If you're specifying architectural film for a hotel corridor, an elevator cab, a medical office or a condo lobby, someone is going to ask for the fire rating. Here's how to read the answer — and how to make sure you're getting the right answer for the exact product going on the wall.
The short version
- In the US, interior wall and ceiling finishes are rated under ASTM E84 (the "Steiner tunnel" test). Canada uses CAN/ULC-S102, which is closely related.
- The test produces two numbers: a Flame Spread Index (FSI) and a Smoke Developed Index (SDI).
- Class A means FSI 0–25 and SDI 0–450. Class B is FSI 26–75; Class C is 76–200. Most commercial interior finishes — corridors, exits, lobbies in many occupancies — are specified Class A.
- The rating belongs to a specific product code, tested on a specific substrate — not to a brand or a collection. Same manufacturer, different pattern, different report.
What the numbers look like on a real report
Bodaq publishes third-party test reports for its fire-retardant patterns. Two we keep on file, both tested by SGS to ASTM E84:
| Product | Flame Spread Index | Smoke Developed Index | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodaq NS118-FR (Antique White Marble) | 10 | 30 | Class A |
| Bodaq W260-FR (wood pattern) | 5 | 15 | Class A |
For scale: the Class A ceiling is 25 for flame spread and 450 for smoke. These are well inside it. A third report on file, for SPW66 under CAN/ULC-S102, tested the film applied to ¼-inch inorganic reinforced cement board — which brings up the next point.
The substrate matters
A film is never tested floating in air; it's tested adhered to a backing, and the report says which one. The common ones are cement board, gypsum board or steel. The film's real-world performance follows the assembly, so if a project is strict, the reviewer may want the test substrate to match (or be more conservative than) what's actually on site. A film rated on cement board going onto a fire-rated gypsum partition is a normal, defensible condition. The same film over an existing laminate or a foam-core door is a different conversation.
Fire-rated doors are a separate test entirely
A Class A wall finish does not automatically clear a film for a fire-rated door. Doors are tested as assemblies under UL 10C (positive-pressure fire test of door assemblies). Bodaq has a UL 10C test report for its film applied to a door assembly, and that is the document you want if the door carries a 20-, 45- or 90-minute label. Refinishing a labeled door with an untested product can void the label — which is a life-safety issue, not a paperwork one.
"FR" versus standard patterns
Bodaq — like other manufacturers — sells the same look in a fire-retardant (FR) version and a standard version. The FR patterns carry a suffix (NS118-FR, W260-FR). The standard versions are not tested to the same result and shouldn't be substituted on a job that was specified FR, even though the swatch looks identical. This is the single most common way a rating gets lost between the spec and the install.
What this means for a submittal
When you or your architect need documentation, ask for three things and check them against each other:
- The exact product code going on the surface, FR suffix included.
- The test report for that code — standard (ASTM E84 or CAN/ULC-S102), test lab, date, substrate, FSI and SDI.
- For doors, the UL 10C assembly report, and confirmation that the door label is compatible.
If any of those three don't line up, stop and resolve it before material is ordered. It's a five-minute email at the sample stage and a very expensive one after installation.
What fire ratings don't cover
Two things people sometimes assume, which aren't so:
- Aircraft. ASTM E84 is a building test. Aircraft cabin materials are certified under a completely different regime (FAR 25.853 in the US), with different burn, heat-release and smoke tests. A Class A building rating says nothing about aviation use, and we'd never represent it that way.
- Marine. Yacht interiors under classification-society rules or SOLAS (for larger commercial vessels) also use their own standards — the IMO FTP Code rather than ASTM E84. For a yacht refit, the classification surveyor's requirement is what governs, and we work from that.
How we handle it
For any commercial or marine project we confirm the rating per product code, before the order is placed, and provide the manufacturer's test documentation with the submittal. If you already have a spec, send us the codes and we'll pull the reports. If the finish is still open, tell us the rating requirement first and we'll only show you patterns that meet it.
Test data above is from manufacturer-published third-party reports (SGS, UL) that we keep on file and can provide on request. Requirements vary by occupancy and jurisdiction — confirm with your architect or the authority having jurisdiction.