Are wood slat panels fire rated? What to check before you order

The short answer

Our panels are not fire rated. If a fire rating is required for your project, check with your contractor or your local building code before ordering.

That goes for every Slats line: ULTRALIGHT, TrueWood, Solid Oak, Walnut and Bamboo, and Paint-Ready. None of them carries a fire rating, and neither does the felt behind the slats.

Why it comes up

Some buildings need wall finishes that have been tested and given a fire rating. You will often hear it called a Class A, B or C rating. Whether yours does depends on the building, how the room is used and your local code, not on the panel. That is why we would rather you check first than find out at inspection.

Projects where it is worth asking before you order:

• Restaurants, shops, offices and other commercial spaces
• Schools, clinics, libraries and other public buildings
• Shared hallways, stairwells and lobbies in apartment buildings
• Any job with a building permit, an inspector or a fire marshal involved

How to check

1. Ask whoever signs off the job. Your contractor, architect or designer will know whether the walls need a rated finish.
2. Or call your local building department. Tell them what the room is used for and that you plan to cover a wall in wood slat panels.
3. If a rating is required, our panels won’t meet it. Better to know now than after the boxes arrive.

Around a fireplace, wood stove or heater

Follow the clearances in the fireplace or appliance maker’s instructions and your local code. Those decide how close any wall finish can go, ours included. If you are not sure, leave the wall around the firebox bare and start the panels further out.

At home, in most rooms

For a bedroom, living room or home office, people rarely run into fire-rating rules for wall panels. Rules still vary by place and project, though, so if you are renovating with a permit, it is worth one question to your contractor.

Questions people ask

Is the felt fire rated?

No. Our panels are not fire rated, felt included.

Can I use Slats in a restaurant or office?

Only if the project does not require a fire-rated wall finish. Check with your contractor or your local building code before ordering.

Do you sell a fire-rated version?

No. None of our panels carries a fire rating.

Still not sure? Ask us, a real person writes back. For installation, see the Install Guide.