Part E of the Building Regulations, in 4 sections, deals with sound insulation within buildings, prevention of the passage of sound from within dwelling houses and to adjoining buildings as well as the acoustic conditions within school buildings.
E1 – Protection against sound from other parts of the building and adjoining buildings
Residential buildings, including houses and flats, must include some level of protection against the passage of sound form other parts of the same building as well as adjoining properties.
This will be achieved by constructing internal separating walls and floors which achieve the minimum standards as set out in the tables provided, in terms of the insulation against airborne and impact sound.
E2 – Protection against sound within a dwelling house
The internal walls of a dwelling house between bedrooms and between a bedroom and a water closet, as well as internal floors, must provide adequate resistance to the passage of sound. This will be achieved where separating walls and floors are constructed to achieve the values set out in the tables provided.
This does not apply where the internal wall contains a door or where the water closet is part of an en-suite bathroom.
E3 – Reverberation in common internal parts of a residential building
Buildings containing flats or residential rooms must have adequate prevention of reverberation of common parts. This applies to common areas such as stairways, corridors and entrance halls only.
E4 – Acoustic Conditions in Schools
Rooms and spaces within schools must be designed so that they provide adequate protection to noise disturbance appropriate to the space’s intended use.
Download Approved Document E from The Planning Portal