Month: January 2021

Thermal Imaging Surveys to Commercial Buildings

Thermal Imaging Surveys to Commercial Buildings


T
hermal Imaging Surveys to Commercial Buildings
Thermographic surveys are one of the best diagnostic tools for demonstrating where heat is being lost in your commercial building in London and the South East.   Most of our customers are incredibly surprised at the amount of the sources of heat loss that we uncover on their buildings during a thermal imaging survey. There can be a multitude of problems we can uncover such as cold draughts emanating through air leakage paths/cracks in the building envelope as well as missing insulation from whole sections of walls and/or floors or roof, which have been missed out by the insulation installation companies.

Thermal Imaging Surveys to Commercial Buildings

How do we carry out a thermal survey on commercial buildings?

We will try and book in a convenient time to visit your commercial building, naturally this will depend on the time of year (usually November-April) and forecast weather conditions.  Note that we may suggest rearranging for another date if the conditions turn out to be unsuitable such as heavy rain and/or high ambient air temperatures throughout the day and night.

When our thermal engineer arrives on site, we’ll discuss in some detail the problems you have encountered with heat loss/draughts and any objectives you have.

Unlike our competitors, we will always carry out a full internal and external survey as standard (see below for more information).

How long does a Thermal Survey take?

This depends to an extent on the size of your commercial building, but also on how involved you want to be.  We strongly encourage you or your site representative follows our engineer around during the survey – we will both learn more in the process, which will ultimately help us to help you.  We suggest you allow a minimum of 1 hour, and up to 2 hours if you have a lot of questions and/or a large dwelling. For large commercial buildings please allow up to 3-4 hours.

Thermographic surveys

When will you receive the thermal imaging survey report?
Usually within 1-2 days you will receive your thermal imaging report in PDF format, including copies of the images recorded, and our interpretation of what they are indicating. Most over companies take 1-2 weeks to supply the completed reports.

Why pick us to undertake your thermal survey?
Please note that our engineers are trained to level 3, which is the highest level you can achieve as a thermographic engineer. We also use large format thermal imaging cameras; this provides you with the absolute best chance of solving any potential issues by utilising thermographic technology.

Our specification includes:

  1. Level 3 thermographic certification
  2. Level 3 qualified thermographers
  3. Large format FLIR cameras with 45-degree lenses
your thermal survey?

What type of buildings require thermal imaging surveys?

There are many different types of buildings that require thermal imaging surveys, here are just a few:

  1. Commercial Buildings
  2. Office Blocks
  3. Schools and Colleges
  4. Warehouses & Storage
  5. Military Infrastructure
  6. Flats, Houses & Residential Tower Blocks
  7. Housing Stock (Councils & Property Managers)
  8. Flat Roofing

What types of building defects are identified during thermal imaging survey’s?

Thermal imaging can pick up hundreds of different building defects. Here are a few of the most common items identified during previous thermal surveys.

  1. Poor Construction
  2. Missing or Damaged Insulation
  3. Thermal / Cold Bridging
  4. Air Leakage & Unintentional Openings
  5. Moisture & Water Ingress
  6. Poor Thermal Comfort
  7. Damp & Mould

Please contact us for more information

If you would like to contact us for more information on our thermal imaging services, please contact us on 01525 303905 or email us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk

Alternatively if you would like more information on how to prepare for your thermal imaging survey, please visit our website here or download our thermal imaging checklist   

BS8233 NOISE ASSESSMENT GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPERS

BS8233 NOISE ASSESSMENT GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPERS

BS8233 Noise Assessment Guidance
One of the planning conditions for your new development states that you need to undertake a BS8233 noise survey; however, what is a noise assessment and how do I undertake one?  

Understanding your planning requirements when planning a residential project or development can be confusing. With various permissions and assessments available, knowing which you need and what they all mean is often a struggle.

A BS8233 noise assessment is a common assessment that you might come across while planning your development. It relates to noise levels on development projects and is often required for obtaining planning permission. If you are undergoing a residential development near to noise sources in London and the South East and/or the United Kingdom, then please read our expert guide on BS8233 noise assessments.

BS8233 Noise Assessment Guide for Developers

A BS8233 noise assessment refers to ‘guidance on sound insulation and noise reduction for buildings. It is used to handle the noise levels from outside the building, noise from a plant and services within it, the impact on occupiers and even how sound varies in individual room acoustics. The assessment will suggest appropriate criteria and limits for various situations within a development project to bring the internal/external noise levels down to the acceptable levels in line with BS8233.

BS8233 NOISE ASSESSMENT GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPERS

The following table below shows the required indoor ambient noise levels to comply with BS8233.

indoor ambient noise levels

BS8233 sets out appropriate noise levels for both internal and external projects for daytime and night time. It provides some guidance on the design of sound insulation in buildings as well as various methods of achieving noise reduction in new build projects and refurbishments.

When you choose APT Sound Testing for a BS8233 noise assessment we will arrange for our acoustic engineers to complete the report on your behalf. A noise survey will be carried out at the development site, and the sound environment will be evaluated. The survey helps us to determine any potential noise impact, and we will consider all aspects of BS8233.

Why is a BS8233 Noise Assessment Required on my Project?

Any development such as commercial projects, such as offices, schools or residential houses and flats, that is located near a transport noise source such as a railways line or main road are likely to require a BS8233 noise impact assessment; which most likely requires the assessment to consider the guidance contained in the British Standard 8233:2014. Developments near roads or railways often need this assessment as part of the planning permission to check that appropriate external and internal noise levels can be achieved. This is necessary to protect any future occupants of the site from excessive noise, as well as to protect other people nearby to the development.

A local planning authority will request a noise impact assessment should support the planning or preferably be provided at the pre-application stage of planning application for a new project. The information provided in the noise impact assessment which considers BS8233, provides the authorities the necessary information to assess the level of noise on the development and surround areas. This can then be used to ensure that appropriate noise reduction measures are put in place if required, such as acoustic upgrades to the building façade etc.  if you undertake a BS8233 noise survey you increase the chance of planning consent being awarded for your new residential or commercial development.

The key reason for a BS8233 noise assessment is to make sure that a development is compliant with the Noise Policy Statement for England and the National Planning and Policy Framework.

BS8233 NOISE ASSESSMENT GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPERS

What Does A BS8233 Noise Assessment Involve?

APT Sound Testing will arrange for our acoustic engineers to visit site to undertake a BS8233 noise assessment and the sound environment will be calculated. Measurements are usually undertaken over a minimum 24 hour period to the nearest building façade facing the main noise source. If there are multiple noise sources extra survey locations may need to be carried out. We will then carry produce the noise assessment report. The survey helps us to determine any potential noise impact, and we will consider all aspects of BS8233.

After the survey, we will be able to recommend solutions (if required) to make sure your development meets all the local regulations. This will all be used to create your BS8233 noise assessment report which can then be used for planning permission applications and compliance with your relevant planning condition/s.

We have undertaken hundreds of noise surveys throughout London and the South East, if you need any further information on our BS8233 noise assessments service to comply with your planning conditions, or you would you like to contact us to discuss your noise survey requirements then please contact us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or call us on 01525 303905.

Alternately, for more information, please visit our BS8233 noise survey page, or please visit our noise survey guidance page. You can also download our BS8233 noise assessment checklist here.

Party Floor Sound Testing in London

Party Floor Sound Testing in London

Party Floor Sound Testing in London
APT sound testing has undertaken hundreds of sound insulation tests on party floors on new build and converted properties throughout London and Greater London.

In many cases the existing floor construction is similar to the image shown below, this type of existing floor construction usually achieves 30-35dB for airborne sound and 66-74dB for Impact Sound. Obviously, these figures fall well short of the minimum requirements of Approved Document E, which requires 43dB & 64dB, so to pass the precompletion sound testing major improvements must be made to the acoustic element of the floor partition.

Alt Text – A picture of an existing floor partition rated at Approx. 30dB, which will fail the sound insulation test through a party floor in London.

A picture of an existing floor partition rated at Approx. 30dB, which will fail the sound insulation test through a party floor in London

Our Acoustic Design Service for Party Floors in London

We have helped many architect and developers with their acoustic design and sound testing requirements on projects containing hundreds of units, through to a pair of semi-detached dwellings. Using our experience and knowledge, we always try to provide the best solution considering material costs and on-site buildability.

If it is a conversion project and you are unsure of the existing floor construction and sound insulation performance, we often recommend our ‘sample sound testing service. Firstly, we visit site and undertake sample sound testing to at least one floor partition – this usually consists of at least one airborne and impact test to party floor. Once the airborne floor sound test results are established, we can then offer a targeted acoustic design solution to achieve compliance with Approved Document E.

After the sample sound testing has been undertaken and the sound insulation levels realised, we can then undertake the 2nd part of our acoustic service – the acoustic design review. Using the acoustic data collected during the sample sound testing, we can undertake a targeted acoustic review. We always try to provide a targeted acoustic solution that considers material cost and onsite buildability. Where possible we try to provide an off the peg solution, which helps to minimise delays due to material deliveries.

During the onsite construction, we can visit site to check that the construction team is installing the acoustic materials in-line with manufacturer’s guidelines, this is the third element of our acoustic service.  In our experience a sound test failure is often caused by poor workmanship rather than the actual acoustic design. The site survey helps to further reduce the chance of a test failure.

The fourth and last part of our acoustic service is the final pre-completion sound testing. We visit site and undertake the post-completion sound testing to demonstrate compliance with Approved Document E. We then forward our sound test report, which should be forwarded to Building Control by the client to attain building control signoff.

Alt Text – A picture of the equipment required to undertake acoustic design and sound testing through a party floors in London.

A picture of the equipment required to undertake acoustic design and sound testing through a party floors in London.

The problem with noise flanking in London

In many cases there are more technical issues such as noise flanking which may require more detailed diagnosis and invasive investigation. This can mean having to remove some of the wall and floor partitions. Often noise flanking is causes by the use of lightweight blocks in the construction of the walls in an apartment development. This can allow sound to travel along the walls both horizontally and vertically from dwelling to dwelling. In many cases a wall and/or floor partition may have a very robust acoustic construction; however, the floor partition will still fail due to the sound travelling up and down the walls via the noise flanking pathway.

Common reasons for party floor failure in London

The are many reasons for party floor failure, here are some of the most common issues:

  1. Where lightweight blocks used in the inner envelope construction. This allows sound to travel along the lightweight blocks both vertically and horizontally from dwelling to dwelling.
  2. Bridging an acoustic floor system with skirting, or via screwing down the floor system to the joists.
  1. Resilient bars missing or fitted incorrectly to the underside of the floor joists.
  2. Excess recessed lights have been fitted into an acoustic ceiling.
  3. The dividing floor has a lack of mass or acoustic insulation has not been installed correctly, and/or or direct fixing of plasterboard and/or floorboards to joists without using a resilient ceiling construction and/or floating floor.
  4. Through Windows if they are not double-glazed units and/or have secondary glazing as a minimum – this is often a problem if there is a continuous curtain wall running through the dwellings.
  5. Along structural joints along the perimeter wall and floor joint. These areas should be filled with acoustic mastic)
  6. Structural steels that run through one property to the other without material isolation, i.e. plasterboard is screwed directly to the steel offering little or no noise isolation.

Acoustic upgrades for party floors in London Flats  

One of the easiest solutions to improve the acoustic performance of party floors between flats, is to retain the existing joists and between the joists install a 100mm RW45 acoustic insulation. Above the joists install 22mm T&G boarding, above the boarding install a layer of 6mm acoustic resilient membrane, this must be bonded to the T&G boarding. This can then be finished with engineered flooring and/or carpet. Below the joists install resilient bars and below the bars install 1x15mm & 1×12.5mm layers of soundboard. All boards must be properly lapped, and the perimeter joints filled with acoustic mastic. This acoustic solution is usually robust enough to achieve the requirements of Approved Document E; however, as every project is slightly different it is always best to undertake a site-specific design review for each project.  

Alt Text A picture of a sound test engineer undertaking party floor sound insulation testing in London.

A picture of a sound test engineer undertaking party floor sound insulation testing in London.

How we can help 

It can be very time-consuming trying to identify the cause of a failed sound test and undertake the remedial works to achieve Building Control signoff. To reduce the risk of acoustic issues on your site is always best to hire an experienced consultant. We are also a UKAS accredited company, so you can be sure of a friendly and professional service providing a ‘one stop’ solution for all your acoustic requirements.

We can advise on all types of acoustic design solutions, to help you pass your sound testing to party floors to new and conversion projects at the first attempt. Whatever the problem we can usually find an acoustic solution that will help you achieve Building Regulation compliance. For more information, please visit our new sound test blog.

We cover the following areas throughout London and Greater London, including the boroughs of City of London, Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster to help you achieve the requirements of Approved Document E and attain building control signoff.

If you would like more information in regards to sound testing service and/or acoustic design services in London, please contact us on 01525 303905 or info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk, for more information please visit our website at www.aptsoundtesting.co.uk or download our sound test checklist.

Party Wall Sound Testing in London

Party Wall Sound Testing in London

Party Wall Sound Testing in London
We often get asked by our clients throughout London, how they can improve the sound insulation to pass the Party Wall sound insulation testing.  To try and simplify this we have written the following article explaining the main acoustic design considerations for undertaking and improving the acoustic characteristics of party walls to pass the Sound Insulation Testing in compliance with Approved Document E of Building Regulations.   

As a starting point, you need to consider the following five basic acoustic design considerations, they are:

  1. Adding Mass – such as adding dense finishing boards such as ply, OSB, drywall or plasterboard.
  2. Providing Isolation – such as constructing independent linings, or introducing acoustic brackets, acoustic hangers or resilient channels, which will help to decouple drywall from the rest of the building’s structure.
  3. Adding Absorption – such as open cell woven types of material such as RW45 Acoustic Wool Cavity Insulation, which provides a soaking up or absorption of the acoustic energy entering it.
  4. Providing Resilience – There are quite a few ‘acoustic membranes’ on the marketplace, most membranes are 3-6mm in thicknesses and is commonly installed within walls, ceilings and floors to mitigate airborne and impact sound.
  5. Adding Stiffness – adding extra noggins between wall frames and/or floor joists can add stiffness to the overall construction of the party walls/floors.
A picture of APT Sound Testing engineer undertaking a precompletion sound test pass through a party wall in London.

Reasons for party walls failing the sound testing  

The are many reasons why party walls may fail the pre-completion sound testing, the main reasons are as follows:

  1. Shared Structural Building Components – Floorboards, Floor Joists, Continuous Drywall Partitions, Continuous Concrete Floors, and Cement Block Walls.
  2. Through Structural Steel – Structural steel beams are often a major cause of noise transmission as plasterboard is often fixed directly to the steel without sound breaks.
  3. Plumbing Chases – Junctures between the Walls & Floor Slab Above or at the Exterior Wall Juncture (this should be filed with mortar etc. to add mass to these weakened areas.
  4. Through Windows – if they have single glazing, with no double glazing or secondary glazing as a minimum and the windows are in close proximity either side of the party wall.
  5. Fixtures & Outlets – Light Switches, Telephone Outlets, and Recessed Lighting Fixtures (if penetrations have been cut back to back with the opposite dwelling under test)
  6. Structural Joints – Perimeter Joints at Wall & Floor, Through Wall & Ceiling Junctures (these should be filled with acoustic mastic.
  7. Around the End of the Partition Through the Adjacent Wall (acoustic mastic should be used to seal this junction)

A simple way to improve noise through party walls in London

One quick and simple way to improve the acoustic performance of a dividing wall partition, is to install a 70mm met-sec partition in front of the existing wall – it is usually best to install this in the largest room. Leave approx. 25mm gap between the back of the met-sec and the wall. Then install 50mm acoustic wool (min 45kg/m3) to the inside of the met-sec frame, then add 1 x 15mm & 1 x 12.5mm layers of soundboard to the outside of the met-sec frame. Ensure all boards are fully lapped and the perimeter joints are filled with acoustic mastic.

How many airborne party wall sound tests do I need?

Essentially, for sound testing party walls, you only need to carry out airborne sound testing. If your development is 10 units or less, you are required to carry out 2 airborne wall sound tests – if there are different types of wall construction, you will need to undertake sound testing to each wall type.

Preparing your development for sound testing in London

There are quite a few items to consider when preparing your London development for completion sound testing. Basically, if you action the following items, it should help you pass the sound testing at the first attempt:

  1. Download our APT sound testing checklist and tick off the items one by one.
  2. The whole building envelope and internal walls and floors should be fully completed.
  3. All external and internal doors and windows should be installed.
  4. All external windows and doors should be installed and closing properly.
  5. All electrical fittings must be completely in-place, and fully functional. Poor electrical installation can lead to excess noise.
  6. Standard 240-volt power should be in-place and available in every room. Our testing equipment can be damaged by the voltage fluctuations of on-site power generators, so it’s essential to have 240V mains supply on-site on the day of the test.
  7. No carpets or laminated flooring should be fitted on the 1st floor levels or above. These materials can affect the movement of noise, and as a result could impact on whether a building passes the sound check test.
  8. The skirting boards should not touch the floating floor, a flanking strip should be installed to prevent the noise flanking.
  9. All gaps in the walls and floors should be sealed. Again, noise can leak out through any gaps, affecting the movement of sound and impacting on the space’s performance.
  10. Access to all the rooms on all levels should be granted to our technicians, with all noise sources (radios, alarms, building work) ceasing for the duration of the test.

It is essential that you action all the above items, if we are to achieve accurate sound test readings and to achieve compliance with Building Regulations Part E. if you require more information, please click on our article here.

A picture of APT Sound Testing acoustic engineer achieving a precompletion sound test pass through a party wall in London.

APT Sound Testing can advise on acoustic party wall design to help you pass the sound testing to your London development, whether it be a new build or conversion project.

We are also a UKAS accredited sound testing, so you can be sure of a friendly and professional service providing a ‘one stop’ solution for all your acoustic requirements.

Regions Covered
We cover the following areas throughout Greater London including City of London, Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster to help you achieve the requirements of Approved Document E and attain building control signoff.

Contact APT Sound Testing
If you would like more information in regards to sound testing service and/or acoustic design services in London, please contact us on 01525 303905 or info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk, for more information please visit our website at www.aptsoundtesting.co.uk or download our sound test checklist.

Sound Testing on Conversions Projects

Sound Testing on Conversions Projects

Sound Testing on Conversions Projects
Acoustic design and sound testing on conversions projects don’t need to be problematic.

If you are currently managing the process of an office or house convert houses into flats or ‘Rooms for Residential Use’, then you need to pay attention to the acoustic design from the design stage of the project.

Air Pressure Testing  have many years of experience in providing quality sound insulation testing and acoustic design services  designed to help you meet these essential legal requirements of Building Regulations Part E. We are a UKAS accredited company, so you can be sure that our services are undertake to the highest laboratory standards.

Sound Testing on Conversions Projects

The types of projects that need to comply with this piece of legislation are:

  1. House to flat conversions
  2. Commercial building to flat conversions.
  3. Hotels and hostels
  4. Boarding houses
  5. Halls of residence
  6. Residential homes

Our six stage process is designed to get the very best results and help you comply with Approved Document E:

  1. Stage 1 – We review the architect’s drawings to check the required acoustic principles have been followed and make comment as and when necessary.
  2. Stage 2 – We undertake a site visit and analyse the current state of building construction.  And to check there are no site specific construction problems that may affect the acoustic performance of the building.  This helps us to get a more accurate overview of which acoustic treatments will be necessary.
  3. Stage 3 – We’ll provide you with a full and detailed acoustic design report that outlines which acoustic treatments will be required to ensure the conversion meets the criteria for Document E.  We’ll work out the cheapest and most efficient way of converting the building as well as taking into account buildability issues.
  4. Stage 4 – We will provide ongoing support to assist the builder/consultant to ensuring that the level of detail required is met and deal with any ongoing issues that may arise.
  5. Stage 5 – We can try to save you further money by providing building materials at a reduced rate.
  6. Stage 6 – We will undertake the final pre-completion sound testing to achieve compliance with Approved Document E.

We’ve successfully guided our clients through hundreds of different conversion projects and can boast a 100 per cent success rate where we have been involved in the acoustic design.

There are two distinct types of noise to when undertaking acoustic design on conversions, they are:

  • Airborne Noise (for example speech and music) and
  • Impact Noise (for example footsteps directly on the floor above) and

Even if both types of sound are emitting through the ceiling/floor then there are acoustic solutions that should reduce the sound levels and improve your sound insulation test results.

Part E stipulates that 10% of each party wall/floor construction type to be tested. The Sound insulation testing is to be carried out between pairs of rooms separated by party walls and/or floors. In is usual to test between living rooms and bedrooms as these are classed as the two main ‘habitable’ rooms; however if this isn’t possible other rooms can be used such as study’s, kitchens and dining rooms.

Unfortunately, we are currently experiencing a rise in the amount of sound testing failures – where we have not been involved in the acoustic design) mainly due to the conversion of office blocks into residential developments. Some of the buildings have unusual construction elements such as honeycomb floors which can be very weak acoustically, due to their lack of mass, taking this into account it is extremely important that we are involved from the start of the project.

If a building fails its sound insulation test it’s usually down to a problem with the acoustic due to issues such as noise flanking etc. One common cause of noise flanking is often associated with the inclusion of lightweight blocks within the construction of the building envelope. Clients often call us in when their building has failed the sound testing. Many other sound testing companies simply offer sound testing but no acoustic design services, we offer a comprehensive acoustic design and sound test package – as detailed in our 6 stage design service.

We undertake UKAS accredited Part E sound testing in London and throughout the rest of the UK. We use the latest class 1 acoustic equipment and we are a UKAS accredited company, so our clients can be sure that all testing is completed to a strict ISO quality controlled standard. We undertake sound testing throughout London and the UK.

If you would like advice on your acoustic design or sound testing in London, please contact us now at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk or call us on 07775 623464.

UKAS Accredited Air & Sound Testing

UKAS Accredited Air & Sound Testing

UKAS Accredited Air & Sound Testing Laboratory

APT Sound Testing is UKAS accredited for both sound insulation testing and air tightness testing. Being a UKAS accredited laboratory for air and sound testing, provides an assurance of the competence, impartiality and integrity of the testing body. UKAS accredited testing reduces the need for testing company to be assessed by each of their customers.

UKAS’ involvement in international groups such as EAIAF and ILAC, provides for mutual recognition. This reduces the need for multiple assessments of suppliers, and as a consequence helps to reduce barriers for testing companies that have UKAS accreditation.

Most businesses – big or small within the industry they operate in, require some form of certification. This is the ultimate mark of quality and professionalism within their sector. With so many types of accreditation to choose from nowadays, it can be difficult to know what type would be best for your company. One place to start is by making sure that the testing consultancy you use is UKAS accredited. This is something you simply cannot afford to overlook.

UKAS Accredited Air & Sound Testing Laboratory

What is UKAS accreditation?

UKAS stands for the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. It is the only government recognised national accreditation body in Britain. It has been designed to evaluate the competence of all organisations that supply services relating to certification, calibration, inspection, and testing. If a certification body meets their standards, they will then be accredited. If an organisation has reached this status, it means that they have the ability to deliver results while being reliable, impartial, and competent. Therefore, if you choose a UKAS accredited certification body, you can be certain of the highest levels of quality. APT Sound Testing is UKAS accredited for both sound insulation testing and air tightness testing, so you can be sure of the highest quality testing services and reportage at all times.

Why are not all companies UKAS accredited?

Unlike many other certification bodies, UKAS is a non-profit organisation, meaning their sole purpose is to ensure that companies are regulated properly and high standards are achieved at all times. This offers customers ultimate peace of mind. Other companies that don’t have UKAS certification, may have lower prices in some instances as they are not bound by the more stricter guidelines put in place by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. If the company you are using is not UKAS accredited it may mean that you are taking a massive risk, as the quality of product testing and auditing quality may vary. If the company you are using for your air tightness and/or sound testing has not sought UKAS certification, it can be a good indicator that the quality may be lower.

Improving Sound Test Results on Northampton Projects

Why it’s important to be UKAS accredited

There are also a lot of non-accredited air and sound testing companies that offer their service on a no certificate no fee basis; however, although this may seem great on the surface it usually means is that a certificate is barely ever refused. This does not say a lot for the quality of the testing company if they are simply allowing anyone to achieve their certification. It goes completely against the international standard that UKAS adheres to. Also, their accreditation isn’t worth much when you consider that they do not have to adhere to any regulatory constraints, and thus they offer little assurance in terms of accountability, impartiality, or integrity. Hats why it’s really important to use UKAS accredited testing laboratories like APT Sound testing for all your air tightness and  sound insulation testing.

How can I tell if an organisation is UKAS certified?

So, how can you tell if an organisation is UKAS certified? Well, all accredited businesses are allowed to use the Royal Crown symbol. Thus, you simply need to look out for this. Alternatively, you can head to the UKAS website at www.ukas.com , and you will find a list of all certified bodies under the ‘Accredited Bodies’ tab on the homepage. For peace of mind here is a direct link to APT sound testing’s UKAS accreditation.

Why we are a UKAS Accredited Air and Sound Testing Laboratory

We are a UKAS accredited company

Here at APT Sound Testing, we are happy to prove our UKAS certification. As a UKAS accredited laboratory we are committed to providing quality consultancy services to your business. If you want to know more about how we can help you with our UKAS accredited air and acoustic testing services, please contact us on 01525 303905 or email us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk  and we’ll be happy to talk you through our precompletion testing services or supply a free no obligation quote.