Sound Testing and Acoustic Design for Lease Conditions 

Are you changing from carpet to hard floor finishes in you apartment?

If you are changing a carpet floor finish to wooden and/or tile flooring in a leased residential dwelling, then you will need to check what your lease allows you to. In existing apartment blocks it is very common for the corresponding residential lease to contain clauses that may restrict alterations to floor finishes, this is normally where carpeted flooring is in place, but this also applies to where hard or wooden floor finishes are being altered as well e.g., wood to stone finish.

Usually, the lease clause will state that  sound insulation testing of the new floors is required to provide the same resistance to sound as the existing floor construction. In our experience, most lease conditions require sound testing prior to works commencing to ascertain the existing acoustic performance, thereafter a second set of sound tests must be undertaken once the works are complete to check that the sound insulation is the same (or better) than the original flooring.

Sometimes the lease will also stipulate that an acoustic consultant must be employed to prepare a robust acoustic design for the floor, to ensure the desired sound reduction will be achieved. It can be difficult to ensure that a wooden floor construction will offer the same acoustic performance as an existing carpeted floor, and therefore a detailed acoustic design as well as careful site installation is required to ensure compliance with the clause of the lease.

 

Acoustic design and sound testing for lease condition compliance

We have helped hundreds of clients to comply with the acoustics for their lease conditions, so please get in touch if you need help. We usually undertake the following process to achieve compliance:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Pre-works Sound Testing – This offers an accurate overview of the acoustic performance of the existing floor partition/s prior to the commencement of construction works. It also enables us to offer a targeted acoustic design using the sound insulation performance of the existing construction.
                  2. Acoustic Design Review – We will analyse the sound test results as well as the existing construction detail of the party floor; thereafter, we will review your proposed floor specification and forward our findings via an easy-to-follow acoustic design report. The report will contain the materials to be used as well as installation instructions to meet the requirements of the lease. The acoustic design review is very important to ensure install the correct materials to attain compliance with your lease.
                  3. Site Inspection Visit – Our engineers will visit site and check that acoustic correct materials are being installed inline with manufacturer’s guidelines.
                  4. Post-works Sound Testing – Once the new flooring is installed, we will conduct post completion sound testing to provide evidence that the lease requirements have been met, we then provide the test reports to provide to your management agent for sign off.

If you need help with the acoustic design and sound testing to comply with the lease condition/s on your project;  or, you have a problem with raised noise levels due to neighbours changing their floor construction, we provide an acoustic design and sound testing solution to achieve compliance with your lease condition.

Please visit our website now at www.aptsoundtesting.co.uk or contact us now at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk  or phone us on 01525 303905.