Sound Testing Services for new dwellings
Sound Testing Services became mandatory in England & Wales in 2003, when Approved Document E was updated. Approved Document E requires new and converted to achieve a reasonable level of sound insulation between dwellings. The easiest way simplest way to comply with the requirements of Approved Document E; is to have on-site pre-completion sound insulation testing carried out on your project.
Many of our clients are clients are apprehensive prior to having to undertake pre-completion sound insulation tests. This is often down to the fear of failure; however if the the acoustic design specification has been undertaken from the offset of the project and is closely followed during the construction phase then he chance of potential failure is greatly reduced.
Approved Document E requires a minimum of one ‘set’ of tests for every ten units in each group and/or sub group. This is usually broken down to two airborne wall, two airborne floor and two impact sound tests. If you have a development of 25 houses, with five different sub-groups (5 units in each) then you would usually conduct 5 ‘sets’ of tests. If no separating floors are available, i.e. in semi-detached or terraced houses, one set of tests would consist of two airborne tests of separating walls only.
If the precompletion test results do not satisfy the performance criteria of Approved Document E, then our test engineer will attempt to determine the possible causes of failure. This may be to do with construction detailing around services or at junctions, or simply, poor acoustic design. Once a specific reason for failure has been determined, we can then advise the client on remedial actions that can be undertaken.
If you have a project that’s needs acoustic design advice or needs precompletion sound testing then please contact us at: info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or call us directly on 07775623464.