Abstract

This document establishes the general principles for the conditioning procedures for test specimens tested according to the European standards for reaction to fire.
The rules for the selection of substrates for construction products when carrying out reaction to fire tests are also detailed in this document. In order to use the extension rules set in this document, no modification of the standard substrate is allowed.
This document does not contain requirements for:
—   the pre-drying of test specimens for the non-combustibility test according to EN ISO 1182;
—   methods of cleaning (e.g. washing) and other methods for the assessment of durability aspects, which are dealt with in the relevant product standards.

Status
Published
Publication Date
28-Jul-2026
Current Stage
6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
Start Date
29-Jul-2026
Due Date
01-Jun-2026
Completion Date
29-Jul-2026

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EN 13238:2026 is a CEN European Standard for reaction to fire tests for building products. It specifies how to condition test specimens and how to choose standard substrates so laboratories can prepare specimens consistently for the European reaction to fire test methods used on construction products.

What does EN 13238:2026 specify?

EN 13238:2026 sets the general principles for conditioning test specimens and the rules for selecting substrates used in reaction to fire testing. It is meant to be used together with the European test standards for the relevant construction products.

The document covers the overall structure of the subject in five main clauses:

  • Scope
  • Normative references
  • Terms and definitions
  • Conditioning procedures
  • General rules for selection of substrates

It excludes pre-drying for the non-combustibility test according to EN ISO 1182, and it leaves cleaning methods and other durability-related assessments to the relevant product standards.

What are the key requirements of EN 13238:2026?

EN 13238:2026 requires laboratories to condition specified test specimens in a controlled atmosphere before testing, and it defines when standard substrates may be used in place of end-use substrates. In practice, the document is about making test specimens representative enough for fire test results to be used for classification and product assessment.

Conditioning of test specimens

Test specimens used with EN ISO 1182, EN ISO 1716, EN ISO 9239-1, EN ISO 11925-2, EN 13823, EN 14390, EN 16733 and CEN/TS 1187 T2 and T4 are conditioned at 23 °C and 50 % relative humidity, with tolerances. They must be arranged so air can circulate around each specimen.

Conditioning continues either until constant mass is reached or for a fixed period. This matters because moisture content can change ignition and flame spread behaviour.

Constant-mass conditioning

EN 13238:2026 allows constant-mass conditioning after at least 48 hours in the specified atmosphere. Constant mass is reached when two weighings 24 hours apart differ only slightly, using the document’s stated limit. Laboratories therefore need a suitable weighing process and enough time for stable specimens.

Fixed-period conditioning

For fixed-period conditioning, specimens must be properly cured and must not contain excess water above the stated limit before conditioning begins. The minimum period depends on the product group, with longer periods for fire-retardant-treated wood and cement-based products, and shorter periods for other materials. This means the lab must identify the product type before choosing the conditioning route.

Selection of substrates

For floorings, EN 13238:2026 allows standard substrates only when the end-use substrate meets the document’s density and thickness relationships. If the end-use substrate is not wood and not in the A1 or A2-s1, d0 classes, the flooring is tested in end-use condition.

For floorings and surface products, the method of attachment must reflect real use. Adhesives, application order, curing time and drying time must match end use, and different adhesive systems need separate specimens. That is important because attachment can change fire performance.

Standard substrates for other construction products

For construction products excluding floorings, the document uses a set of standard substrates such as fibre cement board, calcium silicate board, rock fibre mineral wool slab, steel sheet, aluminium sheet, gypsum plasterboard, particleboard and plywood. The chosen substrate must represent the end-use substrate by class, density, thickness and, where relevant, metal melting point.

For surface products, the standard also requires a representative air gap when one exists in end use, and it requires additional layers behind the immediate substrate to be included when they can affect performance. If the end-use substrate is not represented by a standard substrate, the product is tested in end-use condition.

What terms does EN 13238:2026 define?

  • Material - a single basic substance or a uniformly dispersed mixture of substances.
  • Product - a material, element or component about which information is required.
  • Substrate - the product beneath the system or product being assessed.
  • Standard substrate - a substrate representative of the one used in end-use applications.
  • Test specimen - the piece of product tested, with or without substrate or treatment.
  • Conditioning - exposure to a controlled atmosphere.

Who uses EN 13238:2026?

EN 13238:2026 is used by fire testing laboratories, manufacturers of building products, and organizations that classify reaction to fire performance. It helps them prepare specimens, choose substrates, and make test results more representative of real installations.

It is also relevant to quality managers, technical assessors and certification bodies that rely on reaction to fire test results for construction products. In practice, they use it when deciding how to mount a product, what backing material to use, and whether a test setup reflects end use.

What changed in EN 13238:2026 from the previous edition?

EN 13238:2026 supersedes EN 13238:2010. The European foreword states two significant technical changes:

  • adjustments to the requirements for the current available quality of substrates
  • re-evaluation of the conditioning periods

Which standards are used with EN 13238:2026?

EN 13238:2026 refers to several companion standards that provide the actual test methods or substrate materials:

  • EN ISO 1182 - non-combustibility test
  • EN ISO 1716 - gross heat of combustion
  • EN ISO 9239-1 - burning behaviour of floorings with a radiant heat source
  • EN ISO 11925-2 - ignitability by a single flame source
  • EN 13823 - single burning item test for products excluding floorings
  • EN 14390 - large-scale room reference test for surface products
  • EN 16733 - propensity to continuous smouldering
  • CEN/TS 1187 - test methods for external fire exposure to roofs
  • EN 13501-1 - classification using reaction-to-fire test data
  • EN ISO 13943 - fire safety vocabulary
  • EN 312, EN 520, EN 636, EN 12467, EN 13820 - substrate and material standards used in Table 1

What does the EN 13238:2026 document contain?

EN 13238:2026 contains the conditioning procedure for constant mass and for fixed-period conditioning, plus the rules for selecting standard substrates for floorings and for other construction products. It also contains the list of standard substrates and the conditions under which each one may be used.

The document’s table of standard substrates links each substrate to its density, thickness and applicable selection rules. Those table entries are used when preparing specimens for testing and when deciding whether a test can be run on a standard substrate or must use end-use condition.

Relations

Effective Date
18-Jan-2023
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16-Sep-2026
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02-Sep-2026
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05-Aug-2026
Effective Date
05-Aug-2026

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Frequently Asked Questions

EN 13238:2026 is a standard published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Reaction to fire tests for building products - Conditioning procedures and general rules for selection of substrates". This standard covers: This document establishes the general principles for the conditioning procedures for test specimens tested according to the European standards for reaction to fire. The rules for the selection of substrates for construction products when carrying out reaction to fire tests are also detailed in this document. In order to use the extension rules set in this document, no modification of the standard substrate is allowed. This document does not contain requirements for: — the pre-drying of test specimens for the non-combustibility test according to EN ISO 1182; — methods of cleaning (e.g. washing) and other methods for the assessment of durability aspects, which are dealt with in the relevant product standards.

This document establishes the general principles for the conditioning procedures for test specimens tested according to the European standards for reaction to fire. The rules for the selection of substrates for construction products when carrying out reaction to fire tests are also detailed in this document. In order to use the extension rules set in this document, no modification of the standard substrate is allowed. This document does not contain requirements for: — the pre-drying of test specimens for the non-combustibility test according to EN ISO 1182; — methods of cleaning (e.g. washing) and other methods for the assessment of durability aspects, which are dealt with in the relevant product standards.

EN 13238:2026 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 13.220.50 - Fire-resistance of building materials and elements. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.

EN 13238:2026 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN 13238:2010, EN 13820:2003, EN 636:2012+A1:2015, EN 15651-3:2012, EN 14320-1:2013, EN 13823:2020, EN ISO 9239-1:2025, EN 15101-1:2013, EN 14904:2006, EN 15651-4:2017, EN 15814:2011+A1:2012, CEN/TS 15912:2012, EN 14351-1:2006+A1:2010, EN 15725:2010, EN 15497:2014. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.

EN 13238:2026 is associated with the following European legislation: EU Directives/Regulations: 305/2011; Standardization Mandates: M/088, M/117. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, products manufactured in conformity with it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation.

EN 13238:2026 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.

Standards Content (Sample)


SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2026
Nadomešča:
SIST EN 13238:2010
Preskusi odziva gradbenih proizvodov na ogenj - Postopki kondicioniranja in
splošna pravila za izbiro podlag
Reaction to fire tests for building products - Conditioning procedures and general rules
for selection of substrates
Prüfungen zum Brandverhalten von Bauprodukten - Konditionierungsverfahren und
allgemeine Regeln für die Auswahl von Trägerplatten
Essais de réaction au feu des produits de construction - Modes opératoires de
conditionnement et règles générales de sélection des substrats
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 13238:2026
ICS:
13.220.50 Požarna odpornost Fire-resistance of building
gradbenih materialov in materials and elements
elementov
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN 13238
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
July 2026
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 13.220.50 Supersedes EN 13238:2010
English Version
Reaction to fire tests for building products - Conditioning
procedures and general rules for selection of substrates
Essais de réaction au feu des produits de construction - Prüfungen zum Brandverhalten von Bauprodukten -
Modes opératoires de conditionnement et règles Konditionierungsverfahren und allgemeine Regeln für
générales de sélection des substrats die Auswahl von Trägerplatten
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 29 June 2026.

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. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists 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.
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. EN 13238:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Conditioning procedures . 6
4.1 General. 6
4.2 Conditioning to constant mass . 7
4.3 Conditioning for a fixed period . 7
5 General rules for selection of substrates . 7
5.1 General. 7
5.2 Standard substrates for floorings . 8
5.3 Standard substrates for construction products excluding floorings . 8
Bibliography . 12

European foreword
This document (EN 13238:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 127 “Fire safety in
buildings”, the secretariat of which is held by BSI.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by January 2027, and conflicting national standards shall
be withdrawn at the latest by January 2027.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN 13238:2010.
— adjustments on the requirements of the current available quality of substrates;
— re-evaluation of the conditioning periods.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
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.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: 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 the United
Kingdom.
Introduction
The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) requires products to be tested in their end use condition
which, for the purpose of substrates, could lead to an economically unrealistic large variety of tests to be
carried out. This large spectrum has been reduced to a practical number of standard substrates that
enables the majority of end use conditions to be represented. Rules for the selection of such substrates
are given in this document.
This document is intended for use in conjunction with European Standards covering the reaction to fire
test methods for the relevant construction products.
1 Scope
This document establishes the general principles for the conditioning procedures for test specimens
tested according to the European standards for reaction to fire.
The rules for the selection of substrates for construction products when carrying out reaction to fire tests
are also detailed in this document. In order to use the extension rules set in this document, no
modification of the standard substrate is allowed.
This document does not contain requirements for:
— the pre-drying of test specimens for the non-combustibility test according to EN ISO 1182;
— methods of cleaning (e.g. washing) and other methods for the assessment of durability aspects, which
are dealt with in the relevant product standards.
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 312, Particleboards — Specifications
EN 520, Gypsum plasterboards — Definitions, requirements and test methods
EN 636, Plywood — Specifications
EN 12467, Fibre-cement flat sheets — Product specification and test methods
EN 13501-1, Fire classification of construction products and building elements — Part 1: Classification
using data from reaction to fire tests
EN 13820, Thermal insulating materials for building applications — Determination of organic content
EN 13823, Reaction to fire tests for building products — Building products excluding floorings exposed to
the thermal attack by a single burning item
EN 14390, Fire test — Large-scale room reference test for surface products
EN 16733, Reaction to fire tests for building products — Determination of a building product’s propensity
to undergo continuous smouldering
CEN/TS 1187, Test methods for external fire exposure to roofs
EN ISO 1182, Reaction to fire tests for products — Non-combustibility test (ISO 1182)
EN ISO 1716, Reaction to fire tests for products — Determination of the gross heat of combustion (calorific
value) (ISO 1716)
EN ISO 9239-1, Reaction to fire tests for floorings — Part 1: Determination of the burning behaviour using
a radiant heat source (ISO 9239-1)
EN ISO 11925-2, Reaction to fire tests — Ignitability of products subjected to direct impingement of
flame — Part 2: Single-flame source test (ISO 1192-2)
EN ISO 13943, Fire safety — Vocabulary (ISO 13943)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN ISO 13943 and the following
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/
3.1
material
single basic substance or uniformly dispersed mixture of substances
EXAMPLE Metal, stone, timber, concrete, mineral wool with uniformly dispersed binder or polymers.
3.2
product
material, element or component about which information is required
3.3
substrate
product which is used beneath the system or the product about which information is required
Note 1 to entry: For a flooring, it is the floor on which the flooring is mounted or the material which represents this
floor.
3.4
standard substrate
product which is representative of the substrate used in end use applications
3.5
test specimen
piece of the product which is to be tested together with or without any substrate
...