BUILDING REGULATIONS PART E – RESISTANCE TO THE PASSAGE OF SOUND

New Building Regulations came into force on 1st July 2003 relating to the resistance to the passage of sound (Part E).

The Regulations are being introduced as part of the Governments overall strategy to improve quality of life, and are considered necessary as more than two thirds of all complaints received by Environmental Health Officers relate to some form of domestic noise.

Below is a list of some of the main changes in the new Approved Document E (2003 edition) that you should be aware of, but please note that this it is not possible to relay all the changes concisely, and reference should be made to the full document, which can be viewed on the Planning Portal Website.

Transitional provisions apply
Work that has been approved prior to July 1st 2003 without conditions, or work in relation to an application that commences before this date, will not be required to meet these new standards.

Pre-Completion testing
A new provision requiring pre-completion sound testing by acoustic engineers has been introduced. This applies from 1st July 2003 to dwellings formed by conversions, and from 1st July 2004 to new dwellings. A list of approved contractors is available by clicking here.


Robust Standard Details
The Government have confirmed that if approved robust standard details are used in the construction of new dwellings, pre-completion testing will not be required from 1st July 2004. New regulations have been introduced to allow this, and further details of this scheme can be found by viewing our information sheet or by visiting the ‘Robust Details Limited’ website.

Flats over shops etc.
A higher standard of sound insulation may be required between domestic and commercial premises. Specialist advice should be sought to determine appropriate levels.

Flanking sound
Construction meeting the new standards is of little use if sound waves can reach adjacent rooms by taking sound paths with a lesser resistance. To prevent this, new requirements have been introduced stipulating minimum distances between windows and party walls/ floors. Cavity stops at the junction with external cavity walls are also essential to reduce this flanking sound, and timber joists must not be built into party walls.

Examples
Many examples of construction meeting the new standards are given in the Approved Document, but these are not compulsory and there may well be other forms of construction that would satisfy the requirements of the Regulations. You should seek advice from manufacturers in this respect, and look for third party accreditation, such as BBA certificates.

It is important to note, however, that there are significant changes between acceptable constructions detailed in the previous Approved Document and those shown in the 2003 edition. For example, a suitable construction shown in the new Approved Document relating to timber separating floors indicates that it is now necessary to provide an independent ceiling in addition to a floating floor.

I hope you find this brief summary useful, but please contact a Building Control Surveyor if you wish to discuss any aspect of these new requirements.