Fire

The use of non-combustible materials, like stone wool, in buildings can help the fire from spreading and play a vital role in keeping occupants safe.

Non-combustible materials protect your building

Due to the increased use of synthetic materials, building fires today develop 5-10 times faster than they did 50 years ago. Stone wool, the core material used in our acoustic tiles and panels, is by nature a highly fire resilient material and does not contribute to the spread of fire.

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People expect their homes, work places, schools and hospitals to be safe. Fortunately, fires are rare, but when they strike, they can be disastrous. A1 rated materials, the highest classification a product can receive, do not contribute to the development and spread of fire and buys valuable time for occupants to safely evacuate the building.

What happens in a fire?

A fire is always the result of an ignition source (heat), oxygen (air) and the presence of a combustible material. Oxygen and combustible materials are necessary to nourish and spread a fire. By using as many non-combustible materials as possible, the risk of fire and smoke will be limited or better contained. The determining factor of whether a small fire spreads is decided by how the surrounding materials react to fire.

Where there is fire there is smoke

As a fire burns, the combustible materials in a room release toxic smoke. The amount of toxic smoke released depends on the amount of combustible material in that particular space. In high enough concentrations, toxic smoke creates hazardous health conditions. In fact, toxic smoke inhalation causes more fire-related deaths than do the flames themselves.

Identifying combustible materials

To help identify combustible materials and increase fire protection, various national regulations have adopted minimum targets aimed at reducing the spread of fire. One of those tests a material's reaction to fire.

Reaction to fire

Reaction to fire determines whether a material contributes to a fire. The European Union’s “Reaction to Fire” classification (EN 13501-1) measures a material’s combustibility, the rate of heat release, the rate that flames spread, the rate of smoke emission, flaming droplets/particles and/or a combination of these safety aspects.

A1 is the highest classification a product can receive. A1 products do not contribute to the development and spread of fire. They generate neither smoke nor flaming droplets. Most of our products are classified as A1, meaning they do not contribute to a fire.

Frequently asked questions

Fires today develop 5-10 times faster today than they did in the 1950s.

Non-combustible products

Most of our ceilings are rated A1, meaning that they do not contribute to a fire. Only a non-combustible product can be rated in the highest class A1. Explore our range of products that do not contribute to a fire.

Other product benefits

Durability

Given the expensive investment of real estate, construction materials, both inside and outside the building, need to meet the long-term needs of users. The right materials can help stabilise the property value and extend its lifecycle.

Hygiene & cleaning

Appropriate cleaning and disinfection of building materials are proven methods for reducing and controlling infections. Choosing building materials that can be regularly cleaned and don’t contribute to the spread of microorganisms can have a big impact on the indoor environment and the building user.

Aesthetics & design

Sound absorption

The quality of sound absorption is determined by the layout of the space and the materials within it. Increasing speech intelligibility and how we experience sound can make a remarkable difference to our indoor environment.

Sound insulation

Reducing the level of distraction and the harmful effects of noise, while still creating a flexible, private and engaging environment, can be a challenge. Our dB products combine the benefits of great sound insulation and superior sound absorption.

Light reflection & light diffusion

Light is vital to basic human functioning and has a huge influence on both our psychological and physiological condition. With the proper use of light reflecting materials, you can create bright comfortable spaces for a building's occupants.

Building and technical insulation

We are the leading provider of fire resilient stone wool insulation. We provide products and solutions for all major application areas for both residential and non-residential buildings. Our solutions are also engineered to improve OEM products or system performance and enhance the production for process, off-shore and the marine industry.

Façade cladding

We manufacture board material mostly used in ventilated constructions, for facade cladding, roof detailing, soffits and fascias. Our boards are robust and flexible. They fit perfectly with modern architectural trends such as organic shapes and sustainability, while also providing cost efficiency and short installation times.

Our Thinking themes

As part of the ROCKWOOL Group, we are committed to enriching the lives of everyone who comes into contact with our solutions. Our expertise is perfectly suited to tackle many of today’s biggest sustainability and development challenges.