# Patio vs tree vs generator



## KAanders (Dec 5, 2020)

Here's the layout:

I have a little 8ft x 10ft strip between the garage (on east) and the fence (on west) paved with 1 foot pavers. The garbage bins live there. This opens up to the south behind the garage to a 20ft x 20ft area which currently has a mix of grass and gravel. The backup generator lives here next to the fence (2 feet away). Generator is 2-3 feet wide. The fence is 6ft tall. The garage 1 storey. The house is 2 storey. This opens to the south to the main back lawn.

What I want is to continue the pavers in this 20ft x 20ft area, replacing the grass and gravel.

My problem is that my neighbor is Mr. Nice. He has a bedroom window 2nd floor on the other side of the fence. His house is 8ft from the fence. The generator runs once in two weeks for maintenence. Its about as loud as a lawnmower. This is plenty loud already, I dont want to add a sound-reflecting patio and turn it into an echo chamber.

I was thinking of planting arbor vitae or vines next to the house or around the generator (non exhaust side) to help control the sound. But these would be pretty close to the generator or house.

Thoughts? Advice?


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## 1FASTSS (Jul 11, 2018)

Pics would be helpful. You could use the evergreens to help shelter the sound some if you needed the area for a patio?


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

Hmmm, interesting conundrum and I only have one prior experience to go on and the generator was pretty big for a portable but, not 2'x3' big.

What I did was build a wood-frame "manger" - essentially 3 sides and slope roof (down as it went away from the open side). The reduction in noise was huge! (We had no neighbors but, when the power was out for hours, let alone days, the loud noise of that sucker out back eventually frazzled the nerves (everyone is already a little on edge cuz, well, there's been no power for (fill-in-the-blank)! Anyhoo, the 3-sided, covered "open shed" directed the noise straight back into the woods behind our house. It was awesome!

I'm curious if an impermeable surface - on the ground - would have the effect of creating an echo chamber versus directing the sound waves more in an upward and (*if* the fence is in between the generator and the neighbor) "away" from the neighbor's hacienda ... ?


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