prEN 13497

• Abstract:

  This document specifies the equipment and procedure for determining the resistance to impact of ETICS kits with renders.

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 31-Jan-2028
• ICS: 91.100.60 - Thermal and sound insulating materials
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 88 - Thermal insulating materials and products
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 88/WG 18 - External thermal insulation composite systems
• Current Stage: 4020 - Submission to enquiry - Enquiry
• Start Date: 01-Oct-2026
• Due Date: 20-Oct-2026
• Completion Date: 01-Oct-2026
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 13497:2026 - Thermal insulation products for building applications - Determination of the resistance to impact of external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS)

• Revises: EN 13497:2018+A1:2021 - Thermal insulation products for building applications - Determination of the resistance to impact of external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS)
• Effective Date: 03-Dec-2025

prEN 13497 is a CEN draft European Standard for testing the resistance to impact of external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) kits with renders. It specifies the equipment, test specimen preparation, impact procedure, result assessment and test report content for laboratories, system holders, and others who need a consistent way to check how an ETICS surface reacts to a hard-body impact.

What does prEN 13497 specify?

prEN 13497 specifies a laboratory test method for determining the impact resistance of ETICS kits with renders. The document is organized into clauses on scope, normative references, terms and definitions, principle, test apparatus, test specimen preparation, procedure, examination and expression of results, accuracy of measurement, and test report.

The method is aimed at a repeatable test setup rather than a performance classification system. In practice, that means the user must follow the prescribed ball, support, conditioning and reporting rules so results from different laboratories can be compared.

What are the key requirements of prEN 13497?

Impact setup

prEN 13497 uses a steel ball dropped onto the ETICS surface, with the impact energy and drop height selected from Table 1. The ball impact is intended to create a hard-body impact, and rebound must be avoided.

This matters because the whole test depends on controlling the impact energy and preventing a second strike, which would distort the result.

The steel ball must meet the material and grade requirements given in Clause 5, and the crack measuring gauge must read in 0.05 mm steps. The support must be rigid and flat so it does not absorb impact energy.

Specimens and conditioning

prEN 13497 requires a test specimen large enough for at least five impacts, with spacing and edge distances taken into account. The specimen consists of the thermal insulation with the rendering system and is prepared according to the system holder’s instructions.

Conditioning follows one of two procedures in Clause 6. One uses sealing, humidity conditioning and optional EN 16383 test cycles before drying; the other uses edge sealing, conditioning at standard temperature and humidity, water immersion and drying.

This matters because moisture history and specimen preparation can change impact behaviour, so the method tries to make those conditions explicit.

Test procedure and reading the result

prEN 13497 requires testing at 20 ± 5 °C. Five separate impacts are made at each chosen energy level, with at least 100 mm between impacts, and impacts must not fall on board joints.

Clause 8 tells the examiner to look for delamination, visible reinforcement, cracks wider than 0.2 mm, and spalling. If none of those defects is found, the widest crack in each impact zone is measured with the gauge and reported in 0.05 mm steps; deformation depth is also recorded.

In practice, this tells the user when the surface damage is severe enough to stop further checking and when detailed crack measurement is needed.

Reporting

Clause 10 requires a detailed test report covering the laboratory, the test reference, product identification, sample history, conditioning, impact energy used, observations, photos of each impact zone, and relevant layer thicknesses. The report also includes identification data for the base coat, finishing coat, reinforcement and thermal insulation, where available.

That makes the result traceable to a specific ETICS build-up, which is important for product qualification, development work and disputes.

What terms does prEN 13497 define?

• ETICS - External Thermal Insulation Composite System, the complete insulated facade system with renders that is being tested.
• Rendering system - The outer layered system on the insulation, including the base coat and finishing layer.
• Reinforcement - The reinforcing component embedded in the base coat, checked for visibility or damage after impact.
• Base coat - The layer that carries the reinforcement and is inspected for delamination and cracks.
• Finishing layer - The exposed outer layer that receives the impact.
• DOP/CE-label - Product identification information requested in the test report when available.
• r.H. - Relative humidity, used to state the conditioning atmosphere.

Who uses prEN 13497?

prEN 13497 is used by testing laboratories, ETICS system holders, insulation and render manufacturers, and technical staff who need to compare or document impact resistance. It is also relevant to quality managers, product developers, and buyers who need a defined laboratory method for checking facade system durability.

Because the document is written for building applications and can also be used elsewhere where relevant, it fits both construction product work and other ETICS-related testing.

What changed in prEN 13497 from the previous edition?

prEN 13497:2026 supersedes EN 13497:2018+A1:2021. The stated technical changes are a revision of subclause 7.2 and Clause 8, the addition of Figure 3 in Clause 8, and editorial revisions.

Which standards are used with prEN 13497?

• EN 1607 - provides the tensile strength perpendicular to faces used for insulation product identification in the report.
• EN 16383 - provides the ETICS hygrothermal test cycles referenced for specimen conditioning.
• EN 17237 - provides the ETICS specification and the test plan reference mentioned in the report.
• EN ISO 9229 - provides the thermal insulation vocabulary used for terms and definitions.
• EN ISO 29470 - provides the method for measuring apparent density of the thermal insulation.
• ISO 3290-1 - provides the steel ball requirements used in the impact apparatus.

What does the prEN 13497 document contain?

prEN 13497 contains one numerical table linking impact energy to ball size, weight and drop height. It also includes figures for the crack measuring gauge, water immersion depth, and an example of the test apparatus with the specimen and optional tube.

The body of the document gives the equipment details, specimen preparation and sealing options, conditioning regimes, impact positions, result reading rules, and report contents. In practice, these parts support laboratory testing, product comparison, and technical documentation of ETICS impact resistance.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-november-2026
Toplotnoizolacijski proizvodi za uporabo v gradbeništvu - Ugotavljanje odpornosti
proti udarcem kontaktnih fasadnih toplotnoizolacijskih sistemov (ETICS)
Thermal insulation products for building applications - Determination of the resistance to
impact of external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS)
Wärmedämmstoffe für das Bauwesen - Bestimmung der Schlagfestigkeit von
außenseitigen Wärmedämm-Verbundsystemen (WDVS)
Produits isolants thermiques pour le bâtiment - Détermination de la résistance au choc
des systèmes composites d’isolation thermique par l’extérieur (ETICS)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 13497
ICS:
91.100.60 Materiali za toplotno in Thermal and sound insulating
zvočno izolacijo materials
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
October 2026
ICS 91.100.60 Will supersede EN 13497:2018+A1:2021
English Version
Thermal insulation products for building applications -
Determination of the resistance to impact of external
thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS)
Produits isolants thermiques pour le bâtiment - Wärmedämmstoffe für das Bauwesen - Bestimmung
Détermination de la résistance au choc des systèmes der Schlagfestigkeit von außenseitigen Wärmedämm-
composites d'isolation thermique par l'extérieur Verbundsystemen (WDVS)
(ETICS)
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 88.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 13497:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 Principle . 4
5 Test apparatus . 4
5.1 General. 4
5.2 Steel ball requirements . 5
5.3 Crack measuring gauge . 5
5.4 Specimen support . 5
5.5 Optional tube to control descent of steel ball . 5
6 Test specimen . 6
6.1 Preparation of a test specimen . 6
6.2 Sealing and conditioning of test specimens . 6
7 Procedure . 7
7.1 Test conditions . 7
7.2 Test procedure . 7
8 Examination and expression of results . 8
9 Accuracy of measurement . 9
10 Test report . 9

European foreword
This document (prEN 13497:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 88 “Thermal
insulating materials and products”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 13497:2018+A1:2021.
EN 13497:2018+A1:2021:
— subclause 7.2 and Clause 8 were revised;
— Figure 3 was included in Clause 8;
— the document was revised editorially.
This document has been drafted for applications in buildings, but can also be used in other areas where
it is relevant.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.

1 Scope
This document specifies the equipment and procedure for determining the resistance to impact of ETICS
kits with renders.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 1607, Thermal insulating products for building applications — Determination of tensile strength
perpendicular to faces
EN 16383, Thermal insulation products for building applications — Determination of the hygrothermal
behaviour of external thermal insulation composite kits with a rendering system (ETICS kits)
EN 17237, Thermal insulation products for buildings — External thermal insulation composite systems
with renders (ETICS) —Specification
EN ISO 9229, Thermal insulation — Vocabulary (ISO 9229)
EN ISO 29470, Thermal insulating products for building applications — Determination of the apparent
density (ISO 29470)
ISO 3290-1, Rolling bearings — Balls — Part 1: Steel balls
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN ISO 9229 and EN 17237 apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
4 Principle
The impact resistance of an ETICS kit is the hard body impact resistance, determined by means of a steel
ball falling onto the surface of the kit. The energy level and corresponding dropping height is selected
from Table 1. Any damages occurring are visibly assessed (e.g. the reinforcement has become visible from
the external surface, the finishing coat or the rendering system has visibly delaminated or been
perforated) and cracks widths are measured.
5 Test apparatus
5.1 General
For the test a steel ball is dropped from a specified height onto the surface of the test specimen (see
Table 1). A second impact (rebound) by the ball shall be avoided.

To be published. Stage at the time of publication: prEN 17237:2018.
5.2 Steel ball requirements
Balls made of cutlery grade steel, AISI/SE Type 440 C and grade G100 according to ISO 3290-1 with the
weights and nominal diameters given in Table 1.
5.3 Crack measuring gauge
For measurement of the width of any cracks formed as a result of the impact of the steel ball onto the
surface of the test specimen. The gauge shall be capable measuring from 0,05 mm and b
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