Monthly Archives: July 2026

Fire rated plasterboard is a type of plasterboard used in wall and ceiling systems that need to resist fire for longer than a standard lining. In Australia, it is commonly specified where the building design, NCC requirements, or construction systems call for improved fire performance. These include intertenancy walls, garage walls, service areas, and fire-separated parts of a building.

Fire rated plasterboard is still a gypsum-based board, but it is designed and tested for use in fire-resistant systems. The key point is that a fire rating does not come from the board alone. It comes from the complete tested wall or ceiling system, which may include the board type, thickness, framing, insulation, fixings, joint treatment, and number of layers.

Is gypsum board fire resistant?

Gypsum board has natural fire-resistant properties because gypsum contains chemically bound water, which helps slow heat transfer during a fire. This is one reason plasterboard performs better in fire than many untreated