Features Association news Community
Testing and certification services

The Who's Who for testing and certification services for the industry.

www.intertek-etlsemko.com
Intertek Testing Services provides testing, evaluation and certification for building products and materials from
its facilities in Mississauga, Ontario, Lachine, Quebec and Coquitlam, British Columbia. The company’s certification mark ‘WH’ can be found on more than 4000 building and construction products which demonstrates that the manufacturer has implemented an approved quality control program and is undergoing quarterly manufacturing plant audits to maintain product consistency.

Intertek is recognized by the world’s leading code bodies: as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) by OSHA; recognized by Standards Council of Canada (SCC); and A2LA, APLAC and ILAC accredited for Asia and other parts of the world. Additional accreditations include those by the SCC, the National Evaluation Service (NES), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Code Council – Evaluation Service (ICC-ES).

Equipment and facilities
The equipment used for this type of testing includes various sized air/water structural stands. Intertek can test systems up to 12 metres high by 10 metres wide. This equipment allows a window system to be installed and then tested under controlled conditions to measure the amount of air that leaks through the window frame under positive or negative pressure. It also allows the window system to be evaluated for water leakage and structural performance with simulated hurricane force wind loads.

Additional equipment is used to measure security resistance or impact resistance. Intertek is one of only a few laboratories that have a 2 x 4 missile cannon for testing to hurricane requirements of the Florida Building Code. Small scale testing is also done to evaluate finishes and framing members for durability and material properties. These include Xeon or Carbon Arc weather-o-meter testing, tensile and flexural properties. Where required, thermal testing can also be conducted in its Environmental Chamber or modelled on a computer.
From aluminum to vinyl to wood, Intertek provides a variety of testing and certification services for window products including: air infiltration, air exfiltration, impact and hurricane resistance, security resistance, structural performance, thermal performance and water infiltration. Testing is also conducted on finishes, framing members and other components, such as latches, as required.

Beyond CAN/CSA-A440 and AAMA/NWWDA – 101/I.S.2, Intertek provides testing to a variety of applicable standards.

www.qai.org
Quality Auditing Institute (QAI) was founded in 1994 in Port Moody, British Columbia, by a group of experienced certification and testing experts as an independent third party certification organization serving the industry, government and individuals through an established worldwide network of qualified affiliates.
QAI offers certification and testing services for manufacturers producing a wide variety of products including fenestration products.

QAI is a third party product certification body accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). The SCC has the mandate to co-ordinate and oversee the efforts of the National Standards System in Canada. QAI’s SCC accreditation is recognized by the provinces and territories of Canada and is accepted by Natural Resources Canada for the Canadian Energy Star program for windows, doors and skylights.

Quality Auditing Institute provides a range of certification, testing and inspection services for the window and door industry. Two certification programs are offered for windows and doors. The first program involves certification of physical performance ratings. This program is used to establish compliance of products with the National Building Code of Canada and applicable government regulations. The second program involves the certification of thermal performance ratings, which can be used as supporting evidence for the Canadian Energy Star guidelines as well as Provincial energy regulations.

Products successfully evaluated by QAI are eligible for labelling with the QAI logo. The Quality Auditing Institute logo is a symbol to customers and building officials that the products bearing the logo have been evaluated by QAI to meet the performance levels published in the QAI Directory of Listed Products on the company’s web site.

QAI’s laboratory, is recognized as an Accredited Testing Laboratory by the International Accreditation Service (IAS) and the company’s in-house laboratory has the ability to test windows and doors to the requirements of the AAMA/WDMA/CSA/I01/I.S.2/A440-05 harmonized standard. Physical testing is typically conducted to show compliance with building code requirements, for research and development purposes, or to meet the requirements of a certification program. Thermal testing is typically performed in addition to the physical testing to show compliance with the QAI thermal certification program or government regulations. Typical tests for windows and doors include operating force, air leakage resistance, water penetration resistance, wind load resistance, hardware tests and energy performance testing.

Follow-up inspections are conducted at the product manufacturing location on a regular basis to ensure continual compliance with Quality Auditing Institute evaluation reports, federal and provincial requirements, IGMAC certification requirements, where applicable, and manufacturing quality procedures.

www.bodycote.ca
Bodycote, headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, has an extensive network of well equipped testing and development facilities across Canada and the US. This network, coupled with a dedicated group of scientists, engineers, chemists and material specialists, is supported by comprehensive small and large scale laboratory services that complement its field inspection and failure analysis services. The laboratory analyzes and evaluates key performance aspects of manufactured products for compliance with industry accepted standards, regulations and codes throughout North America and abroad.

A complete range of laboratory tests are available to ensure that window and door products meet Canadian, American and Japanese Standards. Some of the most commonly requested tests include:
• Canada: CAN/CSA-A440 Windows Standard, CGSB 82.1 Sliding Doors and CGSB 82.5 Insulated Steel Doors.
• US: AAMA/NWWDA-101.S.2 Voluntary Specifications for Aluminum, Vinyl (PVC) and Wood Windows and
Glass Doors.
• North America: North American Fenestration Standard (NAFS-1); computer simulations using FRAMEplus for determining U values, SHGC, light transmission and energy rating to align with Energy Star program.

Comprehensive insulating glass unit testing services are also offered for:
• Canada: CAN/CGSB 12.8 Insulating Glass Units.
• US: ASTM E773/E774 Standard Test Method for accelerated weathering of sealed insulating glass units.
• North America: Harmonized Standard ASTM E2189, E2190 gas fill levels and low-E verification.
The company also conducts testing of glass/safety glass products according to CAN/CGSB, British and ANSI standards. Field tests for air leakage and water penetration (ASTM E783 and ASTM E1105) include: infrared thermography surveys; dew point determination; argon fill levels and independent failure inspections and analysis.

Wall systems (2.4 x 2.4 metres up to 6.0 x 6.0 metres) are evaluated in terms of air leakage, water penetration and structural wind load resistance. Full scale testing can be conducted on samples measuring 2.4 meters x 2.4 meters or on samples measuring up to 6.0 meters x 6.0 meters using a large two storey test chamber. The most commonly requested tests include:
• ASTM E283: Determination for rate of air leakage through exterior windows, curtainwalls and doors under specified pressure differences across the specimen.
• ASTM E330: Structural performance of exterior windows, curtainwalls and doors by uniform static air pressure difference.
• ASTM E331: Water penetration of exterior windows, skylights, doors and curtainwalls by uniform static air pressure difference.
• ASTM E547: Water penetration of exterior windows, skylights, doors and curtainwall by cyclic static air pressure difference.

www.can-best.com
CAN-BEST provides building envelope research and testing with a cost efficient and friendly approach. Its ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories in Brampton, Ontario, are recognized by a wide range of industry users for providing quality services under strictly independent and confidential conditions.

Established in 1985 by Elie Alkhoury, CAN-BEST (Canadian Building Envelope Science and Technology) is an independent, wholly Canadian owned company specializing in building envelope research, testing, investigation and consulting. CAN-BEST operates its own ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory that is instrumental in providing research and evaluation services not only to high-profile and sensitive building projects, but also to ordinary residential, office and institutional buildings.

Total independence and confidentiality is demonstrated and assured through its commitment to maintain accreditation by major accreditation bodies such as SCC and AAMA. Its laboratories are recognized by a wide range of industry users, and accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) to the stringent requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 Quality Standards.

The scope of testing services covers a wide range of standard and non-standard test procedures at its state-of-the-art research and test facilities, equipped with the most advanced computer-aided test systems that are both designed and built by knowledgeable and dedicated staff. The same test equipment is made available to clients for its in-house product development and quality assurance testing requirements.

In addition, the laboratory is recognized by CSA, IGMA, IGMAC, CCMC, CWDMA, WDMA and others as a main provider of certification testing services in support of their Certification Programs. Services include: laboratory testing, field testing, computer simulation, certification testing and reporting, Energy Star reporting, technical assistance, test equipment and hurricane impact testing.

The scope of the company’s window and door testing services is comprehensive as it strives to offer a ‘one stop’ service for all testing needs. Testing to the following glazing, window and door standards frequently requested: CGSB 12.8, ASTM, E2188, E2189, E2190, ASTM E773, E774, CSA-A440, AAMA 101, Harmonized NAFS, CGSB 82.1, CGSB 82.5, ISO, BSI, and JIS.

The company also has a portable research and testing apparatus called Smart-Lab. It is available for sale,
and used for evaluating the air and water tightness and structural performance of windows and doors as per national and international standards. It is fully computerized and either operated wirelessly using a handheld or desktop computer.

www.westlab.net
WESTLab is a National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) Accredited Simulation Laboratory with offices in Ontario and the US. It provides NFRC simulation services to window, door and skylight manufacturers helping the industry get U factor, SHGC, VT and CR ratings necessary for building energy code compliance and voluntary programs like Energy Star.

With five NFRC certified simulators on staff, WESTLab is one of the largest simulation laboratories in North America. -end-