Me too, this topic seems to be something that many professionals within our industry argue about and contest. We often get asked by our customers if our rooflights are CE marked and an hour searching the web will find different rooflight manufacturers making different claims. The simple answer to the questions above is ‘no’ and at this present moment in time it isn’t actually possible to CE mark the type of unit we manufacture.
Now if you find it a bit odd that in a world of standards and regulation there isn’t anything to cover our product then you might be right, but closer inspection of the standards does reveal that almost all types of material are covered apart from out of plane glass rooflights.
Now, as a marketing bod I could continue to rattle on about how Glazing Vision products (with the exception of our xVent AOV) do not require CE marking in order to put your mind at rest and ultimately convince you to buy our product, but instead I want to concentrate here on looking at the existing standards individually and how they apply to glass rooflights.
There are several exisiting harmonised European standards (hEN) and European Technical Approval Guidelines (ETAG) that exist which you should be aware of.
The National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers (NARM) have released Technical Document NTD07 which covers this subject in a little more detail and you can read more by clicking the link below, but for a general summary please read on.
EN 1873:2005
Refers to out of plane individual domed or pyramid rooflights manufactured from one or more layers of solid polycarbonate.
EN 1013:2012
Light transmitting single skin profiled plastic sheets for internal and external roofs, walls and ceilings such as profiled GRP and polycarbonate in plane single skin sheets.
EN 14351-1:2006+A1: 2010
Windows and doors. Roof windows which are installed in the same orientation and in plane with the surrounding roof at a minimum 15 degrees pitch, weathered into the roof using skirt or flashing, for example Velux style roof window.
EN 14963: 2006
Continuous plastic rooflights with rectangular plan with the base installed at less than 10 degree pitch.
EN12101-2:2003
Automatic Opening Vents linked to a fire alarm system to open automatically in the event of a fire, including either glass or plastic which also performs the function of a rooflight. (link to GV xVent)
EN16153
Applies to flat, structured polycarbonate sheeting which may be used for a variety of rooflight types.
EN16240
Applies to flat, solid polycarbonate sheeting used for a variety of rooflight types.
ETAG 010
CE marking may be conducted under this ETAG but is not compulsory. The document goes on to say that the requirements of the ETAG to test all variants and sizes may make use of the ETAG for CE marking a range of rooflights unfeasible.
And there you have it – where an hEN exists our products are compliant. For example our xVent AOV unit fully complies with EN12101-2:2003. But aside from that there are currently no hEN standards that are applicable to the products we manufacture so we have no agreed standard to work to.
This doesn’t mean that we can cobble together a framework and just drop in a piece of glass hoping for the best – our products must still comply with building regulations and there are also other things a premium manufacturer will do to put its product to the test, such as having it certified by the British Board of Agrement (BBA) https://www.bbacerts.co.uk/
Ultimately though, this is the reason that Glazing Vision work closely with NARM and alongside other manufacturers and competitors. To try and develop a clearly defined set of standards for out of plane glass rooflights.
Why do need this? - Additional Information
By providing this information, it allows us to forward your enquiry on to your local Technical Specification Manager and enables them to provide you with a formal quotation quicker.