Acoustics decided on the drawing, not on the complaint
Almost every expensive acoustic problem was cheap to prevent. A partition detail, a plant location, a façade specification, a floor build-up — each of them costs almost nothing to get right at design stage and a great deal to correct after handover, when the only remaining options are disruptive and visible.
Where we come in
- Design stage: set the acoustic criteria for each space, and specify what has to achieve them
- Tender stage: write the acoustic performance clauses so what you buy is measurable, and review what the bidders actually promised
- Construction stage: inspect the details that decide the result, particularly junctions and flanking paths
- Pre-opening: test and verify against the criteria, and issue the evidence the client or the operator will ask for
- If something has already gone wrong: find the cause before anyone spends money on a fix
The four that cause most of the trouble
- Plant and MEP noise into the spaces below and beside it, discovered at commissioning
- Flanking transmission around a partition that on paper was adequate
- Impact noise through floors, which no amount of applied treatment fixes afterwards
- Façade specification set by glazing cost rather than by the external noise level, in a location where the level was never measured
Why an independent specialist rather than the supplier
We sell no materials, no partitions, no panels and no installation, so a recommendation to spend less is a perfectly acceptable outcome for us.
It also means we can read a supplier's guarantee for what it says rather than what it implies. A promised decibel improvement with no frequency band and no named receptor position can be honoured in full while the problem stays exactly where it was — which is why we review the acoustic clauses and guarantees before you sign them.
What we need to quote
Drawings, the stage the project is at, the standard or rating you are being held to, and any noise constraint already known about the site.
Frequently asked questions
We are already on site. Is it too late?
No, but the options narrow and the cost rises. The earlier the cheaper, always.
Do you work under the architect or directly for the owner?
Either. Say which and we work to it.
Can you attend design meetings?
Yes, and it is usually the cheapest part of the engagement.
Do you certify the completed building?
We test against the stated criteria and report the result. Where a formal certificate is required, that is issued by an accredited laboratory.