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 is the world's largest outdoor weathering test site. It is located south of Miami on the southern tip of Florida, in the only true subtropical region in the continental United States. We offer both outdoor exposures as well as accelerated laboratory testing and evaluations at Q-Lab Florida.
Our Florida site has high-intensity sunlight, high annual UV, high year round temperatures, abundant rainfall and very high humidity. When combined, these factors create the harsh climate that makes Miami the ideal location for testing exterior durability.  The moist, humid climate has been proven especially useful for certain types of testing:
- Moisture sensitivity of products like coatings, building materials, and some plastics
- Mildew resistance
- Corrosion testing
Moisture sensitive products like coatings and building materials, and some plastics are particularly affected. Florida is also an excellent site for testing mildew resistance.
Natural exposure testing is an essential part of any weathering and light stability test program. Material scientists often use "Florida Weathering" or "Arizona Weathering" as international benchmarks for material weatherability testing. For a complete outdoor testing program, many companies test their products in both Florida and Arizona.
Q-Lab Florida is A2LA Accredited for ISO 17025 compliance. For a complete scope of our accreditation, please refere to our A2LA certificate.
Outdoor ExposureTest Methods Performed at Q-Lab Florida
| AAMA 624 |
High Performance Organic Coatings on Fiber Reinforced Thermoset |
| AAMA 2603 |
Pigmented Organic Coatings on Aluminum Extrusion and Panels |
| AAMA 2604 |
High Performance Organic Coatings on Aluminum Extrusion and Panels |
| AAMA 2605 |
Superior Performing Organic Coatings on Aluminum Extrusion and Panels |
| AATCC TM 111* |
Weather Resistance of Textiles |
| ASTM C1589 |
Outdoor Weathering Sealants |
| ASTM D1006 |
Exterior Exposure of Paints on Wood |
| ASTM D1014 |
Exterior Exposure of Paints on Steel |
| ASTM D1435 |
Outdoor Weathering of Plastics |
| ASTM D3424 |
Lightfastness and Weatherability of Printed Matter (Method 1, 2) |
| ASTM D 3456 |
Exterior Exposure Test of Paint Films to Microbiological Attack |
| ASTM D3679, 5.10, 6,10, 6,11, 6,13 |
Specification for Rigid Poly (Vinyl Chloride) (PVC) Siding |
| ASTM D4141 |
Conducting Accelerated Outdoor Exposure Tests of Coatings |
| ASTM D4303 |
Lightfastness of Colorants used in Artists Materials (Method A) |
| ASTM D4726 |
Specification for Rigid Poly (Vinyl Chloride) (PVC) Exterior Profile Extrusions used for Assembled Windows and Doors |
| ASTM D5272 |
Outdoor Exposure Testing of Photodegradable Plastics |
| ASTM D6675 |
Salt Accelerated Outdoor Corrosion Test |
| ASTM D6864 |
Color and Appearance Retention of Solid Colored Plastic Siding Products |
| ASTM D7251 |
Color and Appearance Retention of Variegated Colored Plastic Siding Products |
| ASTM G7 |
Atmospheric Environmental Exposure Testing of Nonmetallic Materials |
| ASTM G24 |
Conducting Exposures to Daylight Filtered Through Glass |
| ASTM G50 |
Outdoor Corrosion Test |
| EN 927 Part 3 |
Coating Materials and Coatings Systems for Exterior Wood |
| FLTM BI 160-01 |
Florida and Arizona Outdoor Exposure Test |
| GM 9163P |
Outdoor Weathering of Automotive Exterior Materials |
| GM W14873 |
Outdoor Weathering of Automotive Exterior Materials |
| ISO 105 B01 |
Textiles-Tests for Colorfastness to Light; Daylight |
| ISO 877 |
Plastics – Exposure to Weathering, Direct, Under Glass Using Fresnel Mirrors |
| ISO 2810 |
Paints and Varnishes: Natural Weathering |
| LP463-KB19-01 |
Outdoor Exposure of Trim Materials |
| LP463-PB34-01 |
Florida Exposure Testing of Painted Surfaces |
| SAE H576 |
Plastic Materials for Optical Parts Using Concentrated Natural Sunlight |
| SAE J1976 |
Outdoor Weathering of Exterior Materials |
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Outdoor Exposure Procedures