02/10/2026
A floor's fire performance is decided by what's inside it, not what's on top of it.
Two standards govern how UK raised access floors are tested:
→ EN 13501-1 — reaction to fire. How a material burns, spreads flame and smokes. Rated A1 (non-combustible) down to F, with smoke (s1–s3) and flaming droplet (d0–d2) classes layered on — flooring carries the "fl" suffix, e.g. A1fl.
→ EN 13501-2 — fire resistance. How long a floor holds stability, integrity and insulation once it's alight, tested under load in a furnace and rated in minutes (REI 30, REI 60...).
The core material is what separates the two tiers. Calcium sulphate (gypsum fibre) cores are non-combustible and routinely hit A1, A2 and REI 60 — JVP's P4TTM/P4TTH Range, AFD Indigo CS Range, and Knauf GIFAFloor products hit the mark.
Chipboard cores, whilst still structurally sound, are timber-based and therefore combustible, so they sit lower on the scale when considering reactivity to fire.
The core of the panel is the key, a calcium sulphate core will typically always by Class A Non Combustible - then it comes down to the system test and performance to dictate the length of time in terms of fire resistance - which is specific to each product / system.
Speccing a fire-critical space? Get the classification right before the order goes in. Get in touch: link in bio.
