SFGate

eithkrp1 Sorry, put older picture of front of house. Here's current:

Ironwood Builders With no landscape features to start from, close set evergreen seems like a good plan. Closed fencing would look inappropriate with your wrought iron and as you say, stone that tall would be $$.

eithkrp1 Problem is I need something more than just plants to block down some of the equipment noise.

asinasac You could build a nice shed /outbuilding around it and that structure could have acoustic / sound dampening drywall.

eithkrp1 Agreed, just trying to determine what type of materials. Don't think it needs to be converted though. Get into issues with venting the heater.

eithkrp1 Sorry, covered.

angelakahle I have same problem with two a/c units on both sides of house and we have short wrought iron fences. It would take awhile for plants to grow. Lowes/Home Depot has plastic panel fences (tan and white) with stakes that go simply into the ground. You only have to buy one of these to cover your area. In front of fence, plant a hedging that is evergreen and it should disguise, cover, and absorb noise. If you go with the tan or white, it will match the house in the background and look clean. Try it and take it back if you don't like it. Around $30 each and found normally on the outside patio of store.

Ohlenburg Inc I would plant in front of the equipment in a freeform layout not just a hedge that will draw you eye to it. Make is like is was an intentional planting area.

Ohlenburg Inc I would plant in front of the equipment in a freeform layout not just a hedge that will draw you eye to it. Make is like is was an intentional planting area.

eithkrp1 Planting won't solve my problem by itself, I need a wood structure of some type to block the noise. My question is what type of materials to use to blend in with house and landscaping. I intend for it to be mostly hidden by plants but don't want it to look cheesy next to a high end pool.

lefty47 HI -- Why not have a small structure built that kind of looks like your front porch on the house with the same roof but has some vents on the back side of it and paint it the same colors as the house . Then most of the sides can have insulation for noise proofing. You will need some bi-fold type doors for access then plant a row of hedgeing plants behind and end sides to hide it a bit more. People I knew had built , what looked like an out house around theirs , it was hilarious and the talk of the neighborhood , but they were out on a country property so it suited .

abbshel I would put a low wood fence and then in front of the fence plant dense shrubbery.
You're going to need to be able to get to the equipment, and you don't want shrubbery growing up and around it, so the fence will both shield and protect the equipment and also allow easy access.

I've never seen this, but just had a thought about lining the inside (side facing equipment) of the fence with a dense rubber for further sound insulation.

tennisanyone check out my problem with discussion in Shed and Fence (should I paint the fence). See if that helps you. I would like to see what you come up with too.My wood fence blocks the noise but I'm not sure I like the look of it anymore.

ASVInteriors Acoustic buffering usually involves some form of interrupting the sound waves. Hence in windows, there are two panes of different thicknesses with some air (or other gas) in between. This interrupts the flow. I have seen these in Europe to as sound barriers for houses by the road etc.

Planting is also essential as the shrubs tend to interrupt sound waves as well (up to a point). I have used clumping bamboo to great effect by a railway line. The bamboo absorbs some of the soundwaves rather than bouncing them up or away....

Hope the acoustic info helps. I am sure you can find some more info online.

If I were to do anything I would build an enclosure like a fence mirroring your shutters on the front of your house. I would then use planting around it with a thicker set of shrubs (but as full of branches as the one in your first photo - the "leggier" they are the better they seem to be at interrupting sound.