As a carpenter or joiner, the screws and bolts you use on load-bearing wooden structures must comply with standard NF EN 14592. This certifies that the fasteners used meet minimum requirements, particularly in terms of resistance and sustainability.
Before marketing a construction product, manufacturers have the obligation to ensure that it meets certain specific requirements, defined by Regulation No. 305/2011, also known as the Construction Product Regulation (CPR). For this, it is necessary to establish a declaration of performance of the product concerned and affix the CE marking, indicating that it complies with European Union legislation and that it can be sold on the European market.
Derived from the CPR, standard NF EN 14592 details the rules that must be observed by steel fasteners used in load-bearing wooden structures, such as frames. To guarantee this, the manufacturer must have initial tests (ITT) carried out by a notified or certified body, then allowing the CE marking to be affixed to the product in question. With this in mind, the standard mainly specifies:
As a joiner or carpenter, you are therefore obliged to use fasteners that comply with standard NF EN 14592 for load-bearing wooden structures. Although the term “load-bearing structure” does not have a regulatory definition, it is usually defined as any vertical or horizontal element useful for the stability of a structure. This will therefore mainly concern:
On these structures, the steel screws and bolts used must have been the subject of the harmonized standard NF EN 14592. To be sure, all you have to do is check the packaging of the products, which must bear the CE NF EN 14592 mark, proof of its conformity. This reflex is essential for all the fasteners used on load-bearing wooden structures, namely :
Note: plasterboard screws have their own standard and therefore do not fall within the scope of NF EN 14592.
As we have mentioned, standard NF EN 14592 details the requirements that must be met by steel fasteners, in particular used by joiners and carpenters. More specifically, it allows the manufacturer to determine the level of performance of the product for different positions, including:
The values calculated for each item can be viewed in the declarations of conformity published by the manufacturers. At ROCKET, the performance level of screws subject to standard NF EN 14592 is also indicated on the packaging to facilitate your choice. You can thus find: