Part E of the Building Regulations refers to the need ‘to provide reasonable resistance to sound’. Building products specialist Timloc, is aware that the subject of acoustics can often create confusion, leading specifiers, builders and contractors into thinking they need products which are overly expensive or don’t actually meet their needs.
Timloc is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of access panels, and with the demand for this product continuously increasing, Timloc has quickly recognised the industry need to officially clarify the impact of the access panel’s performance to Part E.
Timloc’s practical and honest approach to product design and development, led it to commission Leeds University to undertake extensive acoustic product testing on its behalf. The testing was carried out in order to form a performance objective for the development of a new Timloc access panel range that could perform as a direct replacement for plasterboard layers with NO negative impact on the acoustic performance of the area, therefore meeting the requirements of Part E.
However, tests concluded that Timloc’s existing range of CR slim line access panels has no effect on the overall acoustic rating to walls or ceilings, when fitted as a direct replacement to plasterboard layers and if fitted within 1% of the total area. As an added advantage, the installed access panel remains slim to offer maximum space in the allotted void.
This presents major benefits to the industry, because the need for high-level dB rated and often expensive access panels can now be limited to specialised applications.
New gas safety legislation due to take force in January 2013, is leading the way to the requirement of many access panels or inspection hatches to be fitted in new and existing homes. In order that the correct access panels are chosen for their surroundings, Timloc has further simplified the specification process by offering a service for the calculation of the weighted value of an application. All they require is the overall area of the wall or ceiling and its specific material (i.e single or double layer plasterboard), the designed dB rating of the wall or ceiling and the area of the access required.
The Timloc access panel range offers practical acoustic (dB) ratings and each product now carries a weighted sound reduction value (Rw). The core CR range has slim profile designs, is fire rated, insulated, air-tightness tested and acoustic performance rated, meeting all the required criteria for most applications.
Timloc has been supplying high performance building products since 1977 and this continued investment in product research and service provision, further supports its on-going commitment to the building industry.
All manufacturing is carried out under the BS EN ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System.
For more information please call 01405 765567 or visit www.timloc.co.uk
Timloc is part of the Alumasc Group PLC.
