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

by habiba_abudu | June 8, 2019 10:45 pm

By Bruce Riley

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Water features are now a part of almost every outdoor living space. They are found on pools, spas, ponds, and even as standalone components. The subtle noises made by even the smallest water feature can fill a space wonderfully with soothing sounds, which conjure up memories of streams and waterways that many homeowners may have experienced throughout their lifetime. Being able to create tranquil sounds of flowing water has become very important in today’s backyards. However, beyond the tranquility, water features can also provide practical solutions for homeowners trying to block out 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.

Water features as noise barriers

The most successful designers and pool builders are the ones who take the time to walk the entire property and sit in the backyard with the customer for as long as possible. The goal is to get a sense of how the client (and their neighbours) use their yards.

Many backyard designers are seeing how new housing developments often have smaller yards that back onto multiple other properties. For this reason, it is very important for builders to ask questions about how the client and neighbours use their backyards. For example:

• Are there any dogs or children?
• Is there a trampoline or basketball net on an adjacent driveway or patio?
• Where is the neighbour’s patio located?
• How close is the neighbour’s driveway?
• Is there a busy road near the property?

“I find once I start asking questions about nearby vehicular sounds or noise from neighbours, the client often reveals their desire to try to cover them up with the soothing sound of moving water,” explains Dan Lenz, vice-president of operations at All Seasons Pool & Spa in Orland Park, Ill.

Lenz recalls one client’s backyard which abutted the neighbour’s driveway: “The home was so close you could get out of your car and fall into the neighbour’s pool. As a result, the client mentioned how the sound of the neighbour’s car starting and doors slamming was quite annoying while they were trying to enjoy their pool.”

In cases like this, using ‘white noise’ components are essentially a way to disguise sounds. These features do not reduce noise levels in the backyard, but, instead, they mask some of those that are less desirable (e.g. from traffic or from the neighbour’s kids yelling) by introducing more soothing sounds. The best example is the gurgling sound made by a backyard water feature.

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’

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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.

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Because grottos are tall, the water falls farther, amplifying the sound. In addition, there is a hollow wall behind the water that further intensifies it.

“The grotto is by far my favourite water feature to use when eliminating unwanted noise,” says Hegedus.

Grottos have more water flowing over them and spilling into the pool; therefore, they simply make more noise. Hegedus says the sounds created by a grotto are more like a ‘roar’ compared to a quiet stream.

“I record the various sounds the different water features make and play them for my clients on my iPad when they’re trying to decide what to install,” says Hegedus. “It helps them determine if they prefer the sound of sitting next to a big waterfall, or if they want to hear the more subtle sound of lounging near a stream. That said, if they want to prevent hearing any noises coming from their neighbours, I always recommend a grotto or several big waterfalls.”

It is also important to consider the acoustics of grottos carefully as the water spilling over the top of a hard hollow structure can create some serious sound. Therefore, builders should be careful not to point a grotto to directly face the outdoor dining area.

Caution should also be taken when mixing water features with high concrete border walls that can create a less than pleasant echo. Using landscaping to overcome this type of issue is very effective.  Lenz and Hegedus agree evergreens along borders help diminish noise reflection. In fact, Hegedus does this regularly by creating planting areas made out of the same cast concrete as the waterfalls and grottos he builds. Not only does the landscaping soften the look of the water features, it has the added bonus of muffling and absorbing sound. Connecting water features into an automated system with a variable-speed pump (VSP) also allows homeowners to adjust the water volume up or down depending on how much white noise they want the feature to emanate.

Hegedus also shows his customers videos of various water features so they can not only hear, but also see what it will look like. He prefers to use only cast-concrete kits for his water features because it allows him to show a homeowner exactly what the final product will look like before it is even installed.

“We used to work with real stone but found there were often issues because we couldn’t provide a consistent look or sound with the final product,” says Hegedus. “So now we only install component systems made of cast-concrete as we can guarantee the finished look and sound.”

In the past, the only way to create a grotto or cave was to use heavy, expensive natural boulders or freehand carved artificial rock. Both these options are labour-intensive and can be stressful for builders as the finished look is not always definite. Consumers need to be shown exactly what they are getting in advance, and pool builders need to be able to provide a cave or grotto with a consistent, predicable look at a reasonable price. Therefore, to meet this demand in the marketplace, suppliers have created component systems or ‘kits’ that are standardized, allowing builders to propose a product and guarantee it will look the same once it is installed. These water features are designed to ensure proper water flow and weight distribution and are structurally sound as they are reinforced with steel.

Water features as visual barriers

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In addition to the annoying sounds coming from cars and/or neighbours, water features can also be used to cover up unwanted visuals—or to create a visual barrier between neighbours. Once again, it is important to remember many homes are situated on very small lots and neighbours can often peer into each other’s yards. When tall fences and walls are not an option, water features can be the perfect solution.

“We offer features on all our new pools, but we frequently add them on renovation jobs as well,” says Glen MacGillivray, the president/owner of Aqua-Tech Pool, Spa and Bath in Winnipeg. “Even if the client does not specifically ask for a cave, grotto, waterfall, or slide on their pool, it is a feature we present to them as an option—especially when there is a need for a sound or visual barrier.”

Providing privacy

Providing privacy is the primary objective for most water features acting as barriers between neighbours or visible roads.

“One of my clients just had me build a grotto with two big fire bowls; she wanted privacy so people couldn’t look into her pool while she was swimming,” says Hegedus.

For this particular project, Coastal Coating installed a love-seat grotto that was more than 1.5 m (5 ft) tall.

“The homeowner also wanted to draw attention to the water feature by adding the fire bowls that use injected gas so the fire looks like it is dancing across the water,” says Hegedus. “It really provides an incredible visual appeal as well as complete privacy from the nearby marina.”

Positioning and placement of water features on the pool and in relation to the patio, house, and windows is important—not just the client’s house, but also with the layout of the neighbour’s yard and house.

“Waterfalls and grottos with built-in slides are by far the most effective noise and visual barrier for my clients,” says Lenz. “This allows us to create a tall feature that is not only part of the pool, but also large enough to completely block out the neighbour’s yard.”

Lenz says on one particular job his company had they completely moved the client’s patio seating area as far away as possible from the neighbour’s yard. Then, a water feature with a slide was installed that was wide enough to completely block the neighbour’s view of his client’s new lounge area.

“We even added a smaller water feature within the new seating area to provide an additional soundscape,” says Lenz. “When the project was completed, the client was delighted with the new layout of their backyard.”

Cast-concrete stones, waterfalls, and grottos provide a lightweight option for builders when installing tall visual barriers between neighbours and roads, making them much more cost-effective than real stones. Builders and renovators know the importance of being able to determine exactly how much time it will take to execute each element of a particular job—not only to provide an accurate quote on the project, but also for planning and scheduling purposes.

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“Building (water features) with natural stone can be unpredictable,” says MacGillivray. “A builder can spend all day arranging the natural boulders and then have the consumer come home to say they would like to see them arranged differently.”

“It’s too much like artwork, very unpredictable, and the labour costs can get out of control rather quickly.”

When installing component systems, a crew of four workers can arrange everything in roughly half a day to a full day.

“Of course, a big cave/grotto job, with misters and a waterslide, can take closer to three weeks to complete,” says MacGillivray. “These elements, however, create fun and excitement—especially for children. Kids really love the intrigue of caves and grottos.”

For extremely small backyards and patios, there are vertical water features that take up minimal space and can even work without being installed next to a pool or pond.

“Some vertical walls stand approximately 2.1 m (7 ft) tall and not only act as a visual barrier, but also as a solid wall sound barrier,” says Hegedus.

These standalone water features are available with an arc of water or with water cascading down a rock wall to provide an instantaneous visual and noise barrier in any backyard living space.

Landscaping help

A property that is well-landscaped with plants, especially one with substantial mass, such as trees and shrubs, helps block out unwanted sights, while also absorbing some sound. Plants are not sufficient in solving the problem on their own; however, they do absorb enough sound to merit their use as complementary pieces in any noise-barrier project.

The plants can be grown in front or back of a water feature. Evergreen shrubs and trees are best as they will aid in landscape noise reduction year-round. Evergreens and hedges that help absorb sound, as well as larger water features that mask noise are also excellent visual barriers in the backyard.

“I almost always install planters on the water features,” says Hegedus. “The plants and landscaping around the feature also help to block out the neighbours in a really beautiful manner.”

Lenz also recommends using outdoor lighting to highlight the landscaping, as it draws the eyes to the trees when lit, and away from the neighbour’s house which one is trying to hide.

“We often add a pergola near the water feature to accentuate and support evergreen plantings like jasmine vines,” says Lenz.

Planting areas can be planned into or on the backside of the water feature. This is true even of slides. Incorporating natural elements such as potted plants or pockets of greenery into the mix helps to soften the edges and provide more of an oasis effect. Lenz says the technique of planning landscaping into water feature designs has been important to the success of his projects.

“In one particular case, we created a water feature using cast-concrete stones, plus a slide with planting pockets on the front and back. The backside of the feature even had an integrated herb garden for the homeowner,” says Lenz.

Lenz accomplished multiple goals on this particular project, including blocking out the neighbours, providing tranquil ‘white noise’ from the water flowing down the slide, and providing a fun feature that could be used by the homeowner’s grandchildren.

Pool professionals are not always trained in landscaping, but there are a few rules of thumb that can help. First, ‘layer’ the plants. Have at least three layers that are tall, medium, and short to provide visual interest around the water feature. Secondly, be sure to include a variety of leaf colours and textures. Plants such as ornamental grasses, ferns, and palms are good choices. Designers and builders should consult a local nursery to find out what grows best in the region where the project is being installed. Short plants such as herbs can also be a great choice for planned plant ‘pockets’ within the feature. Most importantly, do not choose plants that shed their leaves close to the pool’s edge—customers will not be happy with unnecessary debris in the pool water.

Conclusion

Today, the tranquil sounds that emanate from water features are in high demand by consumers. Water features provide practical solutions for homeowners trying to block out unwanted sights and sounds. This is the year for builders and designers to embrace the many options and landscaping techniques available to them to mask these unwanted noises and/or visual eyesores.

[6]Bruce Riley is the managing director of RicoRock Inc., makers of cast-concrete rock, including component systems for building caves/grottos, waterfalls, and waterslide products for use in pool applications. Riley focuses on developing new products and managing commercial installations. He has built rock-type pools in southern California for more than 25 years and now uses this experience to design standard waterfall kits for the company. He can be reached via e-mail at bruce@ricorock.com[7].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/the-art-of-soundscaping-using-water-features-to-cover-up-unwanted-sights-and-sounds/

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