Living next to a busy road

koolpc · 22 Aug 2020 at 20:46

My work colleague has seen a house they like. Her partner loves it too.

Only issue is that it is right next to a busy road. A dual carriageway. Her friend has lived on that road for tens of years and the noise is of no issue to her.

Do any of you live next to a busy road? Does it get on your nerves?

She is a bit worried that it may get on her nerves, plus the pollution. Thing is, she has seen the house a couple of times now and loves it! She really wants to buy it but has been asking around in work for peoples opinions.

I told her that what was is bad for one might be ok for another, and vice versa.

NoobCannon · 22 Aug 2020 at 20:48

My sister lives next to a main road. Dont do it. the amount of soot and pollution we just wiped off her internal walls before painting made me feel sick. It was like a smoker had lived there for 20 years with all the windows shut permanantly.

Maccapacca · 22 Aug 2020 at 20:53

NoobCannon said:
My sister lives next to a main road. Dont do it. the amount of soot and pollution we just wiped off her internal walls before painting made me feel sick. It was like a smoker had lived there for 20 years with all the windows shut permanantly.

Where does she live? 1956?

NoobCannon · 22 Aug 2020 at 20:57

Maccapacca said:
Where does she live? 1956?

no?

your deluded if you think living next to a main road has no downsides.

Maccapacca · 22 Aug 2020 at 21:22

NoobCannon said:
no?

your deluded if you think living next to a main road has no downsides.

Agreed

But soot, coal and miners strikes?

possibly polio and rationing

Toothy1911 · 22 Aug 2020 at 21:23

Can be noisy in the garden if you spend lots of time outside. But you do get used to the sound.
Indoors, double/triple glazing is so good you wont hear it.

bainbridge · 22 Aug 2020 at 21:59

Our last place was a flat on a main road, 30mph section near where the limit goes up to 40mph, and about 80 yards from a large roundabout. Road noise was horrendous, people coming off the roundabout gunning it in the 30 zone on the approach to the 40 zone. The houses either side of the road seemingly concentrated the noise, with the sound bouncing around. Also there was a nearby bus stop on the opposite side of the road from us, and when the double decker stopped there the other motorists would gun it to manoeuvre around it. If that wasn't bad enough there was a pedestrian crossing about 10 yards down the road, with a regular beeping noise telling people it was safe to cross, then of course when the waiting traffic got the green light they'd gun it.

koolpc · 22 Aug 2020 at 22:04

Soot in the house? Lol...

DanTheMan · 22 Aug 2020 at 22:27

I personally wouldn't do it. We live in a residential area but in one of the busier roads in the estate. Its only a 20mph with speed bumps, plus we are about 15ft above the road and quite set back due to a decent sized front garden and it's definitely as close to a busy road as I'd want to be.

Gray2233 · 22 Aug 2020 at 22:32

Unless you're quite literally deaf I'd recommend against it.

norm · 22 Aug 2020 at 23:40

koolpc said:
Soot in the house? Lol...

Yes the same thing that collects around the exhaust pipes of cars. Those particles don't magically disappear when they enter the atmosphere.

My parents house which backed onto a railway line had the same tell-tale black soot on the outside of the windows, admittedly it took time to appear but it was definitely from passing trains as it was an otherwise quiet street.

koooowweeee · 22 Aug 2020 at 23:54

How close is the house? Is there a garden in-between?

I used to live right next door to a busy pub. Was there all my childhood life, so it didn't bother me at all. When I first met the wife, she lived on a busy main road and I soon got used to that. Lorrys up and down all night.

Now I'm on a quiet street, any noise and I'm awake for hours. I struggle going back to sleep once awake.

koooowweeee · 22 Aug 2020 at 23:56

norm said:
Yes the same thing that collects around the exhaust pipes of cars. Those particles don't magically disappear when they enter the atmosphere.

My parents house which backed onto a railway line had the same tell-tale black soot on the outside of the windows, admittedly it took time to appear but it was definitely from passing trains as it was an otherwise quiet street.

Sounds like dust. The trains and cars will kick up dust and it will stick to the house if it's wet. It's a pain but I'm not sure you'll get that inside the house ?

Rroff · 23 Aug 2020 at 00:02

Depends how close to the road - lived right on a main road for a few years as a kid but it got quiet at night despite being very busy by day and if you have double glazing it knocks a lot of the noise out. Was not sorry to move away however.

Pollution side isn't ideal but wasn't that big of a problem either - only very hot summer days was it really noticeable - though I think it possibly resulted in an "asthma" like condition I had as a kid as once we moved to somewhere further from a busy road it went away pretty much entirely.

koooowweeee · 23 Aug 2020 at 00:17

Rroff said:
Depends how close to the road - lived right on a main road for a few years as a kid but it got quiet at night despite being very busy by day and if you have double glazing it knocks a lot of the noise out. Was not sorry to move away however.

Pollution side isn't ideal but wasn't that big of a problem either - only very hot summer days was it really noticeable - though I think it possibly resulted in an "asthma" like condition I had as a kid as once we moved to somewhere further from a busy road it went away pretty much entirely.

With my job I have a asthma sort of thing from the dust. I have to have an inhaler in the summer. In winter/spring I'm good.

Could do with finding a nice lightweight mask or something.

koolpc · 23 Aug 2020 at 00:17

I believe the house is about 20ft away from the road but has cars parked by the kerb...

I dont think soot can enter a house. And even then, modern cars dont churn out the stuff like they used to.

My ex's father lives by a main road and i never saw any blackening of the walls (over 30 years visiting house).

I do remember him saying he was never bothered by traffic noise. Then again, he never used to open his windows!

LizardKing · 23 Aug 2020 at 00:38

Live about 100m from the a5 (duel carriage way) and its a pain. During the day it's meh but you can't have the windows open at night if you value your sleep due to the odd bike or car that likes to gun it so often down there.

I don't know how people live in houses that straddle busy roads. They always look filthy and the noise must be unbearable.

TheFew · 23 Aug 2020 at 06:57

I live on the main road into a town, but the house is set back from the road with the garden between the house and the road. It is not so bad, as it is a 30mph road, but the downsides are:
- nearby pedestrian crossing and its beeping
- motor bikes which sound like they are accelerating to 100mph
- large trucks which make some parts of the house vibrate (1980s extension).

But far the worse bit is the lane along side my house where are the noisey drunks walk!

Quint · 23 Aug 2020 at 07:22

I suggest they visit different times of the day/week especially rush hours so they get an idea on noise levels.

koolpc · 23 Aug 2020 at 12:05

I guess good Double glazing would help with the noise in the house. Maybe even triple glazing?

She will have to go back there at different times i guess to see what it is like.

Living next to a busy road

Tea Drinker

Tea Drinker