The quality of a tiled surface depends on two separate things: the tile itself and the adhesive holding it. Debonding — the most common mode of failure — is almost always down to the adhesive or the substrate preparation, not the tile.

Tensile adhesion strength of the adhesive measures this directly: the force with which the adhesive holds the tile to its substrate. This test is within our accredited scope.

A separate group of tests applies to the tiles themselves and establishes their class and permitted use: water absorption classifies the tile, while abrasion and slip resistance determine whether it is suitable for floors, wet areas or external use.

The first test below is within our ISO/IEC 17025 accredited scope, certificate LT 069. The remaining tests are carried out to the BS EN ISO 10545 series but are not covered by that accreditation; test reports for them are issued without the accreditation symbol.

 

  1. Tensile adhesion strength of ceramic tile adhesive — ≤ 4 MPa — BS EN 12004-2:2017 — accredited
  2. Water absorption — BS EN ISO 10545-3
  3. Breaking strength and modulus of rupture — BS EN ISO 10545-4
  4. Abrasion resistance — BS EN ISO 10545-6 / -7
  5. Thermal shock resistance — BS EN ISO 10545-9
  6. Frost resistance — BS EN ISO 10545-12
  7. Chemical resistance — BS EN ISO 10545-13
  8. Stain resistance — BS EN ISO 10545-14
  9. Dimensional stability and surface quality — BS EN ISO 10545-2
  10. Slip resistance — safety on wet surfaces

Please contact us for further details

Accreditation

Independently verified competence

Our laboratory is accredited by the General Directorate of Accreditation (DPA) of the Republic of Albania to S SH ISO/IEC 17025:2017, “General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories”.

ISO/IEC170252017
Testing Laboratory

Registration number LT 069. Granted 08.06.2025 and valid until 07.06.2029. The certificate is issued together with its accredited scope.

View certificate (PDF)

ISO/IEC170252017
Calibration Laboratory

Registration number LK 005. Granted 06.08.2025 and valid until 05.08.2029. The certificate is issued together with its accredited scope.

View certificate (PDF)

DPA is a signatory of the EA MLA and the ILAC MRA for testing.