🏗️ Windows and doors — watertightness: continuous spraying of water from full-cone nozzles onto the external surface of the assembled product at increasing positive pressure, watertightness limit Pmax and points of leakage (spray methods 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B); PN-EN 1027

Construction PN-EN 1027

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. EN 1027:2016 (clause 1) specifies a method for testing the watertightness of completely assembled windows and door sets of any material, taking into account the conditions of use of the product installed according to the manufacturer's specification and the requirements of European standards; it does not apply to the joints between the frame and the building construction. Definitions (clause 3): closed state (closed, latched, locked, secured) and test pressure — as in the standard on air permeability; watertightness — the ability of the test specimen to resist water penetration under the test conditions up to the pressure Pmax (watertightness limit); leakage (water penetration) — continuous or repeated wetting of the internal surface of the test specimen, of parts which are intended to remain dry and do not belong to the system draining water to the outside, or of places from which water does not drain in a controlled manner (continuous — e.g. an uninterrupted thin trickle, repeated — e.g. more than one drop); watertightness limit — the highest pressure Pmax up to which the test specimen remains watertight for a defined time. The "Scope" field of the PKN card of PN-EN 1027:2016-04 (English version, description of the scope in Polish): "This European Standard gives a test method intended to determine the watertightness of complete windows and door sets made of any materials. (…) This European Standard does not apply to the joints between the door or window frame and the building construction" (our translation).

PRINCIPLE AND APPARATUS (clauses 4–5). A defined amount of water is continuously sprayed onto the external surface of the test specimen, and successive increments of positive pressure are applied at regular intervals, recording the pressure and the points of leakage. Apparatus: a chamber with an open side, not deforming under pressure; equipment for producing and rapidly changing the pressure; an instrument for measuring the amount of water supplied to an accuracy of ±10 % (with several rows of nozzles of different flow rates, the total flow rate and, additionally, the spray pattern of the lower row are checked; at least two instruments are recommended); pressure measurement to an accuracy of ±5 %; a spray system giving a continuous, uniform film of water over the whole surface wetted in actual exposure, with full-cone nozzles: spray angle 120° (+0/−10°), working pressure 2–3 bar according to the nozzle manufacturer, flow rate of the upper row (2 ± 0.2) l/min per nozzle, of additional rows (1 ± 0.1) or (2 ± 0.2) l/min per nozzle.

SPRAY SET-UP (clause 6). The test specimen is fixed as in use, fully operational, clean and dry, with a surround allowing any leakage (including through the frame joints) to be detected easily; air inlets are taped over. The spray method — A or B — is chosen by the manufacturer according to the place of installation (product sheltered or not); the test is carried out in one set-up, and a template is recommended. The line of nozzles lies not higher than 150 mm above the highest horizontal line of the sash joint or the glazing line and at a distance of 250 mm (+10/0 mm) from the external plane of the test specimen; the nozzles are spaced (400 ± 10) mm apart, and the distance of the outermost nozzles from the edge of the surround is more than 50 mm and not more than 250 mm. The nozzle axis is inclined 24° (+2/0°) below the horizontal in method 1A and (84 ± 2)° in method 1B. Test specimens up to 2.5 m high (with extension profiles and roller-shutter boxes) have one row of nozzles of 2 l/min each on average; with smaller test specimens part of the water falls past the sill, so the actual spray is approx. 2 l/(min·m²) in method 1A and approx. 1 l/(min·m²) in 1B. Test specimens higher than 2.5 m have additional rows every 1.5 m (± 150 mm) below the upper one, of 1 l/min each on average (method 2A) or 2 l/min (2B), and each horizontal drip projecting more than 50 mm — its own row. Water: 4–30 °C, clean enough for all nozzles to work properly. Ambient conditions as for air permeability: 10–30 °C, 25–75 % humidity, conditioning for at least 4 h, measurement of temperature ±3 °C, humidity ±5 %, atmospheric pressure ±1 kPa.

EDITIONS. EN 1027:2016 (CEN/TC 33) replaced EN 1027:2000; according to the foreword, the revision only clarifies the method and does not call earlier results into question. Changes: deletion of the normative references, a definition of the closed state, a simplified definition of test pressure, changed definitions of watertightness and leakage and of accuracy (5.4), editorial changes in 6.2, a more precise description of the spray direction (6.2.4), the closed state in 7.1, a supplemented description of the test specimen in the test report, a new Annex A with figures of the set-ups. In the iTeh catalogue (read on 27.10.2026) EN 1027:2016 has the status "Published" and the stage "9020 – Submission to 2 Year Review Enquiry".

STATUS (PKN card as of 27.10.2026). The card of PN-EN 1027:2016-04 (English version) has no withdrawal label: publication 22-04-2016, 18 pages, Building and Construction Sector, KT 169 Windows, Doors, Shutters and Hardware, "Adopts: EN 1027:2016 [IDT]", "Replaces: PN-EN 1027:2001 - Polish version", ICS 91.060.50. PKN search, search term "EN 1027" (27.10.2026): PN-EN 1027:2001 (Polish version) is withdrawn and replaced by PN-EN 1027:2016-04; there is no Polish version of the 2016 edition in the results.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database refreshed from the production server on 27.10.2026 and current PCA documents downloaded on that day). Number 1027 (form "PN-EN 1027") appears in 15 records at 6 Polish laboratories: AB 023 (8), AB 1054 (2), AB 1596 (2), AB 661, AB 1632, AB 1671 — the same ones that have PN-EN 1026 (a separate entry in this database). In all 6 current PCA documents the standard is in the same 15 rows; no entry is suspended. Forms: "PN-EN 1027 'N'" without the year (AB 023, AB 1054, AB 1596), "PN-EN 1027" (AB 023), "PN-EN 1027:2016 'N'" (AB 661), "PN-EN 1027:2016-04" (AB 1671), "PN-EN 1027-2016" (AB 1632) and "PN-EN 1027:2001" (AB 1596, second entry). In PCA documents "N" denotes a method used in activities relevant to notification under Regulation (EU) No 305/2011. The "Laboratories" tab ("PN-EN 1027") shows 11 laboratories: these 6 Polish ones and 5 Czech ones (tab query on labcoda.pl, 27.10.2026).

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy and PCA documents). Windows (including balcony doors, roof windows, assemblies) and external and internal doors (AB 023: pressure up to 5000 Pa; also products for sealing the joints between windows and the wall and — with PN-EN 13141-1 — windows with air inlets and external air inlets up to 1000 Pa), windows and doors up to 7000 × 4000 mm, 0–3600 Pa (AB 661), windows, balcony doors and external doors at and outside the premises (AB 1054), doors, windows and shutters (AB 1596), windows and doors up to 1.50 × 1.50 m, spray 1–2 l/min per nozzle, pressure up to 2500 Pa (AB 1632), windows and external doors up to 6000 × 6500 mm, 0–7500 Pa (AB 1671).

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — the spray method: A and B give different conditions (nozzle inclination 24° and 84°, a different actual spray per square metre); the choice is made by the manufacturer according to the place of installation, and a result without the method stated is not comparable. Second — what counts as leakage: water in the system draining to the outside is not leakage, but wetting of the internal side, of parts intended to remain dry or of places without controlled drainage is — already with repeated drops. Third — the nozzle set-up: the line of nozzles at most 150 mm above the highest joint, 250 mm from the face, nozzles every 400 mm — the position of the line is to ensure full wetting of the adjacent horizontal elements (point 6.2.2). Fourth — tall test specimens and drips: above 2.5 m the standard requires additional rows every 1.5 m, and each horizontal drip projecting more than 50 mm — its own row of nozzles (point 6.2.5). Fifth — air inlets are taped over (point 6.1). Sixth — edition: AB 1596 has the withdrawn PN-EN 1027:2001 in one entry.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. The fragment of EN 1027:2016 we read ends at point 7.1. We do not give the series of pressures and exposure times (7.2 onwards), the expression of the result or the requirements for the test report; this standard does not give watertightness classes.

Method principle

The external surface of the assembled window or door, fixed in a pressure chamber as in use, is continuously sprayed with water (4–30 °C) from 120° full-cone nozzles spaced 400 mm apart on a line 250 mm from the face, and the positive pressure is increased in steps at regular time intervals; the pressure and the points of leakage are recorded, and the watertightness limit Pmax is the highest pressure at which the test specimen remains watertight for a defined time (EN 1027:2016, clauses 3–6).

Applications

• Completely assembled windows and door sets of any material — watertightness (EN 1027:2016, clause 1)
• Products installed in sheltered and unsheltered locations — spray method A or B is chosen by the manufacturer; test specimens up to 2.5 m and higher (additional rows of nozzles)
• Tests within the assessment of construction products — in scopes with the note "N" (Regulation (EU) No 305/2011)
• In accreditation scopes: 6 Polish laboratories; pressures up to 2500, 3600, 5000 and 7500 Pa

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN 1027:2016-04 (wersja angielska; wprowadza EN 1027:2016 [IDT])

Title (PL)

Okna i drzwi — Wodoszczelność — Metoda badania

Title (EN)

Windows and doors — Watertightness — Test method

Step-by-step procedure

1. Test specimen

   Fixing as in use, operational, clean, dry; a surround allowing any leakage to be detected; air inlets taped over (point 6.1).

2. Spraying

   Method A or B as decided by the manufacturer; line of nozzles, spacing, inclination and number of rows according to point 6.2; water 4–30 °C.

3. Conditions

   10–30 °C, 25–75 % humidity, conditioning ≥ 4 h; closed state of the test specimen recorded (point 7.1).

4. Test

   Continuous spraying and stepwise increase of the positive pressure at regular intervals, recording of the pressure and the points of leakage (clause 4). WE DO NOT GIVE the series of pressures and times.

5. Result

   Watertightness limit Pmax and points of leakage, spray method, description of the test specimen. PN-EN 1027:2016-04 — current (PKN card as of 27.10.2026; English version); PN-EN 1027:2001 withdrawn.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• TECHNICAL NOTE: water in the system draining to the outside is not leakage; leakage is wetting of the internal side and of parts intended to remain dry (point 3.4)
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the result always with the spray method (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B) and the closed state of the test specimen

Frequently asked questions