The Grenfell Tower tragedy was a catalyst in the industry for significant change.
Not only were regulations introduced that banned combustible cladding from residential buildings above 18m, but the same was also done for balcony flooring, too.
This means that when you’re sourcing flooring for outdoor decking and balconies, decking materials must be Class A fire-rated.
Fireproof, Class A1 fire-rated, non-combustible; whichever way you describe the products used on external flooring one thing is necessary – It needs to conform with the latest building regulations, government legislation and be resistant to fire.
But what are your options?
Fire-rated and fireproof decking options are plentiful, but it’s hard to pick out the right product from the crowd. This guide is aimed at answering all the most common questions surrounding fire rated decking, providing you with the best possible products for your project.
What's the difference between fire-rated and fireproof?
The simple answer is – it depends!
Fire-rated and fireproof are used as synonyms of one another and are interchanged when describing decking and other building materials.
The difference comes in the detail and when you start specifically talking about individual fire ratings that decking has.
Where a decking option is fire-rated, it is categorised by the Euroclass standards and given an official rating. The classification categorically refers to the rating it is given under the BS EN 13501-1. A decking product is only fireproof when it achieves a certain rating.
What is fire-rated decking?
Fire ratings refer specifically to the classification given to any material and its levels of combustibility. Like other building products, decking materials need to be fire-rated and therefore must undergo a series of tests in order to meet the standards.
BS EN 13501-1 comprises three ratings, with the Euroclass being the most significant. With ratings ranging from A1 (non-combustible and no contribution to fire) through to F, defined as easily flammable, these classifications are the fire rating decking receives after rigorous testing.
Typically, when people talk about fire rating decking, they are looking for essentially fireproof decking products, so those that are rated with A1 or A2.
NHBC Accept fire-rated decking system
