The art of soundscaping: Using water features to cover up unwanted sights and sounds

Whether it is the hum of nearby cars or the fact a client’s backyard looks directly into the neighbour’s garden, water features are now often incorporated into landscapes by designers and builders to mask these unwanted noises and visual eyesores.

Unwanted ‘noise’

Noise comes from unexpected places. Lenz has found that by sitting in the backyard and asking lots of questions, builders can discover unwanted noise comes from a variety of sources.

“You wouldn’t think the owner of a home on
a golf course would have much to complain about, but the foul language flying off the green became a real problem for one homeowner who didn’t want his young grandchildren to swim in the backyard pool, forcing them to play in the front yard,” says Lenz.

Another designer and builder, Mark Hegedus of Coastal Coating in Jacksonville, Fla., agrees.

“In Jacksonville, people live really close to one another,” he says. “Often pools are just 3 to 4.5 m (10 to 15 ft) apart.”

Like Lenz, Hegedus says clients regularly request features capable of blocking any unwanted noise.

“A recent client of mine lives near a school and, although she loves kids, didn’t want to hear them in her backyard when they were playing at recess.”

Hegedus, who has been specializing in water feature installation for more than 27 years, and even installed five waterfalls on his own pool, can relate.

“I had neighbours living behind me who had five kids and a Jack Russell terrier that barked all day. My goal was to arrive home, flip a switch, and only hear the peaceful sounds of flowing water… and that’s exactly what I do every day when I come home from work.”

Creating and selecting the best ‘white noise’

There are a variety of options available to create ‘white noise’ using the soothing sound of water to cover unwanted noises from nearby roads or neighbours. Rainfalls, sheer descent waterfalls, deck jets, and laminar water features are all capable of creating the perfect soundscape in a backyard pool. That said, those accustomed to working with these features know the more water that flows, and the farther it falls, the more these features will mute unwanted noises. Additionally, having a solid wall behind the falling water further amplifies the sound. Today’s builders and designers find themselves acting as sound-engineers determining how much white noise is needed to mask the annoying sounds experienced by their clients.

“If you need a lot of white noise, it’s probably best to start looking at waterfalls, grottos, and slide features,” says Lenz.

Caves and grottos are basically a ‘super’ waterfall feature. Not only do they provide all the benefits of a waterfall (visual beauty and the calming sound of cascading water), but are also capable of creating a lot of ‘white noise’ to mask the audible disturbances of cars, barking dogs, or loud neighbours.