New build regulations are important in homes and schools because they ensure that the property will be safe, healthy and comfortable to live and work in. The UK government provides a list of all of these new house building regulations which cover topics from fire safety to electrics and building access requirements. You can view all of these UK new build regulation approved documents here.
Document E of the new house building regulations provides information about the levels of home soundproofing and noise resistance that need to be met. The new home soundproofing regulations are aimed at minimising sound both from neighbouring properties, and between internal walls. It’s highly likely that if you are looking to get a new build home, these soundproofing building regulations may impact you, so it’s well worth knowing what they mean for you and your family.
What does document E of the building regulations document say?
Understanding the soundproofing building regulations document can be a daunting task. There are over 80 pages of information covering a wide range of circumstances and technical terminology. That’s why we have done our best to summarise this document for you.
In summary the soundproofing building regulations set out the home soundproofing standards for new build homes, conversions and some commercial buildings like schools. It is divided into 2 sections with E1 looking at protecting against noise through shared walls and adjoining buildings, and E2 looking at sound reverberation inside the home.
In the soundproofing regulations they also establish the minimum level of airborne sound resistance in these new home builds. The minimum level of airborne sound resistance is set at 45 decibels across buildings and 40 decibels across internal walls and floors.
There are some exceptions to these new build soundproofing regulations. For instance walls that have doors in them and ensuite bathrooms are exempt from meeting these soundproofing requirements. Additionally, new build detached homes are also exempt from meeting these requirements.
What can soundproofing consultants and companies like dB Soundproofing do to help new build homes meet these soundproofing regulations?
Limiting the amount of sound your home transmits into other homes and around your own home is extremely important for new build homeowners. These regulations can be hard to understand and follow, especially when your home is already built.That’s where soundproofing consultants and companies like us at dB soundproofing come in. We can provide you with a number of soundproofing solutions to ensure your home is as soundproof as possible and help meet these new build soundproofing regulations.
Soundproofing Walls
The good news is that sound across walls are easy disturbances to eliminate, and soundproofing a wall does not require sacrificing living space. Soundproofing panels applied directly to a wall will only restrict the living space in the room by 50mm.
Wall soundproofing is excellent for use in even the tiniest rooms of your home if you want to eliminate annoying domestic sounds without losing important living space.
Soundproofing Ceilings
dB Soundproofing is able to quote for insulating the cavity between the ceiling and the floor to prevent airborne sounds from travelling through the ceiling. To comply with current new build soundproofing requirements, this method of ceiling soundproofing can be used on new construction and conversions.
Many homes have plasterboard, or lathe and plaster ceilings that are attached to wooden ceiling joists with boards or a chipboard floor laid over the joists, resulting in a void or cavity. This void can be filled with our acoustic soundproofing treatment to meet the new build home soundproofing criteria.
Soundproofing Floors
We can provide a variety of floor soundproofing products, such as rubber mats or treated underlays. These are typically used to reduce the effects of impact noise, such as footfall or doors. It isn’t completely effective in minimising your neighbours’ airborne noise.
dB Soundproofing has some excellent options for decreasing airborne noise from your upstairs neighbours. Using acoustic floor insulation between joists to suppress airborne noises, we can soundproof a floor for enhanced noise reduction.
For new homeowners, limiting the amount of sound that your home emits into other homes and around your own is critical. These new build soundproofing regulations might be difficult to comprehend and follow, which is where soundproofing consultants and businesses like dB soundproofing come in. We can provide you with a variety of soundproofing options to make your home as soundproof as possible and help you comply with the soundproofing laws.
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We hope that this blog post has helped explain the UK new build soundproofing rules and regulations. If you have any more questions, or want to have your new build home soundproofed please GET A FREE QUOTE or CONTACT US today to discuss a project or to learn more about how soundproofing can benefit you.