DURABILITY TESTING
We use accelerated weathering tests to predict the durability behaviour of our products many years into the future in all types of climate conditions.
The key to realistic durability test procedures is understanding the weather conditions our products need to endure in all climates. For this reason MONIER has a long history of monitoring the microclimate on roofs.
The following list of weathering mechanisms illustrates the harsh environments experienced by roofing products together with the high performance needed if a product is to maintain both its functional performance and appearance.
- Sunlight and UV radiation
- UV makes up only about 5% of the radiation in natural sunlight, but is responsible for most weathering effects and is damaging to materials with low resistance.
- Erosion due to acid rain
- Rain is naturally acidic due to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels can cause greatly increased acidity. Products are tested to extreme levels for their defined guarantees.
- Freeze-thaw resistance
- Products are tested in modern automated environmental chambers to validate their resistance to the severest winter conditions.
- Extremes and rapid changes of temperature
- In some climates products endure changes in temperature up to 50°C in only a few minutes. Thermal shock tests ensure excellent product performance against cycles of rapid temperature change.
- Testing UV weathering
ULTRAVIOLET WEATHERING TESTS
Long periods of laboratory testing for UV weathering represents many years of sunlight exposure.
- Freeze-thaw testing
FREEZE-THAW TESTING
Modern environmental test chambers reproduce the severest winters in only a few days.
Acid rain testing
Acid rain tests subject tiles to rainfall with high pollution based on the worst naturally occurring acidity levels.
