Birmingham - Domestic Sound Insulation Testing - 0121 381 0129

The counties covered by this office are:
West Midlands, Herefordshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Worcestershire, Shropshire,

Phone Number: 0121 381 0129 Email: birmingham@e2consultants.co.uk

Our sound testing consultants specialise in the provision of high quality and practical acoustic consultancy to both the public and private sectors in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. Typically working with residential and commercial developers, architects, local planning authorities and environmental services.

Having been involved in building and architectural projects at all stages of development, from the specification of the external building envelope and internal separating elements, through to pre-completion testing, our expert advice has been sought after for a variety of projects. From new build, refurbished and converted developments including residential, commercial, entertainment, leisure and hotels, in addition to a wide variety of mixed-use developments.

We strongly believe that our sound testing service delivery around the Birmingham area is second to none and that clients retain our expert services because of our continuous commitment to providing high quality and cost-effective advice.

We offer professional acoustic consultancy in Birmingham, involving comprehensive services across all aspects of sound testing, noise measurement, assessment and control. All of our engineers are accredited sound testers under the SITMA scheme.

For a quote or more information, call one of our consultants on 'phone or email 'email

We actively encourage our Birmingham clients to seek our services at the earliest opportunity so sound testing and the integration of any acoustic issues can feature into the overall design of a development; removing the need for costly revisions.

Building Regulations

Approved Document E in the Building Regulations is what outlines what's required when it comes to sound tests, amongst other things. There's a lot of information to take in from it but there are two main points we need to know. Firstly, it's the responsibility of the person carrying out the building work to make sure that the right sound tests are undertaken. Secondly, all new dwellings should be tested as well as buildings where the use of it is to be changed. For example, a house being converted into flats or a factory becoming a hotel.

How Many Tests Will I Need?

A set of sound tests is usually made up of six individual tests - two airborne walls, two airborne floors and two impact floors. A full set like this is required when properties, like in a block of flats, are separated fron one another by both a wall and a floor. If your dwellings are not laid out in this way then a full set will not be needed and you will only need a combination of these sets depending on how the properties are split.

Document E of Building Regulations describes how at least one test should be undertaken for every ten properties in a group. Where confusion can occur is what is meant by the term 'group' as it may not necessarily mean ten percent of all buildings.

A group relates to the type of property you'll be testing. So flats, for example, are one group and houses are another. If you have ten properties but six are houses and four are flats then you will need to test one from each group - not one from the overall pack as it may first appear. Within these groups it can get even more complicated with sub-groups relating to the type of construction used and how one property differs from the next. To avoid confusion and make sure you get the right amount of tests done first time around, we suggest giving our sound team a call on 'phone.

Here are some quick examples. A hotel with 135 rooms would need 14 full sets - one in ten separated by floors and walls. 15 terraced houses would need 2 sets of 2 airborne walls - one in ten separated by walls only.

What Can Be Tested?

Sound tests can only be done between living spaces. A study, bedroom, dining room, living room and kitchen all count as living spaces. Stairs, hallways and corridors do not count as a living area.

If there is nowhere in the property that meets this living space to living space requirement then no test is needed.

Guidance in ADE 2003 on pre-completion testing indicates that tests should be carried out at a rate of one set of tests of each construction sub-group completed, whatever the size of the development and thereafter at least one set of tests every ten completions (assuming no failures).

Advice is given on the materials and construction details for separating floors and walls and the key interfaces with other building elements. We also offer advice on the additional requirements of ADE 2003 including the control of reverberation in common areas and the performance of internal walls and floors.

The onus is on the developer to perform pre-completion testing before the property can be 'released to market' and it is now an offence not to perform pre-completion testing. We often advise property developers, contractors, housing associations and local authorities on the implications of ADE 2003.

In July 2003, the new Approved Document E 'Resistance to the Passage of Sound' (ADE 2003) of the Building Regulations came into force. This requires that new residential properties and rooms for residential purposes be tested (known as pre-completion testing) to demonstrate compliance with the explicit sound insulation performance requirements of ADE 2003.

We advise a number of clients on the practical application of RSDs as in some instances the option for construction are potentially reduced and construction costs may be significantly higher than those of a non-RSD structure.

Pre-Completion Testing - The following table outlines the sets of tests that are required for new and converted properties.

For further Domestic Sound Insulation Testing information for your area, be sure to check out Sound-Testing-Birmingham.co.uk.

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