By Ben Hancock, Managing Director at Oscar Acoustics
It’s an all too familiar scene – the thumping of footsteps from noisy neighbours above or loud music being heard through adjacent walls, disturbing the tranquillity in our homes. For many people, particularly those living in flats and apartments with poor sound insulation, it can be a hellish experience – one which can impact sleep, concentration and even lead to physical health issues such as hypertension, heart disease and even strokes if left unchecked over time.
So, how can housebuilders and developers put a stop to this long-standing issue and ensure homes remain free of unwanted noise? The solution lies in quality soundproofing.
What’s causing the issues?
The densification of our towns and cities means that many of us now live within close proximities of our neighbours, yet many homes are missing key design elements, such as quality noise insulation and soundproofing to cope with the problem of excessive sound transfer.
This sound passes through ceilings and floors as vibrations and without a barrier to blockade these vibrations, it’s allowed to travel, resulting in the noise we hear coming through our ceilings or walls.
The problem is so wide spread, it’s even catching the attention of national media – only recently a story was covered about a ‘dream flat’ in Kensington that was ruined because of poor sound insulation. Local authorities are also having to foot the bill, costing them thousands of pounds in complaints handling each year. Annually, UK councils receive more than 420,000 complaints about noise, and perhaps not surprisingly, since the start of lockdown, these have sky-rocketed.
Finding a solution
There are solutions to tackle noise from above and with an isolated soundproof ceiling, its possible to break the path of sound vibrations, and significantly reduce the transfer of unwanted noise between floors. A ‘floating ceiling’, can be achieved using fire-rated acoustic ceiling hangers which help restore the peace in a space.
A premium acoustic hanger can even be used across uneven joists to allow for a flat ceiling finish with minimum ceiling height loss. Once complete, it will appear no different to a standard plastered ceiling, so occupants will never know any difference. Acoustic hangers are ideal for those working with flats or shared accommodation as all work is carried out from the room below with no work required to the floor above. This is easier than installing acoustic flooring because there is no need to alter heights of skirting boards and doors.
Ensuring Safety
As the focus on fire safety increases, housebuilders and developers need to be sure that the products they are using are fit for purpose. Accreditations and certifications are proof of third-party testing and a clear sign of quality. Builders should ensure that acoustic hangers come with an approved BRE fire rating of over 90-minutes and be compliant with British building regs ‘Approved Document E’, (which deals with airborne and impact sound). Settling for anything less could jeopardise the lives of occupants if an event should occur.
Fill the void
Another way of improving soundproofing in the home is through cavity fill insulation which works by creating ‘dead air’ spaces between and within its fibres, shutting down excessive sound transfer. It’s one of the quickest and most cost-effective steps you can take to tackle unwanted sound transfer and has the added advantage of lowering heating bills.
Typically, this can be sprayed into a cavity before the void is closed, or blown through carefully drilled holes on existing structures. It seals any gaps and cracks in the wallboard, around electrical outlets, plumbing and other irregularities so there are no compressed areas or voids to allow sound leaks or air infiltration.
Sustainable builders should also look out for recycled thermal sound insulation products on the market that are made from natural, paper-based fibres. It’s also essential to check that the product you’re choosing is fire-rated and adheres to industry standards.
Homes to be proud of
The quality of our homes has become a major talking point and with the introduction of new legislation such as the Building Safety Bill, means that safety is getting the attention it deserves.
However, while other aspects of wellbeing are increasingly front of mind for specifiers, ambiguity around acoustic health hasn’t helped the problem, and standards have slipped as a result. The Building Regulations (2010) ‘Approved Document E’ ‘Resistance to the passage of sound’, stipulates that walls and floors should reduce transmission to conjoining rooms, however, it lacks any instruction on soundproofing products that can actively tackle this issue.
What’s more, the recent Building Better, Building Beautiful report commissioned by the Government at the start of 2021, which focuses on increasing the quality of new homes and buildings has no mention or guidelines on effective soundproofing methods. It’s clear that more awareness is needed over the issue of noise pollution on the government agenda.
If we’re to create homes that truly serve its occupants then the responsibility ultimately lies with the housebuilder. With more of us spending more time at homes, the welfare of those living in these spaces needs to be considered and ensuring quality soundproofing can go a long way to improving both physical and mental health.
For those unsure of the latest sound regulations or those hoping to improve acoustic standards as part of their next project, a handy guide has been included below:
Regs
Noise regulations checklist
- Minimum standards for soundproofing residential buildings in England and Wales For dwellings: Building Regulations Document E
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/resistance-to-sound-approved-document-e
- Under the regulations, the internal airborne sound resistance inside any dwelling must be a minimum of 40dB. It applies to walls and upper floors between bedrooms and other rooms (there is one exception: any wall that has a door in it and walls to en-suite bathrooms).
- For impact sound such as footsteps, jumping and dropped objects, a maximum impact sound transmittance level of 62dB is set for floors and stairs in new builds. A maximum of 64dB is set for conversion projects.