What does the CE
marking of our storage
buildings mean for you?

26 July 24
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On many everyday items, you can find a CE marking, from your coffee maker to your drill. You probably don't even notice it anymore. CE stands for 'Conformité Européenne' and is a mark that indicates that a product meets the requirements of European directives. Our H-series storage buildingss also have a CE marking. We have received this because our storage buildings comply with the NEN-EN 1090 standard. This probably doesn't mean anything to you. I have been closely involved in the certification process. I would like to tell you more about this standard and what it means for our sheds. I will also address the advantage of this certification for you as a customer. In this blog, I will answer the following questions:

1. What does the CE mark mean?
2. What is the NEN-EN 1090 standard?
3. Is this certification mandatory for storage buildings?
4. Has anything changed in the storage building to become certified?
5. What is the advantage of an EN1090 certification for me as a customer?
6. Will the storage building become more expensive now that it is certified?
7. Why is the certification only applicable to the H-series storage buildings (with concrete anchors)?
8. Where can I find proof of the CE marking of the storage building?

 

1. What does the CE mark mean?

With a CE marking, you can assume that the product meets the requirements set out in a European directive. Different products have different requirements, and therefore different directives. The CE marking is a form of self-certification by the manufacturer or importer, declaring compliance with the directive. For certain products, an assessment by a 'Notified Body', or certification body, is required. Only then may the manufacturer affix the CE marking. For our storage buildings, the certification body DNV conducted the independent assessment. DNV has determined that the development and production of our sheds comply with the NEN-EN 1090 standard. And my colleagues and I are very proud of that.

2. What is the NEN-EN 1090 standard?

For our H-series storage buildings, for which we design and produce the structure ourselves, we must comply with the NEN-EN 1090 standard to affix a CE marking. The NEN-EN 1090 standard is a European standard that sets requirements for the execution of steel and aluminum structures. All components of a load-bearing steel structure must be provided with a CE marking. With a CE marking, the manufacturer declares compliance with all structural requirements. A CE marking therefore applies not only to the steel structure as a whole but also to all constituent parts. This means that not only Kroftman, as the supplier of the entire storage building, has a CE marking, but also all our suppliers who supply components for the shed. Think, for example, of the roller or overhead doors and the cladding of the storage building. More about the NEN-EN 1090 standard can be found on this website.

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3. Is this certification mandatory for storage buildings?

CE marking is mandatory for storage buildings that are 'permanently' installed. These are storage buildings that are attached with concrete anchors to a concrete base. The NEN-EN 1090 standard has been in existence since 2014. In the past, to comply with this standard, all our storage buildings had structural calculations that complied with the Eurocode standards. And we bought components or sheet material from suppliers with a CE marking.Because we stand behind the quality of our storage buildings, we decided in 2022 to fully certify our H-series sheds ourselves, including the development and production of the frame.

If you consider a CE marking important, please pay attention to this when purchasing a storage building. There are plenty of suppliers selling storage buildings without a CE marking.

4. Has anything changed in the storage building to become certified?

As an engineer at Kroftman, along with my fellow engineers, I am constantly working on improving our storage buildings. That hasn't changed. The production of the steel frame, the so-called C-profiles, of our storage buildings falls under the responsibility and control of Kroftman. To become certified, we as engineers have become more closely involved in the entire production process. This allowed us to see that some components could be made more efficiently and with less material loss. By reducing material waste, our storage buildings have become more sustainable.

In addition to the steel frame, we have checked the entire chain. When we design a storage building and have a strength calculation made, the components we purchase must meet our specifications. We have tightened this control. Suppliers must also have a CE marking. That was, for example, a reason to switch to a different supplier of bolts and nuts. We now know for sure that we purchase the right components from the right suppliers. This is one of the obligations arising from certification.

All in all, there have been minor changes to some components (such as bolts and nuts) with which we assemble our storage buildings. If you have purchased a storage building from us in the past, you can still rest assured that you have a quality storage building. Certification or not, we continue to develop new storage buildings and improve existing ones. We have always done that and will continue to do so. So that you as a customer always have access to a quality storage building.

5. What is the advantage of an NEN-EN 1090 certification for me as a customer?

As a customer, you have two advantages when you buy a CE-certified storage building:

  • You can be sure that your storage building meets all current construction and safety requirements. However, it is important that you assemble the storage building in accordance with our assembly instructions. And that you adhere to the maximum wind and snow load of the storage building
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  • With a certified Kroftman storage building, you are already prepared for the new Building Quality Assurance Act (Wkb). The Dutch government wants more supervision and control in construction, so that builders comply with the applicable quality requirements. The Wkb will ensure this. It is expected to be introduced step by step from 2024. The changes from the Wkb apply only to simple structures, such as smaller commercial buildings, until 2025. With our CE-certified storage building and the step-by-step assembly instructions, which prescribe in detail how to assemble the storage building, you are already prepared for the new law. The Wkb states that you must determine the risks before starting construction. Due to the CE certification and our documentation, the risks (during assembly of) our storage building are very low. With low risks, less supervision is carried out on the construction, which speeds up the construction process. And a shorter construction time ultimately saves you costs. Kroftman is at the forefront of offering CE-certified storage buildings compared to many other suppliers.

 

6. Will the storage building become more expensive now that it is certified?

The certification process has taken a lot of time from me and my fellow engineers. After certification, this does not stop, as we continue to perform quality controls. We have also switched to a different supplier for some components. And some components are treated even better to prevent rust. This could cause a price increase. However, on the other hand, we have improved our production process, allowing us to produce components more efficiently and with less material loss. Therefore, I can reassure you that our storage buildings will not become more expensive due to the CE marking. Price increases in the future may be caused by an increase in prices from our suppliers, but not by our CE marking.

 

7. Why is the certification only applicable to the H-series storage buildings (with concrete anchors)?

Only our H-series storage buildings have a CE marking, not our E-series. This is because:

  • We produce the H-series storage buildings ourselves, allowing us to control and influence all processes.
    The H-series storage buildings are designed for permanent construction if you attach them with concrete anchors to a concrete base.

Only structures suitable for permanent construction are subject to the NEN-EN 1090 standard. Permanently installed structures must withstand higher loads and have a longer lifespan than temporary structures. Our E-series storage buildings are not made by us but purchased in their entirety. The price, but also the quality, is lower, making them mostly used as a temporary solution and not subject to the NEN-EN 1090 standard.

 

8. Where can I find proof of the CE marking of the storage building?

If you purchase an H-series storage building from us that you want to attach with concrete anchors to a concrete base (permanent installation), you will receive from us the specific performance declaration and the CE marking together with the components of your storage building. As a supplier, we are obliged to provide these to our customers. And we are happy to do so, because we are proud of our CE certification!

 

We hope that the above information helps you make an informed choice. If you want to know exactly what the storage building of your choice costs, please feel free to fill in our quotation tool. We ask you to enter your postcode to calculate the transport costs of your storage building. Once you have requested the quote, you will receive your login details for your personal Kroftman page within a few minutes. Here you will find the quote with the total price including any transport costs.

You can create multiple quotes and check different options. This way, you can compare them effectively.

Still have questions? We are happy to assist you.