The European Union states that every kind of construction material used needs a CE marking. This depicts their safety. British Standards state that tile adhesives have to meet safety specifications as set out before they will declare them fit for purpose.
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. The minimum requirement for a tile adhesive to pass the test is to conform by the BS EN 12004. The properties are more descriptive in the new British Standard in comparison to those in the British Standard BS 5980. Adhesives have to pass a series of tests which include dispersion, performance and reaction in order to be classified.
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. It is a requirement of manufacturers to declare that the proudct meets the basics of these outlined characteristics in order to prove the adhesive meets British Standards. A manufacturer will confirm that it is safe for use by marking the product under a certain catergory.
All CE marked adhesives may not necessarily conform to the compulsory prerequisites as stated in the directive for BS EN 12004. To be sold in the European Union markets, products that have the CE marking are classed has being fit to use according to the general stardards. They are however, not classed as having full safety to use according to 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.
Checking the markings, before you buy on any product is advisable. The label holds the information for the public to ensure they are buying a safe product. It is therefore important that they hold both the CE and the BS EN 12004 certification. Even if you find both the markings on the label go through the contents to ensure that the adhesive meets the heat ageing and freeze/thaw requirements. The adhesive will show signs if it contains this property, such as a no performance determined NPD sign. It may also have a N/mm2 value 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.
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