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10 October 2008
KNAUF DRYWALL’S VERSATILE PLASTERBOARDS MEET ALL THE REGS
Knowing your Building Regulations is the key to selling premium products, says Bob
Stark, Marketing Manager at Knauf Drywall. A good builders merchant needs a
reasonable working knowledge of regulations affecting the use of plasterboard in a wide
range of building types. With this knowledge, the merchant can professionally advise
customers on the right plasterboard to select for the job – and responsibly maximise sales
opportunities with higher margin premium plasterboards and accessories.
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www.knaufdrywall.co.uk
T: 01795 424499
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The Clockwork Marketing Company Ltd, 1 Castlefield Court, Church Street, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0AH
Contact: David Goddin T: 01737 243702 F: 01737 222023 E: [email protected]
10 October 2008
KNAUF DRYWALL’S VERSATILE PLASTERBOARDS MEET ALL THE REGS
Knowing your Building Regulations is the key to selling premium products, says Bob
Stark, Marketing Manager at Knauf Drywall.
A good builders merchant needs a reasonable working knowledge of regulations affecting
the use of plasterboard in a wide range of building types. With this knowledge, the
merchant can professionally advise customers on the right plasterboard to select for the
job – and responsibly maximise sales opportunities with higher margin premium
plasterboards and accessories.
Plasterboard is an incredibly versatile building material for interior use – it’s easy to work
with and surprisingly strong. More importantly, it enables builders to build walls and
ceilings that achieve all the necessary performance standards as set out in the Building
Regulations and related documents.
At their most basic level, the regulations touch three important areas: privacy, safety and
efficiency. Standard Wallboard makes a contribution towards meeting regulatory
requirements, with the premium plasterboards – specially formulated for high
performance in one or more of these and other areas – giving even better results.
Privacy
Acoustic privacy is enshrined in Approved Document E of the Building Regulations
Resistance to the Passage of Sound – Part E for short. It is of interest to the merchant in
several ways – so that customers purchase the right type and thickness of high
performance Knauf Plasterboard for separating and internal dry walls, and because of the
metal components, jointing and sealants required to ensure the system’s acoustic
performance. It is also important because of our range of ceiling products and our
lightweight Brio WF Dry Floor Screed which provides opportunities to reduce impact
sound.
Part E governs the requirement for reduction of airborne sound (typically at least 45dB
DnT, w) between joined dwellings – semi detached or terraced houses, apartments, and
the like – and between other residential units such as hotel rooms or student flats. New
floors must reduce impact sound by a minimum of 62dB L’nT, w. Part E applies to both
new and refurbished buildings and in residential situations is intended to avoid the
problems of noisy neighbours so that occupants don’t having to worry about being
overheard – or disturbed. In certain circumstances it also regulates sound reduction
within a dwelling, such as between a bathroom or toilet and bedrooms. Pre-completion
testing is required, unless the building has walls and upper floors that comply with
approved Robust Detail constructions.
Part E is amplified in two key sectors – schools and hospitals – by the documents
Building Bulletin 93 (BB93) and Health Technical Memorandum 2045 (HTM 2045)
respectively. These provide guidelines on airborne sound reduction in walls between
different types of teaching areas or hospital rooms, providing acoustically good
conditions for learning and teaching, or treatment and recuperation.
A typical residential separating wall, such as found between two apartments, can be
constructed to achieve the minimum requirement of 45dB DnT, w (on-site tested)
airborne sound reduction using a twin frame of 70mm Knauf ‘C’ Studs clad with two
layers of 12.5mm Knauf Soundshield on each side, with a 50mm Knauf acoustic
insulation quilt in the middle.
In school situations, higher acoustic performances needed, for example, to contain sound
within a music practice area, are achieved with systems such as 15mm Knauf
Soundshield and the insertion of Knauf Resilient Bar behind the plasterboard. In large
rooms, such as school halls, lobbies and reception areas, reverberation is reduced with
products such as Knauf Cleaneo Apertura – our range of top end aesthetic sound
absorbing plasterboards.
Safety
Approved Document B Fire Safety (Part B) is in two parts, covering residential and nonresidential buildings respectively. Part B has two main aims: to ensure that the spread of
fire within a building is inhibited and that the building retains its structural integrity for a
specified time. This is the source of fire ratings, which normally range from 30 to 120
minutes and are often expressed in drywall specifications as, for example, 60/60 – 60
minutes of structural integrity and insulation. The regulations exist to minimise the risk to
occupants and the Fire Service.
These regulations are of particular relevance to the drywall merchant, because
plasterboard-based drywall systems have become the standard for separating and internal
fire walls in a wide variety of public, commercial and private buildings. Even major
compartment walls, such as found in large hospitals or cinema complexes, are commonly
constructed using modern drywall systems.
All plasterboard provides some protection against the spread of fire, with high
performance products such as Knauf Fireshield specially formulated to provide greater
integrity and insulation. Higher specifications are normally achieved by using 15mm
board systems, rather than 12.5mm, and by using double layer systems.
Where electrical socket boxes are provided in drywall partitions, fire safety is maintained
by using Knauf Putty Pads, which are fast selling – and save a lot of time for builders too.
They are sheets of mouldable intumescent putty which are pressed into, or around, the
socket box in a fraction of the time it takes to fit a traditional baffle box.
Efficiency
Part L: Conservation of Heat and Power serves two purposes – reducing both CO2
emissions and energy bills. With the recent surge in fuel costs followed by the credit
crunch, many homeowners – as well as owners of other types of buildings – are
desperate to reduce the cost of keeping warm. At the same time, the Government is keen
to make improved insulation more affordable, so that heat stays indoors.
Amid reports that many insulation contractors are already struggling to keep up with
demand, Part L has good prospects for builders merchants as builders turn to products
such as the Knauf Thermal Laminate range – plasterboard bonded to a layer of insulation
– to prevent costly heat loss. Knauf Thermal Laminates provide a very easy way to
upgrade homes.
We have other systems that help reduce energy requirements, such as Knauf Brio Dry
Floor Screed, our gypsum fibreboard specially developed as a multi-benefit floor panel to
lay over underfloor heating systems. Brio’s thermal transparency means that heat passes
quickly through the floor to where it is needed, so less energy is needed to maintain the
room at a comfortable temperature.
And while on environmental issues, our pioneering carbon neutral plasterboard Knauf
Futurepanel makes a real contribution towards reduced CO2 emissions.
Learn more
To learn more about our systems and how they shape up to the Building Regulations, go
to our website www.knaufdrywall.co.uk or ask our area sales manager for help. Our
technical literature and point of sale material will also help you to point customers in the
right direction. And you can also use our online Partition Specifier to help customers
check that they are buying the right Knauf Drywall systems to meet regulatory
requirements.
Ends
(1,081 words)
Note to Editor
Knauf Drywall manufactures a full range of plasters, plasterboards, insulating laminates,
dry flooring, drywall accessories, and metal sections for domestic, commercial and public
sector applications. Knauf Drywall pioneered carbon neutral plasterboard in the UK with
Knauf Futurepanel. Knauf Drywall also actively promotes recycling from building sites
and has a zero waste policy in its energy efficient factories at Sittingbourne in Kent and
Immingham on Humberside.
For further information and separation requests please contact Clockwork
We will meet reasonable colour separations costs supported by a purchase order
David Goddin
The Clockwork Marketing Company Ltd
1 Castlefield Court
Church Street
Reigate
Surrey RH2 0AH
T: 01737 243702
F: 01737 222023
[email protected]
www.clockworkmarketing.co.uk
Please send reader enquiries to:
Janice Challinor
Trilobyte Services Ltd
Imex Centre
Radway Green
Crewe
Cheshire
CW2 5PR
T: 01270 824000
[email protected]