Standard and fire-rated acoustic panels absorb sound in exactly the same way — the difference is reaction to fire. A fire-rated panel carries a Euroclass classification (to BS EN 13501-1), evidenced by a test report, describing how little it contributes to a fire's growth. Untreated timber typically reaches around Euroclass D; escape routes and many public buildings need a higher class such as B-s1,d0, which requires a fire-retardant build-up. Whether you need it is set by the building's fire strategy for that location, informed by Approved Document B — not by the panel. And reaction to fire is not fire resistance: neither panel is a fire door.
Standard panels vs Fire-rated panels at a glance
| Standard panels | Fire-rated panels | |
|---|---|---|
| Acoustic performance | Absorbs sound inside the room | Identical — absorbs the same way |
| Reaction to fire | Untreated timber, typically ~Euroclass D | Higher class (e.g. B-s1,d0) on a named test report |
| Needed in | Spaces with no raised reaction-to-fire requirement | Escape routes and public buildings, where the strategy sets a class |
| Evidence | Absorption figures against a test report | Absorption and Euroclass, both against test reports |
| Is not | A fire door / fire-resistant | A fire door — reaction to fire ≠ fire resistance |
When standard panels are fine
In spaces where the fire strategy sets no raised reaction-to-fire requirement — many offices, studios, homes and back-of-house rooms — a standard timber panel is the straightforward choice. You still get absorption evidenced against a test report; you simply aren't paying for a fire-retardant build-up the location doesn't call for.
When you need a fire-rated panel
Specify a fire-rated panel where the building's fire strategy demands a reaction-to-fire class for that lining — typically escape routes, corridors and public buildings, informed by Approved Document B. The panel then has to carry the required Euroclass on its own test report; untreated timber usually won't reach it without a fire-retardant treatment or specific construction.
Reaction to fire (Euroclass) grades how a lining feeds a fire's growth; fire resistance — like an FD30 door — is a different property, and no acoustic panel provides it. Every Euroclass and α<sub>w</sub> figure appears only against a named test report: we publish the classification, we don't promise one. The required class comes from the fire strategy for the space, informed by Approved Document B. See fire-rated acoustic panels and what α<sub>w</sub> and NRC mean.
Standard acoustic panels
Timber slat panels for unregulated spaces
Browse standard panels →+ reaction-to-fire classFire-rated acoustic panels
A Euroclass on a test report, plus absorption
Browse fire-rated panels →Frequently asked questions
Do acoustic panels need to be fire-rated?
Only where the building's fire strategy for that location requires a reaction-to-fire class — typically escape routes and public buildings, informed by Approved Document B. Elsewhere, standard panels are usually fine. The requirement is set by the space, not the panel.
What Euroclass do fire-rated acoustic panels have?
It depends on the build-up. Untreated timber typically reaches around Class D; a higher class such as B-s1,d0 needs a fire-retardant treatment or construction, evidenced by a test report for that exact panel. We publish the class from the report, never a promised figure.
Are fire-rated acoustic panels the same as fire doors?
No. Reaction to fire grades how a lining contributes to a fire's growth; it is not fire resistance. No acoustic panel holds fire back like a fire door — that is a different product entirely.