Modern day living has created an extremely loud environment, which can be detrimental to health and well being. The use of technology, the growth of inner city living, apartment developments and the trend towards hard flooring finishes all contribute to issues of unwanted sound and 'noisy neighbours'.
To combat the noise pollution problems the Government has introduced specific legislation:
Approved Document Part E (*England and Wales) of the Building Regulations 'Resistance to the Passage of Sound' which came into effect on 1st July 2003 for refurbishment and 1st July 2004 for new build.
The aims of the Part E legislation are:
- To improve acoustics and therefore sound privacy between residential dwellings
- To improve the sound reduction of internal walls and floors within the home
- To improve the sound reduction between rooms and in common areas in hostels, hotels, residential homes, schools, hospitals etc.
- To re-address sound performance criteria, taking into account modern day low frequency sounds such as TV, stereo, etc.
There are two ways in which a developer can demonstrate compliance with Part E1 and E2: Robust Details and Pre-Completion Testing.