ᐅ What are the regulations regarding sound and noise in private new home construction?
Created on: 16 May 2017 20:17
N
Nafetsm
Hello,
a question for the experts among you. Does anyone know which sound insulation values must be met at a minimum in new construction for a single-family house if no "enhanced sound insulation" has been agreed upon?
In other words, what criteria determine whether a single-family house is considered too noisy or not?
What legal requirements exist, such as building codes, standards like DIN, etc.? Can someone explain this thoroughly?
I am aware of DIN standard 4109. However, the guideline values there are somewhat unclear.
What about the recognized rules of technology? Are there specific regulations, court rulings, or other references that can be cited? For example, I have read that omitting an edge insulation strip or removing it prematurely before final floor covering installation does not comply with the recognized rules of technology.
In short: I am looking for reliable statements, guidance, rules, or standards :-)
Thank you
a question for the experts among you. Does anyone know which sound insulation values must be met at a minimum in new construction for a single-family house if no "enhanced sound insulation" has been agreed upon?
In other words, what criteria determine whether a single-family house is considered too noisy or not?
What legal requirements exist, such as building codes, standards like DIN, etc.? Can someone explain this thoroughly?
I am aware of DIN standard 4109. However, the guideline values there are somewhat unclear.
What about the recognized rules of technology? Are there specific regulations, court rulings, or other references that can be cited? For example, I have read that omitting an edge insulation strip or removing it prematurely before final floor covering installation does not comply with the recognized rules of technology.
In short: I am looking for reliable statements, guidance, rules, or standards :-)
Thank you
K
Knallkörper18 May 2017 14:37Although DIN standards are generally recognized as state-of-the-art technical rules and the legislator assumes this presumption to be valid unless disproven, DIN 4109 is a typical example of a standard that is not considered state-of-the-art. There is also a court ruling on this, which you would need to look up.
Nafetsm schrieb:
I have read that DIN 4109 is now outdated and that according to the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), the recognized technical standards correspond to VDI 4100 Class 2. This is significantly higher than DIN 4109. Do you have a source for that?
So far, I was familiar with the following:
- Construction defect if only the values of DIN 4109 are met
- Values in Appendix 2 to DIN 4109 as the minimum requirement
- VDI 4100:2012 SST I + II only if the building description or the brochure conveys a "high-quality" impression of "upscale living." This is rather rare in single-family houses, more common in multi-family residential buildings
The values of VDI 4100:2012 SST II are probably met by very few single-family homes.
B
Bieber081518 May 2017 16:07Bosy writes:
It should be clear that DIN 4109 defines only the minimum requirements! However, if these are not met, the construction is defective. Anyone expecting more must justify it somehow. Legal discussions indicate that enhanced sound insulation does not necessarily have to be explicitly agreed upon (if it is, even better); it may be sufficient if the property description refers to terms like “upscale” or similar.
The minimum requirements for sound insulation in building construction are specified in DIN 4109 and address soundproofing between separate residential units. Through official building regulations, it has gained public-law significance. [...]
DIN 4109/A1:2001-01 defines the permissible sound pressure levels in noise-sensitive rooms caused by building services installations. These values are considered recognized technical standards (aRdT) and apply whenever no further agreements regarding enhanced sound insulation have been made.
It should be clear that DIN 4109 defines only the minimum requirements! However, if these are not met, the construction is defective. Anyone expecting more must justify it somehow. Legal discussions indicate that enhanced sound insulation does not necessarily have to be explicitly agreed upon (if it is, even better); it may be sufficient if the property description refers to terms like “upscale” or similar.
B
Bieber081518 May 2017 20:51@admin, please remove not only the URL (source reference) but also the entire quote.
To the original poster:
It seems like you have a noise issue: Have you measured the noise level? Various smartphone apps provide surprisingly accurate results. While they don’t offer truly precise measurements (professional noise measurement is complex and time-consuming), they are good for comparing whether one house is actually noisier than another.
Noise is a highly subjective matter—in addition to everyone perceiving the same noise differently, it’s hard to objectively compare noise itself.
Our new build also feels noisier than the old house, but in reality it’s not. For example, there are no airflow noises from radiators. In the old house, these masked outside noises, and over time you stop noticing them. In the end, it feels like total silence.
In the new house, this “background noise” is missing, so suddenly you notice outside sounds that you never heard before. So the house feels louder, although it is objectively 1–2 dB(A) quieter.
First, try to figure out what’s really going on. A standard smartphone with one of the common noise measurement apps should show values around 20 dB(A) inside the house when it’s completely quiet. Compare this with other houses and apartments to get a sense of whether you really have a noise problem or if the new sound environment just feels unusual.
Best regards,
Andreas
It seems like you have a noise issue: Have you measured the noise level? Various smartphone apps provide surprisingly accurate results. While they don’t offer truly precise measurements (professional noise measurement is complex and time-consuming), they are good for comparing whether one house is actually noisier than another.
Noise is a highly subjective matter—in addition to everyone perceiving the same noise differently, it’s hard to objectively compare noise itself.
Our new build also feels noisier than the old house, but in reality it’s not. For example, there are no airflow noises from radiators. In the old house, these masked outside noises, and over time you stop noticing them. In the end, it feels like total silence.
In the new house, this “background noise” is missing, so suddenly you notice outside sounds that you never heard before. So the house feels louder, although it is objectively 1–2 dB(A) quieter.
First, try to figure out what’s really going on. A standard smartphone with one of the common noise measurement apps should show values around 20 dB(A) inside the house when it’s completely quiet. Compare this with other houses and apartments to get a sense of whether you really have a noise problem or if the new sound environment just feels unusual.
Best regards,
Andreas
Similar topics