UKAS-accredited airborne and impact sound testing for new build and conversion dwellings. Reports within 24 hours. Can be combined with air tightness testing on the same site visit.
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Part E requires different tests depending on the type of separating element and the building configuration. Most new build and conversion projects require both.
Airborne tests measure how much sound from speech, music, or television passes through a separating wall or floor from one dwelling into an adjacent one. A loudspeaker generates a known sound level in the source room; a precision microphone measures the level received in the adjacent room.
The result is expressed as DnTw + Ctr (dB) — the weighted standardised level difference, adjusted for low-frequency noise. Higher values mean better sound insulation.
Impact tests measure how well a floor prevents footstep noise and other structure-borne impacts from being transmitted to the room below. A calibrated tapping machine drops a series of hammer blows onto the floor above; a precision microphone measures the resulting impact noise level in the receiving room beneath.
The result is expressed as LnTw (dB) — the weighted standardised impact sound pressure level. Lower values mean better impact sound insulation.
A typical sound test for a set of party walls and floors takes between two and four hours on site, depending on the number of separating elements to be assessed.
Part E sets out minimum sampling requirements based on development size and construction type. For small developments with consistent construction, you won't need to test every separating element — but the minimum number must be tested to a prescribed pattern.
For a typical small residential development of fewer than ten similar units, a minimum set of tests normally includes two airborne wall tests, two airborne floor tests, and two impact floor tests. If any test fails, all remaining untested elements of the same type must be tested.
For larger developments, the required number of tests increases. We confirm the minimum requirement for your specific scheme before booking — and can advise on a testing programme that fits your completion schedule.
Sound tests are sensitive to site conditions. Background noise from adjacent construction activity, incomplete finishes, or floor coverings that shouldn't yet be fitted are among the most common reasons for invalid results or failed tests — almost all of which are avoidable with the right preparation.
The most important rule for impact testing: no floor coverings on separating floors before the test. Carpet, laminate, or engineered flooring applied before the impact test will improve the measured result but invalidate it — because the test is assessing the structural floor, not the finished surface.
We send a full preparation checklist at the point of booking. If you are unsure whether your site is ready, call us before the test day rather than after — it saves time and avoids wasted visits.
A well-designed and correctly specified separating wall or floor can still fail a sound test if flanking transmission is not controlled. Flanking occurs when sound travels via indirect routes — through the floor screed, ceiling void, wall ties, or connected structural elements — rather than directly through the separating element itself.
It is one of the most common causes of unexpected test failures, particularly in masonry construction where continuous floor screeds, wall plates, and ring beams create efficient flanking paths that no amount of acoustic insulation in the party wall will address.
The solution is almost always a design-stage decision — flanking routes need to be broken by physical discontinuities, resilient fixings, or correctly specified acoustic barriers at junctions. Retrofitting these after construction is difficult and expensive.
We coordinate sound insulation testing around your completion programme, often on the same site visit as air tightness testing to reduce costs and disruption.
Looking for sound insulation testing near you? Whether you have a conversion in Cheltenham, an apartment block in Birmingham, or a terrace development in Bristol — we deliver compliant Part E results with pre-test guidance to help you pass first time. Call 01386 365145 or email us to book.
It depends on your development type. All separating walls require airborne testing. Separating floors between apartments require both airborne and impact tests. Houses do not have separating floors between dwellings, so only airborne wall tests are required for typical terraced or semi-detached houses.
If you're unsure which tests apply to your project, contact us before booking and we'll confirm based on your building type and configuration.
Approved Document E specifically calls out that testing should be carried out by a UKAS-accredited body or equivalent. Many local Building Control authorities and NHBC warranty inspectors require UKAS-accredited results before accepting compliance.
Using a non-accredited tester risks having your results rejected and needing to retest, causing delays and additional cost. Our UKAS accreditation means your certificates will be accepted by all Building Control bodies in England and Wales.
If a test fails, our report will include the measured result, the shortfall against the required standard, and guidance on the most likely causes. Common reasons include flanking transmission, unsealed gaps around service penetrations, incomplete skimming of party walls, or missing/incorrectly installed acoustic membranes.
In most cases we can advise on targeted remedial measures that don't require demolition of the separating element. Once remediation is complete, a re-test is arranged. We try to accommodate re-tests quickly to minimise delays to your completion programme.
Yes — this is something we actively encourage for developments that require both tests. Combining air tightness and sound insulation testing on the same site visit reduces programme disruption, cuts travel costs, and means a single report covers both compliance requirements.
If you are also working with us on SAP calculations, we can align the testing visit with your as-built assessment timeline to make the completion process as efficient as possible.
A standard set of tests for a typical pair of semi-detached or terraced houses — two airborne wall tests — usually takes around two hours on site. For an apartment block requiring airborne wall tests, airborne floor tests, and impact tests, allow a full working day depending on the number of units.
We work efficiently and aim to minimise disruption to your programme. For larger developments we agree a testing schedule in advance that aligns with your completion phasing.
Yes. Part E makes a distinction between new build and material change of use (conversion) projects. The minimum performance standard for conversions is slightly relaxed — 43 dB DnTw + Ctr for airborne tests rather than 45 dB — to account for the constraints of working within an existing structure.
The test methodology and preparation requirements are the same. However, older buildings can present additional flanking risks from continuous structural elements, so it's worth discussing the specific construction with us before the test day.
Tell us your development type and number of units and we'll confirm which tests are required, check availability, and quote for a combined visit if air tightness testing is also needed.
Send us your project details and we'll confirm the tests required, availability, and pricing — usually within one working day.
We'll review your details and come back within one working day.