Walls too thin

hudo1968

My friend has just moved into a new house, she checked the sound with the house on one side and had no problems she has enjoyed 3 months and the people moved into the house on the other side and you can actually hear them talking in normal voices, phone ringing and alarms next door are as if they are in her house.

What is the legal requirement from builders please with noise issues? She has told the builder and he was supposed to come round friday and saturday but has not been yet.

Thanks


Steve

robv_3

part E of building regs covers the 'Resistance to the passage of sound'. Contact the NHBC (or warranty supplier) if the house is new and you think its a problem.

hudo1968

thanks, found it regulation E1, contacted the council and they said they had not even completed the final survey.

hudo1968

turns out the plans were submitted before July 2003 so may fall under the last act..... anymore ideas...PLEASE!!!

robv_3

If the building meets the regs when the application was submitted then its upto the homeowner to make any changes to help with the sound levels.

There are 101 ways to increase sound proofing, a search on google will help.

Melissa22_Mum

We live in a coucil property on a first floor of only two, beneath us they can hear us we can hear them

hudo1968

We put a lot of pressure on the building inspectors who in turn rang up the builders who came around today and agreed to build another wall on the neighbours side, the neighbour is the property developers tenants by the way!

Apparently the old regs were a bit woolly but generally the builder had to keep reasonable noise out, talking is not reasonable to allow through any wall so he was up against it really.

I would keepp putting pressure on your council indicating how much stress it is both hearing everything going on and the stress of trying to keep very quiet so your neighbours dont hear you, especially if you have any children. As said before they CAN do something if they want to.


Good luck and thanks to all.