January 2008
BBA V's CWCT: Raising the curtain on cladding standards
When it comes to endorsing the performance of a construction material, British Board of Agrement (BBA) accreditation is universally accepted as the de facto standard. So why are rainscreen cladding systems the exception?
In spite of BBA being proven to provide a holistic evaluation of a product – from production through to final testing – there are few rainscreen systems in the UK that have successfully completed the complete assessment process. The same is true of British Research Establishment (BRE) accreditation, which is just as thorough as BBA.
Unfortunately, the rest of the market is relying on a more rudimentary elemental certification from the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology (CWCT)
This may be because a rainscreen can be CWCT certified in under a month for less than £10k, compared with the three years and £50k investment it can take to achieve BBA or BRE. It’s also possible that there is a genuine belief that CWCT standards are sufficient. This is a serious misconception and it’s time to set the record straight.
BBA and BRE look at every aspect of a product and installation system – and demand that both are continually monitored for conformity to the information used during the testing process, which BBA and BRE conduct.
CWCT certification benchmarks product performance against standards for wind resistance, water tightness and mechanical impact. And that’s it. The product is not tested by CWCT either – the trade organisation simply reviews the independent test data supplied by a company.
That’s why CWCT should only be used as a complement to BBA or BRE and not in place of them. When evaluating the quality, durability and long-term performance of a rainscreen system, BBA and BRE are the first accreditations for which to look.
William Harwood
Director
T.I. Dynamic Facades