Professional Sound Insulation Testing Services from PDA

Many lessons have been learned about the adverse effects of what noise egress has on people’s physical and mental health.

Being exposed to loud noise contributes to medical issues such as high blood pressure, poor
concentration, anxiety and sleeplessness. Unfortunately, many residential buildings in the UK were not built historically with sound levels in mind.

Building Regulations Changes

Building Regulations changed in 2003 with the introduction of mandatory sound testing of 10% of all new attached homes, whether new builds, conversions or rooms for residential purposes.
This means that construction companies now need to show evidence of the sound insulation
achieved in new build homes and residential conversions. Sound insulation must now meet the
requirements of BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method).

BREEAM is an assessment method created by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) that sets out standards to meet for building environmental performance through design, construction and specification. It is applied to new build and refurbishment schemes.

The building regulations apply to premises that are undergoing a change of use relating to refurbishments and conversions to domestic dwellings effective from 1st July 2003, and all new build flats and houses from 1st January 2004, and all new domestic extensions, such as extra bedrooms built over a garage, kitchen extensions etc.

Sound insulation testing

Construction firms seeking sound insulation testing for building projects need to ensure they hire
fully qualified and accredited bodies. This is done by checking that the company is either ANC
registered or has UKAS accreditation.

Sound insulation testing involves measuring the resistance of sound provided by a floor or wall
between residential dwellings, which will show how effective the soundproofing is between homes with shared walls or flats with shared floors/ceilings.

PDA’s team of testers are all ANC registered and will provide sound insulation tests for pre- completion building projects in accordance with Approved Document E and its equivalent.

Tests which fail to comply with the minimum requirements of Approved Document E will mean that the separating element will need to be improved and the construction type re-tested.

Building regulations Part E require that buildings be tested before completion to confirm they meet or exceed Part E standards.

Approved Document E is split into four sections:
E1 – Protection against sound from other parts of the building and adjoining buildings.
E2 – Protection against sound within a dwelling/house etc.
E3 – Reverberation in the common internal parts of buildings containing flats or rooms for
residential purposes
E4 – Acoustic Conditions in Schools

We also provide air tightness testing to comply with Part L1 A&B of the Building Regulations.

Do you need professional sound testing?

The PDA team has all the necessary qualifications and experience to perform sound testing for your new build or conversion project. If you are at the beginning stage of your new build or renovation project, we can advise you on the best sound insulation advice and guidance to ensure your building project to meet compliance.

If you need any advice or guidance, do not hesitate to contact us.