SOUND INSULATION TESTING AND DETAILING
Building regulations for new build and converted developments require sound insulation standards to be achieved. Miller Goodall can provide advice and guidance on how best to achieve these standards, either by assessing plans and specifications provided or visiting an existing building and providing detailing advice on how to achieve the sound insulation criteria. We can then provide pre-completion sound insulation testing and a report suitable for Building Control approval.
Sound insulation detailing
Specifying construction details for walls, floors, junctions and penetrations can be daunting and if not done correctly can be difficult and expensive to put right. Miller Goodall can help you design your project so that it meets the requirements of “Approved Document E (ADE) – Resistance to the passage of sound” without the need for expensive and time-consuming remediation work. We have experience of acoustic design of all types of construction and are able to advise on standard specifications and also to develop bespoke details for wall, floor and ceiling build-ups.
Sound insulation testing
The Miller Goodall team includes a number of sound insulation testers registered with the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) and can quickly provide sound insulation testing suitable for Building Control approval. If you’re unsure about sound insulation testing and how many tests you think you need, give us a call and we will be happy to talk you through the process.
What is sound insulation testing?
Sound insulation testing, or sound testing as it is also called, is a method of testing a party floor or party wall (also known as separating floors/walls) to show that their acoustic properties meet minimum acoustic standards set out in the Building Regulations. These tests have to be carried out in accordance with certain standards and testers must either registered with the ANC scheme or UKAS accredited. Download our brief guide to what happens during a sound insulation test here.
How many tests are needed?
The number of tests you will need for your project depends on the number of adjacent dwellings, the specific room-to-room adjacencies and the types of construction used. Document E recommends as a minimum that one set of tests is undertaken for every ten dwellings of the same type and same construction. The number of individual tests in a set of tests varies but is typically no more than six tests per set in total. For more information on how many tests and which rooms are involved in sound insulation testing, read our quick guide here.
When is testing carried out?
The rooms to be tested need to be complete in terms of walls, floors, ceilings, windows, doors, door seals, trickle vents and ventilation system (if installed), electrical sockets and switches sealed into pattresses or boxes. However, tests on floors must be conducted without soft coverings e.g. carpet, foam backed vinyl etc. For more information on the conditions needed to complete a sound insulation test, read our quick guide here.
What happens if the property fails?
If a wall or floor doesn’t meet the minimum performance requirements of Document E, Building Control will ask for remedial work to put right the construction and often will ask for re-test to facilitate Building Control sign off. It is sometimes relatively straightforward to identify the reasons for test failure, by listening to the noise transmitted within the building and analysing the test results. If this is the case, our consultants can normally provide advice on the day of testing.Sometimes the reasons for failure can be less obvious, and further investigative work may be required using non-destructive methods that can help to pinpoint the problem with a high degree of precision.
Request a quick quote today, or contact us to talk about your requirements.
The whole team was professional, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. They were always available to answer our many questions and give additional advice and support in a very complicated and specialist field. Their support and advice were invaluable. I would definitely recommend them to other developers and will use them again.
Bringing Miller Goodall into your project as environmental consultants means you can be certain that you are meeting the required standards of environmental best practice. Talk to us: info@millergoodall.co.uk
