What is BS EN 1469 – Requirements for natural stone slabs for cladding about?
Natural stone slabs are used as cladding material in both internal and external surfaces of structures, not only for enhancing appearance but also for thermal insulation and protection against extreme weather conditions.
BS EN 1469 is a European standard that discusses natural stone slabs for cladding.
BS EN 1469 specifies requirements for slabs of natural stone that are made for use as cladding for internal and external wall and ceiling finishes.
Note 1: BS EN 1469 does not cover aggregates and artificially agglomerated stone material and does not cover installation.
Note 2: BS EN 1469 does not cover roofing slates used as external cladding and slates and stone products for discontinuous roofing.
Note 3: BS EN 1469 does not consider fixing by means of mortar and adhesives.
Who is BS EN 1469 - Requirements for natural stone slabs for cladding for?
BS EN 1469 on natural stone products is useful for:
- Contractors
- Civil engineers
- Builders and architects
- Interior designers
- Cladding specialists
Why should you use BS EN 1469 - Requirements for natural stone slabs for cladding?
When it comes to natural stone cladding, the stones need to be cut into a consistent thickness and weight to be used as veneer for effective and durable wall or ceiling cladding.
BS EN 1469 provides the best industry recommendations on product characteristics and includes procedures for testing, evaluation of conformity, labelling, marking and packaging of natural stone slabs for cladding.
The classes of dimensional tolerances specified in BS EN 1469 provide measures of length and width, thickness, squareness and flatness.
BS EN 1469 also covers guidance on Assessment and Verification of the Constancy of Performance (AVCP) that ensures your products conform with the requirements.
BS EN 1469 also specifies methods for obtaining samples of natural stone from quarries, or plants or buildings. The aim of sampling is to obtain a bulk sample that is representative of the average properties of the batch and of its variability.
As a result, complying with BS EN 1469 can help demonstrate the performance and quality of natural stone slabs used for cladding, thus determining whether or not they are fit for purpose.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN 1469:2015 supersedes EN 1469:2004. BS EN 1469:2015 includes some technical changes with respect to EN 1469:2004. These include:
- Squareness tolerances, durability, direct airborne sound insulation, thermal conductivity, the release of dangerous substances added to requirements
- Sampling at the point of delivery added to the sampling
- Assessment and verification of constancy of performance added
- Annex ZA substantially changed