Quality checks on Bette sealing components Bette / Extreme thermal and mechanical loads in association with ETAG 022 / Certification and quality check specialist Kiwa confirms waterproofing in test report / Safety for planners and tradespeople for the new sealing standard DIN 18534-1.
As evidence of the waterproofness of its sealing components, Bette commissioned the Kiwa Group with checking the BetteSealing system Universal and BetteUpstand, in both instances without silicone joints. This evidence was provided on the basis of the current European guidelines for the approval of seals for wet rooms. The testing, inspection and certification specialist Kiwa has provided a detailed test report.
The reason for the check was the reissue of the sealing standards for buildings, and here in particular the standard DIN 18534-1, which calls for special measures such as bath sealing tapes and upstands under and behind baths and shower trays. The standard came into force in July.
For the laboratory tests, Kiwa constructed a test basin based on ETAG 022, appendix A. Bette then installed its products in this basin in accordance with its own installation instructions for sealing systems. ETAG 022 is a guideline for the technical approval of seals for walls and floors in wet rooms, and is valid all over Europe. The test is used for the evaluation of the performance of the sealing systems when they are subjected to water and mechanical loads. All of the attachments and sealants that are approved by the manufacturer are used in the execution of the test. No tiles, tile adhesives or grouting were used in order to ensure that the sealing materials themselves were directly tested. In particular, the joint between the bath rim and floor was not sealed with silicone, which meant that the sealing system was exposed directly to water.
The initial impact of the water on the sealing systems was checked after seven days’ drying time. The test sequence consisted firstly of 100 cycles of spraying with water at temperatures alternating between 90°C and 10°C. This was followed by 1500 cycles with water at temperatures alternating between 60 and 10°C. The extreme thermal conditions of the tests were intended to reflect the ageing process. Spray was followed by a dynamic load with a 30kg bag of sand that was dropped into the test basin from a height of 45 cm. This was repeated three times at five different points on the test basin. To finish, the test basin was flooded with 10 cm of water for seven days. For the entire duration of the test, the Bette sealing systems proved to be waterproof, which was confirmed by Kiwa in its test report no. 2.1/11168/0360.0.1-2017. The approved Bette sealing components for the installation system Universal, BetteUpstand and BetteSealing system therefore comply with the requirements of the new sealing standard.
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