ABSTRACT
This paper will discuss the background and scope of a project in the ED Commissions Measurements & Testing Programme entitled “A Novel Approach to Wood Coating Testing”. The project will support work that has been going on for about 5 years within CEN—Committee CEN/TC139/WG2 on the establishment of a natural weathering test for exterior wood coating systems. The basis for this test was intended to be a well established test with 15 years of experience in Scandinavia NORD TEST NT Build 229. However the approach of this method - accelerated natural weathering, achieved through the introduction of an artificial defect in the coating happened to be much more controversial than expected. Some reasons for this controversy are discussed: individual national traditions, different philosophy on the concept of testing (particularly the interaction between substrate and coating). The pre sent stage of the drafted natural weathering test is described with particular emphasis on the interpretation of results, and how these may be linked to a future performance specification.
