Fenestration Product Testing and Certification

Your first resource to understand what standards you should be testing your products to, is to confer with the project’s architect or building owner. These stakeholders should be able to refer you to the proper test standards commonly required by the location your products will be sold. 

In the event that an architect or building owner is not available to you, you may also consult the trusted resources of the Construction Specification Institute (CSI). CSI is dedicated to advancing building information management, communication, and education to improve facility performance.

Meeting energy efficient product requirements are increasingly becoming a key factor in a customer’s decision-making process and could be the tie breaking factor in a competitive product situation. Energy Star products utilize quality materials that will be durable enough to meet specific performance criteria aimed to meet the climate the product intends to serve. Generally, qualified Energy Star windows, doors, and skylights meet the following criteria: 

• They are manufactured by an ENERGY STAR partner
• Are independently tested, certified, and verified by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)
• Have NFRC ratings that meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

To learn more about meeting Energy Star requirements, please visit energystar.gov/building_products for additional resources.

When embarking on choosing an accredited testing and certification laboratory, you want to ensure this ally is capable of partnering with you to supply dependable and accurate test results. Aside from technical competence, a few other factors include:

• Qualified, well trained, knowledgeable staff
• Proper sampling practices
• Correct testing procedures
• Valid test methods
• State-of-the-art testing facilities
• Properly calibrated and maintained equipment
• Quality assurance procedures
• Accurate recording and reporting procedures

At UL, we take pride in maintaining and ensuring our laboratories and staff have the training and resources to serve our customers.

We are proud to be accredited to perform a wide variety of test standards. In many cases our knowledge staff has worked with industry associations and experts to help create standards. We test to the leading industry standards, including (but not limited to):

• AAMA
• ANSI
• ASTM
• BS
• CSA
• CWCT
• DASMA
• ICC 500
• EN
• Miami Dade County
• NAFS
• NFPA
• PAS
• UL

As a reputable 3^rd party testing and certification agency, we can help you understand the standards we are accredited to perform in detail.

California has created an energy code designed to reduce wastefully energy consumption in both new and existing construction. This set of efficiency standards are updated every three years, and can be found at energy.ca.gov.

To learn more about California’s Title 24, Energy Performance Services has created a Title 24 Express page. For additional information on this topic, you can subscribe to Energy Code Work’s Title 24 question of the week.

We can help you meet Florida building code for the Florida Project Approval System. To begin this process, follow the outline below.

• Test your products with UL, receive a test report.
• As a manufacturer, you can choose the next phase in your path to getting your project through the approval system. In all options, you’ll need to submit your UL test report to a 3^rd party listed below.
•          Method 1 - Option A: Obtain a certification mark through a 3^rd party certification agency, such as:
  • American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA)
  • Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA)
  • Keystone
  • National Accreditation and Management Institute (NAMI)
  • UL for Windstorm

•          Method 1 - Option B or Option D:

  • Have your tested product submitted to a 3rd Party Florida professional engineer.

  • Obtain an evaluation report from a Florida registered architect or by a licensed Florida professional engineer. 

  • Florida has published additional resources on meeting Florida building codes.

     

We can help you get your products listed on the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) website. To begin this process, follow the outline below.

1.  Test your products with UL, receive a test report.
2.  As a manufacturer, you can choose the next phase in your path to getting your product listed with TDI. In all options, you’ll need to submit your UL test report to a 3^rd party listed below.

• American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA)
• Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA)
• Keystone
•  National Accreditation and Management Institute (NAMI),
•  UL

3.  Next you must request a submission number via email to TDI
4.  As a final step, submit all information listed below to TDI representative via email to Paul Bove, Ph.D., P.E.
   • Original Submittal Letter with Submittal Number from Paul Bove
   • Test Report
   • Certification Agency Approval Listing
   • Certification Agency Approved Label
   • Installation Instructions