has a longer wavelength than high frequency and will require a higher and denser barrier. If for example if you are dealing with truck noise you would probably need a barrier as high as 12-15 feet (3.5 – 4.5 meters) or more. In most cases this is impractical or even against municipal building regulations, so it might be advisable to return indoors and work on your soundproofing there and be content with a quiet internal environment.

Is it a Baritone or Soprano Annoyance?

It is correct that higher frequency noises can be blocked by lower fences but there are some complications. Take level crossing train bells noise for example. This is fairly high frequency. You might expect that a lower fence would block the noise. Unfortunately the train companies have installed their bells at the top of ten foot poles which means you still have to install a 15 foot fence to have an acceptable impact on the noise. In an ideal situation you want to construct the fence at least eight feet higher than the source of the noise. This is less of a challenge when it is ground hugging car tail pipes but challenging when you are dealing with truck horns, and their roof top exhaust systems or even their loud engines which are quite high off the ground.

The Way of The Lotus Blossom

All is not lost when structural soundproofing seems out of the question. There are still a couple of innovative options. You can soundproof by creating more sound, particularly sound which is pleasing to the ear. For example one way to quickly deal with level crossing train bells is to install a splashing water feature in your garden; not to be confused with the quiet trickling Zen style installation. The sound of falling water will not only create a pleasant environment but it will interfere with the sound of train crossing bells and make them less noticeable. You can achieve a similar effect with wind chimes. Chimes are not quite as effective because they only work when the wind is blowing and the sound tends to be less random. The motivated soundproofing enthusiast might consider both chimes and a water feature and also external audio speakers for piping pleasant music into the yard. The application of these three strategies will sufficiently interfere with most annoying noise pollution and allow you to return to your yard for recreation, relaxation and entertainment. Another advantage of these noise masking options is that they are usually far less expensive and much more DIY than a massive fence.

Acoustic By Name Only

If you are going to construct a sensible acoustic barrier in your yard do make sure it is at a proper height and that it does not have any openings or gaps anywhere. The right height and absence of gaps are the two most important variables and the things that most people get wrong. Some do it yourself articles seem to promote the construction of acoustic fences at any height which frankly is a waste of time and effort. A fence won’t work just because it has word “acoustic” in its name! There are some proprietary acoustic fencing systems on the market and even with these systems it is important that you check the required height for your specific problem. Most respectable products come with data sheets.

Data Sheet is King

Data sheets should talk about an amount that the fencing system reduces noise. The amount is measured in decibels or dB. You should look for a system which will reduce the noise by at least 20dB. As a rule of thumb each 10dB is a halving of the perceived noise. Some products come with an STC rating. Again don’t consider a product with a rating below about STC 20. STC is a more useful summary of how a product responds over a series of sound frequencies. See if you can get the frequency chart for the product. Two products can work quite differently depending on the noise source and frequency response of the product. If you noise problem is lower frequency like trucks and “doof doof” music then you need a product which blocks more noise at lower frequencies e.g. between 50Hz and about 500Hz. So you would look for higher values against these frequencies on the STC chart. If your noise problem is at a higher frequency, like human voice, or small barking dogs, or train level crossing bells, then you would need better blocking at frequencies around 1000Hz to around 2500Hz. You would look for better performance at these higher frequencies.

Those Fences Are Big

An effective and relatively light weight material for acoustic fencing is steel sheeting, like the material used on deck roofs. Timber fencing performs well but it’s harder to create an airtight structure and the timber will be heavier and more difficult to work with. Whatever you use, remember that the structure is higher than usual and it will catch the wind. Make sure that your uprights are closer together and or thicker than usual and also bury them deeper into the ground.

If you already have a tall fence it probably has holes or gaps in and around it might not be made of the right material to block or absorb the offending sound. In situations like this you can consider retrofitting a product like mass loaded vinyl (MLV). This is a heavy plastic like membrane which is basically weatherproof. You can fix it to your existing fence and it will considerably increase the density of the fence and help block noise. MLV does not change the fact that you still need the right fence height.

If you live on a large property and you are able to build a mound of earth facing the problem this can be an effective and inexpensive way of creating a soundproofing barrier. Again the height has to be right and it can take a bit of effort to build an earth mound. Another option for large properties is a hay (straw) bale fence. There is endless Internet information these days on building with hay bales and they are cheap effective and quick, but they must be gap free and the right height.

Take Care Who You Listen To

Like all soundproofing issues there are endless myths about outdoor soundproofing. The most common one is the use of trees and shrubs. Trees and shrubs are pretty much ineffective except as visual screens. To some extent the sounds of the birds and wind through the leaves creates a masking sound like the water feature and chimes we talked about above.

Remember prevention is better than cure. If you haven’t bought your home and you are thinking of buying a nice bargain property which is a bit close to the trains, airport or freeway – think again. If you are even slightly sensitive to noise don’t put yourself through the nightmare of trying to solve noise problems for the rest of your days. Quality of life is more important than bargain real estate. Save a few more pennies and buy quiet. Don’t get lulled into a false sense sense of security about what constitutes acceptable quiet. Set your own standards and stick to them. Many property developments are noisy torture chambers and yet the brochures feature images of blissfully happy people living the life of their dreams. Not everyone cares about noise but if you’re someone who does, you need to look past the hype and ask if there is a 3am freight train passing nearby, or common plumbing running through the thin walls, or plans to construct a shopping mall behind your courtyard and so forth.

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Source by Craig R Williams