It can be hard to keep up with all the standards for building products, especially as they frequently change. In this column, Barry Hunt throws some light on the standards, identifying those you need and those you don’t. This time he looks at BS ENs 12057 and 12058 – Tiles and Slabs.

I am reviewing these two standards together as they are almost exactly the same apart from the sub-sections in each that deal with sizes and their tolerances. 

The modular tiles standard also includes an additional informative appendix dealing with CE marking of materials to be used for tiling walls and ceilings and not just floors and stairs. 

Both standards deal with materials used internally and externally, so there is a degree of crossover with the paving and cladding standards.

The standards are currently £162 each, which also happens to be the price of a 50-year-old bottle of good Armagnac. This does not present a tough choice for someone like me. 

You can buy English versions of these standards more cheaply from our European partners. If you speak Spanish, then maybe download AENOR’s version and pay only £36 at the current exchange rate. Or go to buystd.com, which appears to be a trustworthy not-for-profit American website where English translations of the German or Italian versions are listed for just $15, although I’m not sure if any copyright issues are involved. 

It is worth searching around and I surely do not need to repeat my views on the apparently bonkers pricing policy of the British Standards Institution that I believe is potentially harming British Industry.

Both BS EN 12057 and BS EN 12058 are now being updated and there are draft versions of the updates out for comment. If you are presently seriously considering buying these standards, it is probably worth waiting for the new versions to appear. 

The updated standards seem to be ironing out anomalies and have the usual tweaking of prose and mistakes with nothing substantially new appearing.

These standards are much better written than earlier European Standards for stone and following the requirements is relatively straightforward. 

They also provide a clear distinction between what is classified as either tiles or slabs.Tiles are 12mm or less in thickness and no greater than 610mm along any dimension. Slabs must be greater than 12mm thick and of any dimensions. 

Possibly only good quality slate might be used at less than 12mm thickness and greater than the 610mm size and thus would fall outside the standards, but most producers would provide larger sizes at 20mm thick in any case.

As is the norm for many of the stone product standards, once initial type testing has been completed, a couple of tests need to be undertaken every two years. In this instance the flexural strength and either water absorption or density and porosity are considered important. Petrographic examination and other tests listed are required every 10 years. The visual and dimensional characteristics are constantly monitored. 

There are no pass/fail criteria provided within the standards and all that is required is for the values to be declared. 

However, where tiles or slabs are to be used externally, where frosts might occur, they need to demonstrate they are durable, although the results of frost and other weathering tests do not provide actual guidance for their results to assist the consumer.

These standards are excellent value for money for the Spanish and certain of our other European chums, but for us Brits I have to rate them as poor, coming in at 23% using my arbitrary value for money classification scheme. 

If you cannot avoid buying them, at least wait for the new versions to be published.

References:

BS EN 12057:2004. Natural stone products – Modular tiles – Requirements. Published by the British Standards Institution, London, England.

BS EN 12058:2004. Natural stone products – Slabs for floors and stairs – Requirements. Published by the British Standards Institution, London, England.

Barry Hunt is a Chartered Geologist and Chartered Surveyor who has spent 20 years investigating issues relating to natural stone and other construction materials. He now runs IBIS, an independent geomaterials consultancy undertaking commissions worldwide to provide consultancy, inspection and testing advice. Tel: 020 8518 8646