A fire-rated wall panel has been tested against a recognised fire performance standard to measure how it behaves when exposed to flame and heat, rather than simply being marketed as fire safe. Testing typically looks at how quickly a material ignites, how far flame spreads across its surface and how much smoke it produces. Panels that pass are given a classification, which building certifiers and specifiers use to confirm a product meets the requirements for a particular building type or area. Our Acouwood® Surround range carries a Group 3 rating across every colourway, and our SlatWall™ Pro range offers Group 1 fire-rated stock on five of its seven colourways. Choosing a genuinely tested panel matters most in commercial fit-outs and multi-residential buildings, where compliance isn't optional.

Multi-residential buildings generally carry stricter fire performance requirements than standalone houses, particularly around common areas, service shafts and exits. That makes a tested fire rating genuinely useful when specifying wall panels for an apartment project, rather than a nice-to-have. Our fire-rated Acouwood® Surround (Group 3) and SlatWall™ Pro (Group 1, on five of seven colourways) ranges are designed with these applications in mind, pairing tested fire performance with a real timber or timber-look finish. Requirements vary by building class and by exactly where in the building the panel is being installed, so we'd always recommend checking the specific classification your project needs with your certifier or building surveyor before specifying, and we're happy to share our test documentation to support that.

The two ranges suit different jobs. Acouwood® Surround is a real timber veneer panel wrapped on all three sides and pre-finished with matte lacquer, built primarily for acoustic performance alongside its fire testing, so it's a strong choice for living spaces, offices and studios where sound control matters as much as the look. SlatWall™ Pro is a waterproof, timber-look panel with a HydroGuard surface, with Group 1 fire-rated stock available in Black, Blackbutt, Spotted Gum, Jarrah and Brown (not currently available in Light Oak or Cream Oak), making it suited to bathrooms, kitchens and commercial wet areas where moisture resistance is the priority. If your project needs both acoustic comfort and fire performance, Acouwood® Surround is the better fit. If it needs to handle water, start with SlatWall™ Pro.

This depends on your building's classification, its intended use and where the panel is being installed, so there's no single answer that applies to every project, and we don't provide fire rating recommendations ourselves. Please confirm the required fire resistance or reaction-to-fire classification with your building certifier, architect or the relevant state building authority before choosing a panel. Once you know what's required, our team can share our test documentation (Group 3 for Acouwood® Surround, Group 1 for SlatWall™ Pro on eligible colourways) to support that conversation.

Our Acouwood® Surround Test Reports and SlatWall™ Pro Test Reports are both available to download directly from each product page, alongside the relevant installation guidelines and datasheets. These documents are useful to hand to your certifier, architect or building surveyor as part of specifying a project, since they set out exactly what standard was tested and how the panel performed. If you need a copy sent directly, or have a specific certifier requirement our downloads don't cover, reach out to our team at support@woodspace.com.au and we'll help track down what you need.