Acoustic Ceilings and Fire Safety

If you are wondering about the fire safety and performance of acoustic ceilings, then, yes, acoustic ceilings have important fire safety qualities. Today, we're going to talk about the why and how of acoustic ceiling fire safety.

Materials used in acoustic ceilings, whether for residential or commercial applications, always have ASTM ratings for fire safety. ASTM refers to the American Society for Testing and Materials. This is the highly respected entity that develops and publishes international standards for a variety of materials.

Acoustic ceiling materials have important fire safety characteristics for several reasons.

Fire spreads fast

Fires spread much faster in modern rooms than they used to because newer synthetic materials burn faster and hotter than the natural materials used 50 or a hundred years ago. Fires spread about eight times faster than they used to. This is just one reason why acoustic ceilings must be very fire resistant.

Square footage

An acoustic ceiling covers a lot of square footage. That means in case of fire, if the ceiling wasn't very fire resistant, then the ceiling would be a major liability.

Separation between floors

Since the ceiling acts as a barrier between floors, the fire resistance of the ceiling is critical in the prevention of fire spread between floors. This is important in a residence, and even more important in building that has multiple residences or a commercial building with different offices between floors.

Fire fighting in very tall commercial buildings poses special problems. So, fire prevention and suppression takes on special meaning in high-rises.

Whatever materials we use for acoustic ceilings, they will have significant fire safety ratings, and you are welcome to talk to us about all the technical details. We're experts on acoustic ceilings. This is our business.

Turner Bros Contractors Ltd. has been providing steel-stud framing, drywall, and acoustic ceiling services for residential and commercial applications in the Vancouver area since 1932. The company is family-run with four generations of the family represented in the business.

If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about your residential or commercial project, please call us at (604) 532-1991 or email us at info@turnerbros.ca.