Weathertightness, operation, strength and impact resistance

BRE can help you test the performance of your building components. Our expertise and extensive range of test facilities enable us to test windows, doors, industrial doors, roof lights, roof assemblies, walls, ceilings and other building components, typically against published standards (past and present) but also using bespoke research tests.

Our expert teams have considerable experience of testing building components, as well as carrying out site inspections, and can provide these services for the subjects listed below:

  • Weathertightness including air permeability, water tightness and resistance to wind loads. Our weathertightness laboratory is a UKAS accredited testing laboratory No. 0578. Current Standards are BS 6375: Part 1: 2009, BS EN’s 1026, 1027 and 12211. Preceding standards are BS 6375: Part 1: 2004 and BS 5368 Parts 1, 2 and 3. These are currently referenced in PAS23 for doors.
  • Operation and strength including ease of fastener and sash operation, abuse tests, loading tests of fitted hardware and cyclic testing. Current standard is BS 6375: Part 2: 2009.
  • Impact resistance including fragility, non-fragility, drop tests using soft, semi-hard and hard body impacts involving either vertical or swing-style drops of an impactor. Current Standards include ACR(M)001:2005, BS EN 13049: 2003, BS EN 14019: 2004, BS EN 1873: 2005, BS EN 14963: 2006 and others such as the methods in BS8200: 1985.
  • Air tightness including tests of components such as loft hatches and light fittings in ‘well sealed ceilings’. Current test method standard is BS EN 13141-1: 2004. Also note that BRE has a whole building air tightness test capability.
  • Air flow characteristics including equivalentarea and geometrical free area of ventilation products. Current test method standard is BS EN 13141-1: 2004.