Expert: Ted Barnhill (Principal, Design45 LLC) - 6/16/2007

Question
Our neighbors air conditioner is right outside our bedroom window. It runs all day whether it is hot or not. I would like to install a panel from the house out about 6 feet by about 5-6 feet high to help reduce the noise.I am thinking about a solid vinyl fence panel. It would be on my side about 2-3 feet from the conditioner. Would this do any good at all or is there another solution.

Answer
That sounds like a frustrating problem.  I'm not an acoustician, but I have some experience here.  There are various factors to consider in designing acoustical control, including the physical geometry of the situation and the frequency of the noise.  Also, sound can be absorbed or reflected, depending on your application.  In your case, I would be concerned that the vinyl panel would reflect high frequency (but not low frequency) noise, but that it would just reverberate between your two houses, resulting in little improvement.  There are commercially available acoustical panels suitable for exterior installation; alternately, some concrete block is designed for this function, if you want a more permanent solution.  I suggest that you start with an affordable (and returnable) panel or two and prop them up to see the results before going on to a more complete and expensive solution.  Good luck!