Sound Testing Party Floors in Bedford

We have undertaken hundreds of sound insulation tests on converted properties throughout Bedford and Bedfordshire and in our experience if the floor partition haven’t received any acoustic upgrades – as shown in the image below, they usually achieve approximately 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. 

Existing Floor Partitions Rated At Approx. 30dB

Our Acoustic Design & Testing Solution 

Using our many years of experience in building acoustics, we can offer a total acoustic design and testing solution for new and conversion projects. We have previously helped many architect and developers with their acoustic design and 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 and wall 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 achieve compliance with Approve Document E.

An acoustic review makes up the 2nd part of our acoustic service. Using the data collected from the sample sound insulation testing we can undertake a targeted acoustic review. We always try to provide an acoustic solution that considers material cost and onsite buildability. We will try to ensure that its an off the peg solution, so that there no further delays and downtime are caused by material deliveries. 

The 3rd part of our acoustic service is the undertaking of site visits. We use the site visit to check that the construction team is installing the acoustic materials in-line with manufacturer’s guidelines. 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 last part of our acoustic service is the pre-completion sound testing. We visit site and undertake the post-completion sound testing to demonstrate compliance with the acoustic performance requirements of Approved Document E. this allows our clients to attain building control signoff for the acoustic portion of their projects. 

The pitfalls of noise flanking

Sometimes, there are more technical issues such as noise flanking which may require more detailed diagnosis and invasive investigation, such as the removal of some of the wall and floor partitions. In many cases a large amount of noise flanking is due to serious design faults, e.g. the use of lightweight blocks in the construction of the walls in an apartment development. This allows the sound to travel along the walls and floors from dwelling to dwelling. In many cases a wall and/or floor partition may have a very robust acoustic construction within the party floor construction; however, the partition will still fail as the sound is travelling up and down the walls via a noise flanking pathway. 

Typical reasons for a failed sound testing through party floors:

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.

  1. Bridging an acoustic floor system with skirting, or via screwing down the floor system to the joists.
  2. Resilient bars missing or fitted incorrectly to the underside of the floor joists. 
  3. Excess recessed lights have been fitted into an acoustic ceiling. 
  4. 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.
  5. 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. 
  6. Along structural joints along the perimeter wall and floor joint. These areas should be filled with acoustic mastic)
  7. 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.

There are many quick and simple solutions to improve the acoustic performance of dividing floor partitions. One of the easiest floor solutions is to retain the existing joists, between the joists install a 100mm RW45 acoustic insulation. Above the joists install 22mm T&G boarding with a layer of 6mm resilient membrane to the top of the board – this must be bonded to the floor. 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. 

How APT Sound Testing can help  

It can be very time-consuming trying to identify the cause of a failed sound test. Therefore, it is always best to hire an experienced consultant. APTs acoustic consultants have years of experience and will advise you on the best course of action to rectify any problems. 

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.

APT can advise on all types of acoustic design to help you pass your sound testing to party walls in flats, whether it is accomplished during initial construction or during a refurbishment or renovation project. Whatever the problem we can usually find an acoustic solution that will help you achieve Building Regulation compliance.

We cover the following areas throughout Bedfordshire, including Kempston, Wilshamstead, Great Barford, Marston Moretaine, Ampthill, Biggleswade, Flitwick, Newport Pagnell and Woburn Sands 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 Bedfordshire, 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.

Buying Composite & uPVC Double Glazed Doors

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Getting a new front door is a small and relatively low cost thing you can do to make a noticeable improvement to your home, not only will you improve your quality of life and home security it will also look far better as well.  Opting for a composite door or a uPVC double glazed door has recently become a more popular option for many people because they offer such a lot of flexibility when it comes to choices regarding its appearance without compromising on quality at all.  So you may want to find out more at I Want a Door and find out more about the various options available.

Improved security and protection from the elements are two of the key points to consider when choosing a front door for your home and at I Want a Door all their doors are manufactured and designed with this in mind.  With many features coming as standard on all Composite and uPVC doors such as police approved locking systems, internal metal plate, draught excluders, shatterproof glass and tough exterior finish no matter what type of design ideas you may have you can be sure that your new front door will be able to keep your family safe and warm no matter what happens.

At I Want a Door choosing your new Composite & uPVC door and having it fitted at your home is simple and straight forward.  With a friendly team of fully trained fitters they will be happy to visit your property for a pre fitting assessment to take all the measurements and make sure everything is in place to have the door fitted.  Then once your door has been produced at their on-site manufacturing plant they will come to your property and get it fitted at a time that is convenient to you. With all prices quoting including free fitting and VAT you can also be certain that you won’t get any nasty surprises.

The only difficult thing about getting your new composite and uPVC door is making your final design decision!  With such a wide range of design options one of the best things about getting your door from I Want a Door is the flexible design choices.  Offering the opportunity to choose from over thirty five colours and around thirty five designs along with a wide range of different types of glass and a choice of hardware such as handles as well no matter what type of property you have you can create a door that complements it perfectly.

With a well laid out and easy to use website ordering your door is quick and easy, or if you would prefer to visit the showroom to find out more one of their fully trained team will be happy to offer you a warm welcome and answer any questions you may have.  You will be able to take a look at examples of the various doors they produce and also find out more about the various benefits of different designs, so you can be sure you will be totally happy with your final choice. 

You will get all the help you need to finalise your design, have a visit in preparation and receive a professional fitting service, they even take your old door away for you as well, along with straight forward and great value prices.  With a reliable and friendly service from beginning to end you can be certain that you won’t be disappointed if you get your new composite & uPVC door from I Want a Door.

I Want a Door.COM provides a range of strong, secure and energy efficient made to measure composite doors. Cut out the salesmen and their commissions; buy your composite door direct from the North East’s leading composite door manufacturer. To find out more information, call 0191 2862122 today or visit the I Want a Door website.

Health Treatment Effect of using Pools and Spas

One of the most obvious benefits of using a swimming pool and spa, for the typical individual, is the basic act of relaxation. There is nothing more fun, too many people, than an early morning swim, or soaking in a good warm day spa after they get out of a tough day at the workplace.

There have actually additionally been extensive researches done all over the world on the health advantages of a pool and also medspa. The advantages of hydrotherapy, whether in a pool or in a health club, are wide-spread. However, when you utilize both a health facility and also a pool, the possibilities, as well as benefits, are unlimited.

While many individuals assume that only professional athletes make use of hydrotherapy, this can not be further from the truth. It holds true that professional athletes can work out, relieve muscle mass tension, as well as enhance their overall sports performance with the use of a swimming pool as well as a health club. Nonetheless, you definitely do not need to be an expert athlete to reap the impressive health and wellness benefits of hydrotherapy therapies.

Much of individuals who benefit a great deal from this type of hydrotherapy are those who are recouping from injuries. Arm, leg, and back injuries can all be enhanced with these strategies. Nevertheless, if you’ve been seriously damaged, it is best to talk to a medical professional prior to attempting pool and also medical spa treatment on your own.

Countless individuals with numerous other medical problems can and do take advantage of the impacts of a pool and also health spa at all times also. Many people that suffer from such points as arthritis, excessive weight, handicaps, and also learning impairments, have actually all been shown to greatly gain from swimming pool and also health club treatments.

Actually, also male’s buddy, his pet, can gain from the quality time invested in a swimming pool and spa. Lots of vets advise hydrotherapy, specifically for huge type canines. Big type of pets is rather vulnerable to knee and hip issues, which can benefit from these therapies.

You might be thinking that it’s impossible to have this sort of point on your own residential or commercial property, specifically if you do not have sufficient area in your lawn for both a health club and also a swimming pool. Nevertheless, a brand-new product on the market called a Swim Day spa, which makes it even simpler to bring this type of hydrotherapy therapy to your own home.

A Swim Health facility is basically an over-sized medical spa with an included current. This enables a person, or animal, to take in the warm, soothing water, while still swimming as well as exercising versus a legitimate present as well as with lots of areas. The most effective feature of a Swim Day spa is that it gets rid of the demand for a full-sized swimming pool and a medspa as well as thus reduces on the amount of area required.

So, whether you simply enjoy swimming as well as taking in a warm spa, or you have a clinical problem that could take advantage of the therapy, think about making a swimming pool as well as health facility treatment a routine part of your personal routine. You will certainly see prompt health benefits as well as have fun at the same time!

Different Types of Roofing Repair

Roof is a crucial part of any type of housing. If the roofing is done improperly after that there is a great chance of leakage or any other damages to your house. Thus, looking for a professional’s help is constantly recommended.

Whether you have a brand-new workplace, a house, or any structure as well as are in need of professional help to do the roof after that roofers are just a call away. Whosoever may be the roofing professional or any employee, operating in a location of your residence you require them to be friendly and trustworthy. Therefore take up a contractor with tons of experience and also that have a practical group to implement the task effectively. Often you require roofs of your selection in regards to shade and style, thus you need someone to assist you whether the roofs picked by you are suitable for the building or otherwise, and so on. These things need to be remembered prior to getting in touch with anyone.

Wherever you might be positioned, you will have roofing contractors readily available without a doubt within your area, ensuring exceptional services at less expensive costs. Some skilled and also knowledgeable roofing professionals give you the most effective in class services with excellent roofing.

Contractors provide you with a variety of services like fiberglass roofing, asphalt roofing, guttering, repairs of smokeshaft and roofs, and so on. All these are done by them at affordable prices.

Domestic Roofing

A great Roof company completes approximately 30 to 40 tasks within a year. A brand-new roof covering to your old residence can increase its worth along with its stamina. Besides raising your building value roofing professionals make sure that the job after conclusion provides you satisfaction and transforms the look of your home.

Commercial Roofing

Dealing with problem at your offices with roof coverings, then contact roofing professionals and also they will certainly make sure that the repair service will certainly be quick, simple, and at budget-friendly rates so that your company is up and running in no time. Some roofing professionals provide you with solutions such that your work does not obtain influenced as well as roofings are done without any kind of inconvenience in a simple as well as efficient way. They may develop their functioning schedule according to your demands as well as needs.

Fiberglass Roofing

It is a sort of roofing that is entirely maintenance-free and with a long-term warranty. It ensures that the roofing is leak-proof and also holds standing water. This system is basically a finishing of fiberglass matten over base coat and then completely installing the system so that it ends up being seamless.

Roof Repair Options

Roofers not only set up brand-new roof coverings at your home or offices, but they likewise offer you loads of other fixing services like:

– Replacement of busted or missing roof shingles/ tiles

– Gutter leaks repairing

– Chimney re-painting

– Repairing openings, etc

. Chimney repairs are often a part of this process where they may do chimney restoration, brick chimney repairs, reconstructs, and so on. Water leak, cracking, exposure, usage, time, lack of upkeep, etc. can lead to smokeshaft damages causing need for repairs.

Hence roof and also contractors play a vital duty at times in your life when it pertains to relaxed living.

Janitorial Solution: Finding an Excellent Business

If you supervise of running a workplace, maintaining it clean as well as well organized needs to be among your top concerns. Usually, this implies employing a janitorial service. Here are some pointers you can utilize to discover that business.

If you are in charge of running a workplace, keeping it clean as well as organized requirements to be amongst your leading priorities. While nothing can outdo business of maintaining your office profitable and effective, don’t undervalue just how vital a clean atmosphere is to satisfying those objectives. To do something such as this, you require to do it properly. Typically, this suggests hiring a janitorial solution. You not just require to locate a firm that can do an excellent task, but you need one you can rely on with the keys to the workplace. Here are some pointers you can use to discover that firm.

Demand Bonding and Insurance

You do not want a contractor of any type of kind on your premises without the proper insurance policy. It’s additionally crucial to ensure the janitorial service is bound, as this can aid safeguard you in the event of a legal action. Simply going the extra mile to secure bonding shows that a firm is serious about their career. Insurance is a must. If a specialist has no insurance, you are taking a risk every time they are carrying out work with your building. You could be placing your entire business at risk.

Durability

Sometimes it pays to take a chance on the new guy. Any person associated with organisation understands this to be real. When you’re checking out a janitorial service, nevertheless, you can conserve on your own a great deal of frustration by making sure they’ve been in business a while. There are two prime factors for doing this. First of all, with age comes experience. You won’t have to bother with a lot of flaky, unprofessional stuff coming up with a firm that has actually been doing this a long period of time. 2, just having actually been around a while shows that they are doing something right. While it’s always helpful to check out evaluations and also referrals, a company can’t remain in company if they aren’t satisfying customers to some degree.

Adaptability

You should not need to bend over backwards to suit a janitorial service. Instead, it should be the other way around. If you are considering employing a firm and also they have actually set times they want to come, just proceed to the following firm. There is way too much competition around for you to need to go for people who think their service is beyond reproach. If you require a firm that can come clean the workplace in the middle of the night keep looking up until you find one that will.

The top five celebrity homes with the best interiors

The rich and celebrities have beautiful homes that one can find it as an inspiration or idea for their houses. Their interiors are unique as it consists of beautifully designed ceilings, inventive landscape, accurately painted murals, and remarkable amenities. He celebrity choose famous architects and interior designers that work together to build up a house which is incredibly different from others in all possible way.

Let us have a quick look at which are the top five celebrity houses that are smartly designed and the most expensive ones:

  1. Jason Statham

Jason Statham has a Malibu beach house that has midcentury Danish furniture with some key architecture elements. This house as situated near a beach has a slanted roof so that the people inside are safe from the ruthless midday sun. And the interiors were also planned according to with brick fireplace to feel warm and cozy at the time of winters.

  • Kylie Jenner

She has a beautiful house completely decorated according to her needs and wishes. She has placed a comfy sofa that fits well with large cushions and gives her living room a rich and elegant look. She also has a patio and a swimming pool that makes her family and friend spend an enjoyable time at her place.

  • Felicity Huffman

Felicity Huffman has designed her house with his husband and tried to replicate her home just like an ancient family house. She has used lots of wooden surfaces, lights, and some cozy furniture for her bedrooms that makes her house a comfortable place to relax with her family.

  • Liv Tyler

Liv Tyler has a beautiful house just like her. She wished to use white color for the walls and wanted to have every minute detail for each place having elegant designs and structures in it. she has a living room with a piano, a nice romantic lamp in her bedroom, a huge walk-in closet on the top floor, a glamorous bathroom with different amenities and much more. Her house is a complete dream place where anyone would love to live.

  • Anne Hathaway

Have you seen a house in a fairy tale? If yes then the house of Anne Hathaway is just like that beautiful and graceful. She has given her house a vintage look with unique wooden materials. Her house has a patio with some distinct colors that are eye-catching and attractive. She has designed her house much creatively and has stylish amenities in it.

Celebrity homes are nice and you can also copy them in your houses by choosing the right interiors and live a life like a celebrity.

Private Landlords – Gas Safety Services

If you own a property which you rent out you will know the importance of making sure that everything in the property is in good working order if you want your tenants to be comfortable and happy with the service that you provide.

Private Landlords – Prepare your Property for the Winter

Having adequate reliable heating is one of the key things that all tenants require, and many private landlords find that if they aren’t well prepared the winter months can be an expensive and busy time if their tenants heating systems fail when they need them most. It is important to make sure that you have the number of a company that provides reliable heating services.

Arktek Heating Services are able to provide a specialist service to private landlords to take care of all your heating needs no matter what happens. Not only will they be able to take care of any repairs at short notice, they can also offer a full heating care service so you can ensure that all of your properties are well looked after all year round. All you need to do is give them the details of the properties you own and they will take care of everything else for you.

As a private landlord you are required by law to carry out annual gas safety checks to ensure that all appliances are in good working order, at Arktek they will be able to carry out these essential tests for you and make sure all the paperwork is fully completed. They will also be able to carry out a full service on any boilers or heating systems so you can ensure that they are running as efficiently as possible, take note of any potential problems and arrange to have any issues repaired straight away.

With a wide range of heating services on offer to both residential customers and private landlords Arktek ensure that every customer gets the best possible service for great value. Whether you just want a general annual safety check or are looking at replacing your entire heating system they will complete the job to the highest possible standard every time, and give you any help or advice that you may require. With a twenty-four-hour emergency call out line you can be certain you can rely on Arktek to help you out when you need it most.

Arktek also offer excellent help and advice to help you make sure that your property is as energy efficient as possible, so if you are concerned about the impact your properties may be having on the environment, or are worried that your tenants are experiencing higher than average bills you may want to give them a call. They will be able to advise you of the most environmentally friendly new combi boilers on the market if you are thinking of upgrading or if you are happy with your existing system, they will be able to give you advice about changes you can make to ensure your property is more energy efficient.

So why not get in touch with Arktek to find out more about the excellent heating services packages they are able to offer private landlords? With competitive rates and a flexible and individualised service for each customer you can be certain that they will make sure you and your tenants are prepared for the winter this year.

For further information about the range of the landlord and heating services available from Arktek Heating Services, please call 0191 516 6911 or their heating & plumbing services website.

Your Options for the Perfect Aircon repair Service

Like all appliances, even air conditioners have an energy label that indicates their efficiency class. The best, and therefore the preferable, is the class A. If it is true that the products in class A are more efficient than the others, it is also true that within this class live devices with very distant performances: higher differences can be found at 50%. The advice is then to compare their EER and COP levels, that is their performance indexes in cooling and heating: the higher they are, the higher the yields and the lower the electrical absorption. The best in aircon repair singapore comes within budget now.

The Best Companies

Many companies in the sector are members of the Technical Data Certification Association. Opting for one of these companies protects the consumer in the choice of the product, because the data reported on the energy label or declared on the catalogs (performance and consumption), is periodically subjected to verification.

  • Another advice is to choose air conditioners that use Inverter technology, which adapts the operating power to the actual needs and reduces the on and off cycles. This system allows a longer life of the appliance and an energy saving of more than 30% compared to the devices that do not have it (on-off).
  • It is preferable, in a split only cooling, one heat pump. Spending little more, you buy an air conditioning system that can cool in summer and heat in the intermediate seasons, but also in winter.

To air condition multiple rooms, it is necessary to have an indoor unit in each room. Only in this way can each environment be managed independently. The choice, in this case, is whether to combine several indoor units with one external (multi-split systems) or to combine each internal with an external one (mono-split systems). The variables are many, even if the multi; often offer a lower initial cost, smaller dimensions and lower management and maintenance costs.

Make sure the appliance has adequate power for the real climate control needs of the room. A properly sized system avoids unnecessary energy waste. An oversized air conditioner costs and consumes more, is noisier and often has a larger outdoor unit. For this it is good to rely on an expert and qualified technician who, after viewing the room to be air-conditioned, recommend the most suitable machines. For the right and reliable aircon repair company in singapore this is important now.

Silence is a feature that should never be overlooked when choosing an air conditioner. It is useful to know that the noise level (“sound pressure”) of an air conditioner is calculated in decibels. To be clear: 20 decibels correspond to the rustling of leaves, 25 to the chirping of a bird, 40 to murmurs in a library and 50 to office work. Modern air conditioners, with a rated power up to 3.5 kW, maintain minimum noise levels between 19 and 26 decibels (practically imperceptible.).

Details You Need for the Perfect Home Cleaning

Featured

Keeping your home clean and tidy at all times can sometimes be complicated. There is always something out of place. In this article we explain how to always have a perfect home.Imagine going home after a hard day and finally finding a quiet, orderly and relaxing atmosphere. Read in this article how to keep the house clean and tidy and experience this pleasant feeling every day.

  • ·         Would you like to keep your home clean and tidy and find every time you enter that welcoming atmosphere that improves your day? We present you some suggestions so that your home is always a welcoming haven of rest.In small houses, this problem turns into a real dilemma. Finding the right place for every object in a small room can become a puzzle that sometimes seems to be without solution. If we add children and the little time available because of work, achieving this goal becomes practically impossible.

But don’t lose heart. In this article we explain some tricks you can use to keep your home clean and tidy without jumping through hoops. Follow our advice, and your home will breathe again. For the right Home Cleaning Services this is the best deals here.

Set a time for cleaning

If your daily pace is very urgent, we advise you to set a weekly schedule for cleaning the house. Between works, the gym, friends and all other commitments, in the end there is never time to devote to cleaning. With a set time you will know every day what to do so that the disorder does not take power over your home.

Decide, for each day, a specific job to do at home. It will be much easier and more practical to have everything under control. First, identify the free moments you have during the day and dedicate 10 minutes of this time to the housework you have set for that day. Finally, prepare a list of all the housework you will need to do during the week, such as making dust, cleaning the bathroom, making a dishwasher, hanging out the laundry … This way you can plan quickly and easily all week.

Sometimes, however, unforeseen events also remove the little time available. What to do in these cases? Simple, activate an alternative plan and don’t be too demanding with you. Try to be flexible. This will help you take action in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

The importance of new habits

Below we present a list of new habits that you can easily introduce into your daily routine:

Make the bed before leaving home. The easiest thing is to postpone it for the return. But you already know that when you come back from work or from other activities outside the home you have no desire to make the bed, and at the same time you will be sorry to have left it undone all day. Therefore it is important to fix the bed before doing anything else. In addition to keeping the bedroom tidy, it will also gain the decor and decoration.

If you use something, put it back in its place. Often the newly used items are left untidy for the house. It happens above all with towels, cleaning products, medicine boxes, but also with other everyday objects. At the end of the day the house looks messy, even more so if you have children. We advise you to establish a new rule at home: “if you use something, put it back in its place”.

Back to school is one of the most popular times to purchase a dorm refrigerator with freezer as many students want a refrigerator in their dorm rooms. FlexFridge has you covered.