An EN 13501-1 class cannot be inferred from the words “foil-faced” or “fire-retardant”. It must come from a classification report that identifies the tested construction, thickness and end-use conditions. Here is how to read the result and what to verify with a supplier.
What the standard is
EN 13501-1 classifies the reaction-to-fire performance of construction products using results from the applicable test methods. It is not itself a single fire test. The main classes run from A1 to F. F is not the same as “no performance determined” (NPD): the EU classification rules distinguish F, for performance below E, from an NPD declaration. See the EU reaction-to-fire classification regulation, recitals 2–6 and Annex Table 1.
Reading a class
A designation such as B-s1,d0 combines a main reaction-to-fire class with smoke and flaming-droplet classifications. The suffixes describe performance under specified tests, not everyday labels such as “little smoke” or “many droplets”. For the construction-product group in Annex Table 1, s1 and s2 have defined smoke thresholds; s3 does not meet either. d0 and d1 have defined droplet criteria; d2 does not meet those criteria or results from the specified paper-ignition outcome. Read the complete report, including the applicable product group and test conditions, rather than translating the class into a blanket safety claim.
Test report or classification report
These are two different documents, and buyers are often sent the wrong one. A test report gives the raw results from one method — the small-flame test or the single burning item test, for example — and does not by itself state a class. A classification report takes the results from the applicable tests and assigns the EN 13501-1 class, together with the field of application that the classification covers. It is the classification report that a certifier or building-control officer will ask for. If a supplier offers a test report alone, ask whether a classification report exists; if it does not, no class has been assigned.
What moves the result most
Three things change the class more than any other. The first is what the sample was mounted on, since the standard tests products in an end-use condition and a non-combustible backing behaves differently from a combustible one. The second is thickness, because a classification is normally valid for the tested thickness or a stated range around it. The third is any air gap between the product and the substrate, which affects how the sample heats and how flames spread behind it. Each of these appears in the field of application, and each is a reason not to assume a class transfers between two ways of installing the same roll.
Why the construction matters
The facing, carrier, core, adhesive, thickness and mounting method can all affect the result. A classification for one foil laminate therefore cannot be carried across to another construction by appearance or layer name. Ask for the classification report and verify that the product description and end-use conditions match what you intend to buy.
Three questions to ask a supplier
- Which exact construction is covered? Match the product, thickness range, core and facing against the report and its stated field of application. Do not assume a different thickness or facing is covered unless the documentation explicitly includes it.
- What was the end-use application in the test? Reaction-to-fire results depend on how the sample was mounted and what was behind it. A class achieved on a non-combustible backing may not apply on timber.
- Is the report current and from an accredited laboratory? Look for the lab’s accreditation number and the test date.
How we handle an inquiry
Tell us the class your project requires, how the roll material will be installed, and what it will be fixed to. The last of those decides more than buyers expect, because a class earned on one substrate is not evidence for another. We will confirm in writing whether a current report covers the exact construction offered. A website category name is not evidence of a fire class. Ask about a documented construction.