The European Union states that every kind of construction material used needs a CE marking. This depicts their safety. Tile adhesives are also required to meet this safety norm to be declared fit according to British Standards.
The safety order test is there to protect the public when they are purchasing any product; like all construction materials, in order to be used in Europe, adhesives have to pass this. This can include adhesives for tiles, plastic water pipes, gypsum blocks, metallic components and timber. Tile adhesives need to pass the test to conform by the BS EN 12004 as a minimum requirement. This marks the perfect British Standard and is far more descriptive as to its properties as compared to the former British Standard BS 5980. Dispersion, performance and reactions are all included in the series of tests which adhesives have pass in order to be classified into separate catergories.
The newly introduced tests are far more detailed as to what were carried out earlier for meeting safety standards. Water resistance, ability to stretch, slipperiness and the ability to withstand deformation are some of the factors taken into consideration in the newly formed safety tests. The fundamental characteristics have to be declared by the manufacturer in order to prove the adhesive conforms to the British Standard. The product will be marked by the manufacturer under a certain catergory that will instantly confirm that it is safe for use.
There are prerequisites which are compulsory and are stated in the directive for BS EN 12004 but it does not necessarily mean that all CE marked adhesives conform to this. Having a CE marking only implies that it has passed the general standard that allows it to be sold in the European Union markets but it does not ensure full safety of the product as per the new British Standard. To be considered fit for BS EN 12004 standards adhesives have to have passed the following performance tests; heat ageing, freezing and thawing. However they could pass the CE certification that does not include these tests to pass the Construction Products Directive for the durability of the product.
Before you buy any product it is advisable to check the markings. Products should hold both the CE and the BS EN 12004 certification. Ensure you check thoroughly before purchasing to ensure this. The adhesives content label should still be checked to see if it meets the heat ageing, thaw and freeze requirements despite having both markings. To know that this property does not exist in the adhesive you need to look out for a no performance determined or NPD sign or maybe a value such as N/mm2, which is lower than 0.Durability is measured with 5N/mm2.
To know that the product you are buying passes all safety norms, you can look out for the classification rating set by the manufacturer, the CE and the BS EN 12004 marks.
With these kind of checks in place the public can rest assured whether decorating the bathroom, with those gorgeous ceramic bathroom tiles or choosing a tile design for your kitchen, each product has had to pass the safety checks in place.
