One growing problem which is people complaining about neighbour noise. The problem can occur in any type of existing or new built house or flat where there is a common separating wall or floor. Poor quality conversions or building work in flats, lofts, extensions etc, frequently cause noise complaints from residents.
For most flats/units converted before June 1992 there may have been little or no sound insulation upgrades undertaken on the floor or walls along with no sound insulation tests. If this is the case, upgrading the floor or walls is likely to lead to significant improvements.
Conversions carried out after July 2003 should already have been tested and shown to have achieved the Building Regulation performance standards (Approved Document E) for sound insulation testing. If you are unsure that the sound testing was carried out, you can contact the management company or your local building control office and ask for evidence of that sound testing was undertaken along with the corresponding pass report.
The three main reasons for noise complaints are usually:
- The sound insulation between your homes is poor
- You are unusually sensitive to noise
- Your neighbour behaves unreasonably
More often than not it is at least 2 of the above issues that raise cause for complaint. In our experience if the sound insulation is sufficient then the chances of complaints are greatly reduced.
If you feel that you may have problems with poor sound insulation in your floor and walls and you would like more information in regards to acoustic design advice, sound testing or noise surveys please contact us now at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or call us on 01525 303905.