Hardware specialist Carl F Groupco has seen an increase in demand for acoustic vents, highlighting the real-world impact of the changes to Building Regulations in 2022.
John Mitchell, Technical Director at Carl F Groupco, explains: “Sales volumes of acoustic vents have doubled year on year, with the majority of sales going to new customers. This clearly demonstrates the anticipated impact from the recent changes to Document F of Building Regulations, which relate to the ventilation in new and existing buildings.
He continued: “The 2022 amendment was particularly significant regarding testing requirements, which is why we were proactive in educating our customer base on the regulatory changes. At the same time, we were acutely aware of the importance of collaboration within the supply chain. For us, that meant leveraging our strong supplier relationships to secure a consistent supply of compliant-ready products, whilst also expanding our product range and providing in-house technical support. This ensured our customers could depend on us as the new regulations become mandatory. Today, our approach remains unchanged; our customers can always rely on us to provide as much support as we are able.”
Document F of Building Regulations sets the ventilation requirements to maintain indoor air quality and, following the 2022 changes, Local Authority Building Control (LABC) is now in charge of policing new build projects, requiring confirmation that each building complies.
By far the most economical and practical solution to meet the ventilation requirements of Document F is to use trickle vents and, as John highlights, it seems this is the route that most installers prefer.
Carl F Groupco’s trickle vent options include the EAW42W ventilator from ventilation experts Greenwood and the Acoustic Ventilator from RW Simon. For powered acoustic ventilation there’s the AERO range from Siegenia.
