How to reduce wind and noise in the country

An overexposed location in the country is as unsettling for livestock and wildlife as it is for people. An isolated rural house requires shelter from the wind and the unsettling noises near the property. Here are some solutions to consider.

The city householder rarely has to worry about wind; if ­anything, turbulence is more likely to be a problem than overexposure and in a built-up area there is probably very ­little to be done about it. A rural area, on the other hand, needs a wind shelter. Even where strong winds are rare, energy efficiency dictates some form of shelter to keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter.

• Find a sheltered spot and consider its site potential, always keeping in mind that the higher you go to take advantage of a view, the stronger the winds are likely to be.
• Locate the direction from which the prevailing wind blows and plant a strategically placed belt of tall and medium-height trees intermixed with bushy shrubs. The aesthetically pleasing foliage stands in the wind's path and breaks its force.

• If the surrounding countryside is relatively flat and your buildings are unprotected by rises or vegetation, consider planting a series of windbreaks separated by a distance of approximately 10 times their height.
• If you are in a very windy location, erect semi-permeable fences or screens to break the force of the wind while the permanent breaks of trees and shrubs are growing to maturity.
• Make sure that windbreaks are aligned across the prevailing wind's path; a badly positioned break could create a destructive wind funnel between trees and buildings.

Highways, railway lines, ­mining works and other noise sources can often disturb the peace of the countryside. Break the force of intrusive sounds in the same way that wind force is reduced.

• Sound tends to travel in a straight line upwards rather than downwards, so a hillside location requires more protection than a valley site.
• One or two high earth walls, or berms, screened by trees can reduce the noise level by more than 50 percent.

Keep these wind and noise solutions in mind and create a peaceful property in the country.