The home page of UL’s Web
site
n May, I discussed the history of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Inc., as
I
well as how many of its standard test methods are conducted.To further
explain how UL serves the roofing industry, this article will focus on UL’s
Roofing Materials and Systems Directory and the UL Online Certifications Directory
as they pertain to roofing materials and roof systems. Both directories are
useful to roofing professionals and help foster proper installation of materials in the field.
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June 2005 www.professionalroofing.net
Background
UL’s Roofing Materials and Systems Directory and
UL’s Online Certification Directory include information about roofing materials
with more than 600 constructions and
detailed listings based on years of UL test
data.The online directory is the electronic
version of UL’s printed directory and can
be accessed at www.ul.com.The print and
online versions contain the names of companies authorized to use the UL mark on
or in connection with the products evaluated by UL and found to comply with UL
requirements.These companies, as well
as the product manufacturers, have entered into agreements with UL to use the
UL mark only in connection with products manufactured in compliance with
UL’s requirements.
When a roofing product or system is
published in UL’s directory, it signifies
the following:
• Representative samples of the products
have been submitted to UL and found to
comply with applicable requirements.
• The companies listed in the directory
have been authorized to apply the UL
mark on products that continue to
comply with UL’s requirements.
• The products are subject to UL’s FollowUp Service Program, which verifies a
UL’s Online Certifications Directory
manufacturer is producing a product
according to the requirements even
after testing has been completed.
UL’s listings contain information relating to limitations or special conditions
applying to the products and the names
of companies authorized to provide products bearing the UL mark.
A file number also appears for each
company listing.This can help identify
a particular company and the associated
product category. Under individual
product categories, each company is assigned an alphanumeric file number
starting with the letter R.This number
may or may not be required to be
marked on a product.
A possible misunderstanding is that if
a company’s product (by designation) is
listed in UL’s printed or online directory,
all products by that manufacturer are
UL-listed or -classified.
Products
Applicable standards
Roof Covering Materials (TEVT)
Main category heading
N/A
Prepared Roof Covering Materials (TFWZ)
Asphalt organic-felt shingle coverings
Asphalt fiberglass mat shingle coverings
Modified asphalt fiberglass mat
Asphalt organic felt
Fiberglass/polyester composite shingle coverings
Wind-resistant asphalt fiberglass mat shingles
Wind-resistant asphalt organic-felt shingles
Wind-resistant modified asphalt
Fiberglass mat shingles
Hip and ridge shingles
External fire exposure: UL 790 (ASTM E108 and
NFPA 256)
Wind resistance: UL 997, ASTM D3161
Standard specification for asphalt shingles:
ASTM D3462
Prepared Roof Covering Materials, Formed or
Molded Metal, Fiber-Cement or Plastic (TFXX)
Fiber-cement shingle coverings
Fire-retardant-treated red cedar shakes and shingles
Formed metal shingle shakes or panel coverings
Formed or molded plastic shingles
Photovoltaic (solar) modules/shingles
Reinforced cast stone shingles
External fire exposure: UL 790 (ASTM E108 and
NFPA 256)
Wind resistance: UL 997, ASTM D3161
Prepared Roof Covering Materials, Asphalt
Shingle Wind Resistance (TGAH)
Asphalt prepared roof covering materials under TFWZ
Wind resistance (calculation method): UL 2390 and
ASTM D6381
Roof Covering Materials, Impact Resistance (TGAM)
Prepared roof covering materials under TFWZ or TFXX
Impact resistance: UL 2218
UL product category
Figure 1: An explanation of UL’s product categories
Professional Roofing June 2005
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UL product category
Products
Applicable standards
Prepared Roofing Accessories (TGDY)
Materials intended for use as an accessory component
of a prepared roof covering system
External fire exposure: UL 790
Ridge Vents (TGEW)
Ridge vents intended for use with Listed Prepared Roof
Covering Materials (TFWZ)
External fire exposure: UL 790
Roof Covering Materials, Solar Reflectance (TGFE)
Solar reflectance investigations of surfaces of prepared
roof covering materials intended for field application
to low-slope and/or steep-slope roof systems
ASTM C1371
ASTM C1549
Roofing Systems (TGFU)
Coal-tar felt systems (organic or fiberglass) with hot
roofing coal-tar pitch using double flood coat and
double gravel pour surfacing
Cold application systems (asphalt felts or ply sheets
with cold cements and coatings)
Combination hot and cold systems
Fluid-applied coating systems
Maintenance and repair systems
Single-ply membrane systems (including modified
bitumen membranes)
Spray-applied foam and coating systems
Materials for built-up roof coverings: UL 55A
Impact resistance: UL 2218
External fire: UL 790
Roofing Systems, Uplift Resistance (TGIK)
Prepared roof covering materials under TFWZ or roof
systems under TGFU
UL 1897
Roofing Systems Components—Material
Characteristics (TGJR)
Various roof system components
Various ASTM International test methods
Roof Deck Constructions (TGKX)
Assemblies of materials as illustrated in UL’s directory
Uplift resistance: UL 580
Internal fire exposure: UL 1256
Roof Deck Construction Materials (TGYV)
Main category heading
N/A
Systems Directory is distributed in February,
and the 2005 cost for the directory is
$40.To assist in the use of the directory,
UL provides an index of product categories and companies and a list of company identifications.
UL’s online directory always is up to
date and available, and there’s no charge
for using it. Listings and classifications
are updated daily, and UL suggests when
you confirm the current status of any UL
record, you use UL’s online directory. A
great advantage of using the online directory is the ability to search for the
information desired through various
search capabilities.
Another advantage to the online directory is that the information from UL’s
Web site can be printed. UL permits the
reproduction of the listing information
material contained on its Web site subject to the following conditions:
• The guide information and listings
must be presented in their entirety
without any manipulation of the data
or drawings.
• The statement, “Reprinted from the
Online Certifications Directory with
permission from Underwriters Laboratories Inc.,” should appear adjacent to
the extracted material. In addition, the
reprinted material should include a
copyright notice in the following format: “Copyright © 2005 Underwriters
Laboratories Inc.®”
Figure 2: An explanation of UL’s product categories
Manufacturers are not obligated to
apply UL’s mark to all their products.
Consequently, products that do not bear
the UL mark on the product or packaging are not required to comply with UL’s
requirements. Accordingly, the appearance of a company’s name or a product
designation in either UL’s printed or online directory does not ensure the products are subject to UL’s Follow-Up Service. Only those products bearing the UL
mark and company’s name, trade name
or trademark should be considered as
being covered by UL’s listing or classification and Follow-Up Service.The UL
mark on the product or packaging is
the only evidence of listing provided
to authorities having jurisdiction for
determining compliance with installation codes or standards.
What’s the difference?
The print version of the directory is
printed annually and contains all listings
and classifications in effect as of the
publication date.The Roofing Materials and
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Categories and information
Roofing products and roof systems are
sorted by specific product categories.
Each category has a set of standards for
evaluations and certification. UL uses a
four-letter code, shown in parentheses,
following each category title as the product category guide designation.This is
used to identify each product category
in the printed and online directory.
General guide information for each
product category can be found at the
front of each category in the directory
under the search parameter “Guide Information.”The guide information for
each product category provides important
June 2005 www.professionalroofing.net
The search page and results page of UL’s
Online Certifications Directory
details regarding the scope and limitation of UL’s certification of a product
and general description of the UL marks
authorized for products in that category.
This information also includes the identification of UL standards or other published standards that have been used to
certify products in that category.
UL recognizes product category titles
may not always ref lect common industry
terminology. For example “asphalt shingles” are covered under “prepared roof
covering materials.”To assist in understanding UL’s category titles, Figures 1-2
were developed to help you identify UL’s
product categories and the products
covered under each category. I also have
provided the UL category code designations, standards and types of evaluation,
along with other applicable standards.
The online directory
The remainder of this article will be devoted to step-by-step examples demonstrating the navigation of UL’s Online
Certifications Directory.
Once you access www.ul.com and
click on “Certifications” in the left column, you will enter the Online Certifications Directory. From here, there are
various ways to search the system for
roofing information.
For an information search, you can
search by company name, UL file number, UL category code/guide information, standard number or keyword
search.There also is a specific search
called “Roof Deck Constructions.”
Professional Roofing June 2005
XYZ Company
123 Main Street
Anytown, State 00000
A company search allows searches by
company name, city, state, ZIP code
and/or other keywords. In “Company
Search,” click company name.Then, on
the search page, type a company name.
All product listings by category for that
manufacturer will appear.
You then can click Prepared Roof Coverings (TFWZ).R1234.This displays the
company’s specific roof coverings listings
and products eligible to bear the UL mark.
For a file number search, click “File
Number” on the search screen and input
the file number, such as R1234.This
will bring you directly to the company’s
listings.
If you want to search for a category
code, such as TGFU, type TGFU in the
search screen, and all classified roof systems will appear.You then can choose a
company’s roof system.This provides the
specific roof system, including details
such as external fire class, impact class,
incline, type of deck, and all components
composing the roof system.
For a specific search for roof deck
constructions, search by “Specific
Search—Roof Deck Constructions.” From
this page, find the area titled “Roof Deck
Constructions” and input the construction number in the space provided.This
displays the specific roof deck construction, including details such as whether
it is fire-classified, and all components
composing the roof deck construction.
Serving the industry
When used correctly, UL’s printed and
online directories will identify certified
products; identify manufacturers of such
products; and equip contractors, specifiers
and authorities having jurisdiction with
the information needed to take roofing
products from code requirement to testing and evaluation to field installation.
To obtain additional information,
contact UL at (877) UL-HELPS (8543577).
Dwayne E. Sloan is UL’s principal engineer
for Building Materials, Roofing Materials and
Systems, and Air Ducts.
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