Do you live in a multi-level complex or building that has body corporate / strata title by laws that regulate noise? Then this article and the products recommended here are important for you. More and more people in Australia are now living in high rise buildings where noise and privacy between units is an important issue. At Nerang Tiles we see more and more people moving away from traditional soft floor coverings such as vinyl, timber and carpet flooring to more hard wearing products such as tiles and natural stones. These changes in design and contemporary trends from soft floor coverings to hard flooring can often create adverse noise impact to adjacent and lower residences. This is where Nerang Tiles can help. There are a number of floor impact insulation materials and ceiling construction elements that become important components in the acoustic treatment to minimise noise in surrounding apartments. It is essential that if you are renovating a unit in a multi-story building that you consider and budget for noise minimisation and insulation products in your renovation budget. Nerang Tiles has briefly described below some important information about noise insulation in Queensland and some products that may assist when renovating your unit. What are the floor impact and floor noise / insulation standards in Australia? Australia currently adopts the standards (ISO) ISO140-7 “Field measurements of impact sound insulation of floors” and ISO 717-2 “Impact Sound Insulation” (AS1276-1). These standards provide field test procedures and procedures for evaluating single number quantities to determine the impact sound insulation rating. The ISO Standards were adopted by Building Code of Australia (BCA). What are your strata schemes or body corporate by laws? The most important thing to check before deciding and budgeting for your unit renovation is to investigate your building’s by laws. The by laws will describe the minimum requirements and limitations on renovating your unit. You should find information on noise minimisation standards, tiling (sometimes the by laws will specify the size and colour to be used in and outside your unit) and the hours of constructions permitted. It is important to understand that when you purchase or rent an apartment you are signing a contract that binds you to the by-laws of your building. Some strata schemes may have adopted the standard by-laws or Model By-Laws, and some schemes may have by-laws which differ from these Model By-Laws and created their own custom rules and regulations that still fit in to the overarching legislation that exists. All this means is that it is critically important for you to check your by laws before planning any renovation. What do you need to check for in your by laws when renovating your apartment? In our experience by laws tends to be very prescriptive or more prescriptive than general las. By laws are by nature designed to reflect the lifestyle choices of the majority of residents that live under your strata. If you are intending on renovating your unit which may cause potential noise changes then we recommend that you:
What products should I use and make sure my tilers use and budget for when renovating my apartment in a high rise building? There are a number of products out there in the market under the umbrella of numerous brands. Many different tile shops and other companies will have a tendency to go with the best value or cheapest or more accessible product to them. Nerang Tiles has done extensive research into this field and associated itself with one of the leading adhesive and floor covering brands in the Australian Industry. We asked Davco what the best products to use are and discovered it is the same we though. Below is a brief description of the two recommended alternative products that can be used to minimise noise and meet any strata noise by laws that may exist in your apartment building. Davco Sound Zero Acoustic 5mm T5 MatMade specifically to reduce sound transmission through floor tiling systems. It is made from graded and compressed rubber product that sits flat for ease of use. Advantages:
For general living areas, where tiling takes place directly to the mat or where a sand/cement screed is used over the mat. Typical application includes: Office buildings, Airports, Shopping Centres, Hotels, Homes and Apartments. All types of tiles and stone, including ceramics, terracotta, porcelain, marble and quarry stone and other type of flooring such as hardwood or bamboo floor applications. Davco Sound Zero Acoustic 5mm T5 Mat comes in 1.1m x 1.1m mat (1.21m2) Uses Davco Sound Zero Acoustic T5 Mat is ideal for use under ceramic tile, slate, stone and other types of flooring such as bamboo and hardwood floors in many applications. For general living areas, where tiling takes place directly to the mat or where a sand/cement screed is used over the mat. Typical applications include office buildings, airports, shopping centres, hotels, homes and apartments. Surface Preparation All surfaces must be structurally sound, dry, clean and free from movement, oil, grease, wax, curing compounds and any other loose or contaminating materials. Steel trowel finished concrete must be mechanically abraded and all dust removed. Mechanically remove all paint and contaminants and prime with Davco Ultraprime. If the floor is not level, it is recommended to install Lanko 133 Pro Level. This is particularly important if large format tiles are to be installed and directly adhered to the matting. Allow the Lanko 133 Pro Level to cure for 24 hours before covering. Sound Rating: - Impact Sound T5 Sound Zero Mat ISO 140-7 : 1998 & 717-2 : 1998 Weighted Standardised Impact Sound Pressure Level LnTW : 51 CI : -5 BCA Requirements The new BCA Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions require the L’n,w + Cl of a floor to be determined by testing in the laboratory. The impact sound insulation requirements for floors are: L’n,w + Cl not more than 62 for floors separating dwellings and for floors separating dwellings from a plant room, lift shaft, stairway, public corridor, public lobby or the like, or parts of a different classification. The terms to describe the impact sound insulation rating of a floor when tested on-site, is the weighted standardised impact sound pressure level (L’nT,w) plus the spectrum adaptation term (Cl ). L’nT,w + Cl is similar to the laboratory term L’n,w + Cl . For floors tested on-site, the impact sound insulation requirements are as follows: L’nT,w + Cl not more than 62 for floors separating dwellings and for floors separating dwellings from a plant room, lift shaft, stairway, public corridor, public lobby or the like, or parts of a different classification. Sound Zero 2 PartA 2 part, flexible, ceramic tile underlay applied to floors prior to tiling to reduce sound transmission Surfaces Most common substrates; concrete and concrete sides, cement-based flooring compounds, levelling compounds, compressed fibre cement sheeting and timber. Suitable for use with under floor heating and ceramic tiles. Areas Suitable for interior and exterior applications. Commercial and domestic floors in areas such as office buildings, airports, shopping centres, hotels, homes, apartments and other areas where sound transmission may be a problem. Nerang Tiles is a multi award winning tile store on the Gold Coast with thousands of floor tiles and wall tiles on display at discount prices at its Gold Coast Tile Showroom. Nerang Tiles has all tile types that include tiles suitable as kitchen tiles, bathroom tiles, outdoor tiles, pool tiles, feature tiles and much more.
Nerang Tiles is also the leading tile store in tiling supplies and advice. Nerang Tiles can source and stocks numerous brands and products that include adhesive, clips, wedges, grout, silicone. primers and many more tiling products suitable for any job you may have including sound proofing acoustics underlay and adhesive options.
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