Soundproofing in residential dwellings is undoubtedly crucial. It is one of the most common reasons for tension between neighbours and coinhabitants. Furthermore, living in a noisy environment is proven to increase stress levels and negatively impact mental and physical health.
In this blog, we discuss what soundproof testing is and the requirements to pass the pre-completion sound testing.
What are Building Regulations Part E?
Approved document E is the section in the UK building regulations that lays out the requirements for soundproofing in domestic and commercial properties. Volume 1, which we are looking at here, applies to any building considered a dwelling. This includes flats, detached homes, semi-detached homes, terrace houses and any residential building such as student accommodation or hotels. It also applies to both new builds and conversions, and extensions.
There are two sections to the building regulation part E, which are:
- E1-soundproofing from noise from adjoining buildings
- E2-sound transmission within the home itself
Document E has clear rules regarding dividing walls and floors and internal acoustic insulation. Although there is no set way to soundproof a property, sound standards must be met through sound testing, and proof of this must be communicated with Building Control.
How To Pass A Soundproofing Test In Dwellings
To pass the soundproofing regulations, a number of areas within a dwelling will need to be addressed with soundproofing. These are:
- Internal stud walls.
- Masonry dividing walls.
- All floors above ground level (if there is a below ground level, the ground floor will also require soundproofing.)
- External walls.
What To Expect From A Soundproofing Test
Pre-completion sound testing, or PCT, determines whether soundproofing is adequate within the dwelling.
A small to medium-sized domestic dwelling can expect to have the following:
- Two airborne wall tests.
- Two impact floor tests.
- Two airborne floor tests.
It is worth noting that the larger the building, the more testing will be required.
Soundproofing is measured by a spectrum adaption term which includes the airborne sound and the reverberation created by noise. This term is DnT,w + Ctr dB.
The other metric used is L'nt,w dB which is the weighted, standardised impact sound pressure level of a floor/ceiling assembly. The lower the LnTw, the better the acoustic performance. Both of these metrics are used to calculate the below data.
The minimum and maxim soundproofing requirements to pass the PCT are as follows:
Performance Standards For Separating Walls, Floors And Stairs
The requirement for wall soundproofing of airborne sound pollution in purpose-built dwellings is 45 dB.
The requirement for floors and ceilings in purpose-built dwellings of airborne sound also sits at 45 dB. However, there is also a requirement of 62 dB for impact sound (such as walking on floorboards).
In renovations and conversions (material changed dwellings), the requirement for airborne soundproofing in the walls, floors and ceilings is slightly lower at 43 dB.
However, the requirements for impact soundproofing are slightly higher (meaning less soundproofing) in a change of use dwellings than in purpose-built dwellings at 64 dB.
Performance Standards For Residential Rooms With Separating Walls, Floors And Stairs.
The only difference in soundproofing requirements is the minimum value of wall soundproofing against airborne sound pollution in rooms with a residential purpose. The requirement is 43 dB rather than 45 dB.
Upper Floor Soundproofing Requirement
When you are soundproofing any floor above the ground floor, you will need to add acoustic insulation and chipboard to the joist to meet the requirements.
We recommend using a minimum of 100mm acoustic insulation in these areas to ensure the minimum sound penetration is met. Furthermore, you could also use a dense acoustic-grade plasterboard to further decrease sound penetration.
Soundproofing Walls
One of the most common materials used in soundproofing is acoustic-grade plasterboard. Standard plasterboard traditionally has an 8kg APB whereas acoustic plasterboard is 12.8kg, meaning that the product is far denser. This results in a reduction of sound passing through the wall.
The use of internal acoustic insulation is also very common, and at Fastbuild, we have a range of acoustic insulation in differing thicknesses.
H3-Soundproofing External Walls
Although it is not mandatory to soundproof external walls, if they aren't constructed of extremely thick masonry for the comfort of the occupant, you might want to consider additional soundproofing.
To kill two birds with one stone, you could install a fire-rated plasterboard, as these are dense to prevent the fast spread of a fire. The density of fire-rated plasterboard can assist in further soundproofing as well.
Soundproofing Internal Walls
In conjunction with the second part of approved document E, there should be soundproofing in internal walls. A stud-partition wall, for example, to pass the soundproofing test will require the installation of semi-rigid wool insulation and dense plasterboard.
However, it is worth noting that there are multiple ways to soundproof a stud wall, so it is always best to consider any other factors that may contribute to sound pollution, such as doors and vents.
Soundproofing Masonry Walls
When erecting more substantial walls, masonry blocks are the best material to construct them. However, building a two-pointed-up dense block wall will still require soundproofing to meet regulation standards as sound travels more prominently through a dense structure.
Filling the cavity with mineral fibre will add soundproofing. Still, if you want to ensure that minimal noise can penetrate the wall, you could install a thermal layer of insulation before installing sound-grade plasterboard.
While working on-site, it’s always good to keep up to date with the UK's building regulations to ensure that your projects are up to current standards. We have multiple other blogs discussing the UK's building regulations, including A Guide To Domestic Stairs: UK Building Regulations Part K.
