If your home or any other property catches fire, then one of the worst places for the fire to spread is the roof. If a fire reaches the roof of any property then it could do a lot of damage very quickly, causing the fire to continue spreading.

That’s why it’s very important to consider the fire resistance rating of your roofing when refurbishing or building a premise whether it’s a commercial or domestic property.

Fire Ratings Explained

Roof tiles are tested in accordance with BS 476-3:2004 to monitor the fire resistance of the roofing when exposed to external fire.

The highest rating roofing can receive is AA and is categorised into both fire resistance and fire spread. Preceding the rating, you’ll typically find either a EXT.S or EXT.F which dictates the type of roofing tested, whether it’s a flat roof or sloped.

Metrotile’s Fire Rating

At Metrotile, our steel roofing tiles proudly hold the EXT.S.AA grade!

This means that they will provide an hours’ worth of protection from an external fire with their being no risk of the fire spreading during this time either.

An hours’ worth of protection allows plenty of time for a safe and orderly evacuation. It will also mean the emergency services will be able to put out the fire to your home or property more quickly and therefore the damage will be a lot less severe.

Asphalt

Asphalt is one of the most popular ways of protecting your roof but unlike our Metrotile lightweight roof tiles, their fire resistance is a bit more uneven. While some asphalt shingles are very fire resistant, obtaining the much-coveted AA grade some are much poorer hitting a Grade C or below. A Grade CC will mean that the asphalt material could be penetrated by the flames within 30 minutes, and could spread more than 21 inches.

Wood

Wood might seem like one of the weakest materials when it comes to fire, after all, we all know fire can eat through wood quickly. Thankfully the wooden shingles available are made from very strong types of wood and they’ve also been professionally treated for extra protection. However, even with those extra precautions they still can’t equal the strength and fire resistance of our roofing tiles and will usually average a B or C grade when it comes to fire resistance. A BB grade will mean that the fire may spread for 21 inches or less, and is likely to be penetrated by flames in 30 minutes.

Concrete

Concrete roofing tiles are fire resistant although again there will be some variation depending on the type of tile and manufacturer. Typically, they score a fire rating around a grade A or grade B making them relatively safe for your home or property. However, these tiles are very heavy which can lead to other issues when it comes to installation and maintenance.

To find out more about fire resistant steel roofing, get in touch with Metrotile by calling us on 01249 658 514 or you can fill in our contact form and we will get back to you.