Building Regs and soundproofing

[ChipsAndCheese]

Does anyone here know anything about the building regulations and if there is any stipulation that a flat in a block built in the 1980s should have a certain minimum level of soundproofing?

As I understand it, flats nowadays must be soundproofed to a certain level and I was wondering if such a rule applied in the 80s, or if the current rule is still applicable to an older building?

[anonymous-user]

Considering in my old house(built 1998) I could hear next doors cat fart & their microwave pinging I doubt any rules go that far back.

[98elise]

You didn't even need cavity wall insulation of double glazing in the 80's so I doubt noise would have been on the radar.

[ChipsAndCheese]

That's kind of what I thought (unfortunately) and was expecting to hear, but hoped that maybe someone on here would be knowledgeable on the regs from back then, with the slim hope that maybe there was some sort of sound insulation requirement.

Does anyone know any good soundproofing companies in the Beds, Herts and Bucks area?

[kingston12]

Definitely no rules back then. I have been to Victorian conversions where the dividing wall between two different flats is just a stud one!

It is much better now. I recently went to an open day for a large Victorian house that has just been converted. There must have been 10 people looking around that flat upstairs and I could not hear anything at all in the downstairs one!

[a boardman]

Have copies of the 1976 regulations and the 1985 regulations,

which year was the flats built

[ChipsAndCheese]

a boardman said:

Have copies of the 1976 regulations and the 1985 regulations,

which year was the flats built

Thanks, I'll try to find out the exact year.

[chr15b]

I'm led to believe a house renovation can trigger a sound proof upgrade if insufficient?? My neighbours have turned a 1930's 3 bed semi into a 4, full renovation incl full re-plaster

Can hear every word spoken and I assume this is because they've made it very open plan with wooden floors too.

If they've not followed building regs for sound insulation is there anything that can be done? They have two daughters in their 20's who don't talk to each other but shout, and are very vocal when their boyfriends are round.

My plan currently is to sound proof our side when we do work on ours - speaking to neighbours in similar houses they comment they dont have issues