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Part of the guide: Buying PU sealant from China: how to specify and verify

sourcing · compliance

EN 15651-1 classes: F-EXT-INT-CC explained

By the Tech Department · Reviewed by Wang · Updated 2026-11-12 · How these notes are made

A European buyer opens a sealant DoP and finds a string like F-EXT-INT-CC 12.5 E. It looks like a code for insiders, and it is: every letter answers a different question, and the answer decides whether the product can be used on the joint in front of you.

The four product parts, plus one

Part Scope Where the joint is
EN 15651-1 Facade elements Outside the building, and window or door frames including visible faces indoors
EN 15651-2 Glazing Glass to glass, glass to frame, glass to porous carrier
EN 15651-3 Sanitary joints Bathrooms, toilets, showers — non-pressurised water
EN 15651-4 Pedestrian walkways Floor joints indoors and out, including trolley traffic
EN 15651-5 Assessment and verification of constancy of performance, marking Not a product part; the rules for the CE mark itself

A product can be declared under more than one part. A hybrid sealant might carry Parts 1, 3 and 4, as several published DoPs do; that is normal, and each part is a separate declaration.

Reading the designation, letter by letter

Take F-EXT-INT-CC 12.5 E:

Element Meaning What it commits the maker to
F Facade sealant, EN 15651-1 Tested to the facade part, not the glazing or sanitary part
EXT-INT Exterior and interior use Declared for both; a product marked INT only is not for external joints
CC Cold climate Tested for movement at low temperature, not just at 23 °C
12.5 Movement capacity, % of joint width The joint must be designed within ±12.5%, or ±6.25 mm on a 50 mm joint
E Elastic Recovers after extension; a plastic (P) sealant does not

The movement figure is the one people skip. A 20 mm joint with a 12.5 E sealant allows ±2.5 mm of movement; the same bead in a joint that opens 5 mm will fail at the flank, and the DoP will be perfectly correct while the joint is wrong.

What CE marking under EN 15651 actually requires

  • a Declaration of Performance naming the part, the designation and the declared values;
  • initial type testing to the methods in that part (flow, loss of volume, elastic recovery, adhesion after water and heat, and for CC the low-temperature movement);
  • factory production control, and for reaction to fire a notified body under system 3;
  • the CE mark and the DoP reference on the packaging or the documents that travel with the goods.

The DoP is not a certificate of quality. It is a statement of the performance the manufacturer declares, and it is the document a specifier can hold them to.

Where buyers misread it

  • Assuming one part covers all joints. A glazing sealant declared under Part 2 is not declared for a floor joint under Part 4.
  • Reading 12.5 as a strength figure. It is movement, not tensile strength.
  • Treating CC as a marketing word. It is a test condition: cold-climate movement is measured, not claimed.
  • Accepting a CE mark without a DoP. The mark without the declaration is decoration; the declaration is the document with the numbers.

What to ask a supplier

  1. Which EN 15651 part or parts are declared, and can you send the DoP?
  2. What substrates were tested? Aluminium, concrete, PVC and glass behave differently, and the DoP names them.
  3. What is the movement class and the temperature range for the CC claim?
  4. Which notified body carried out the initial type testing, and under which system?

If the answers are “we are CE certified” without a document, the product may still be good — but you cannot specify it, and your customer cannot check it.

What this means for buyers

Ask for the DoP before the technical data sheet. The TDS describes what the product does; the DoP states what the manufacturer will stand behind under EU law. A supplier who can produce both, with matching part numbers, is telling you something about how the next five shipments will be documented.

Sources

Models in this note

KA340A

Construction Sealant

Flexible sealant for concrete joints, tunnels and drainage.

KAM921

STP Sealant

Silyl-terminated polymer sealant: silicone weathering, PU strength, paintable.

Questions buyers ask

What does F-EXT-INT-CC mean on a sealant?
F is the facade part of EN 15651 (Part 1), EXT-INT means the sealant is declared for exterior and interior joints, and CC means cold climate: the product has been tested for movement at low temperature and declares that performance in its DoP.
Is EN 15651 the same as ISO 11600?
No. ISO 11600 classifies sealants by movement (25LM, 25HM, 20LM and so on) and is used in many specifications. EN 15651 is the European harmonised standard that supports CE marking, with its own parts (facade, glazing, sanitary, walkways) and its own designation, for example 12.5 E.
Does CE marking under EN 15651 mean the sealant can be used anywhere?
No. The declaration covers the parts and substrates tested. A facade sealant declared for aluminium and concrete is not automatically declared for PVC, glass or a floor joint; those need the relevant part and substrate in the DoP.
What documents should I ask for?
The Declaration of Performance with its part number and designation, the test report behind the declared values, and the factory production control certificate. A CE mark on the carton without a DoP is not evidence of anything.

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