Elevator Cab Interiors: Wall Panels, Laminates, and Metal Finishes

An elevator cab is a small room that takes constant contact. Luggage, carts, and hands hit the same panels every day, every surface has to clean easily, the finishes have to meet elevator fire rules, and anything heavy adds load to the car. These are the surfaces Roos International supplies for cab walls, and what to check for each.

Start with the code

Elevator codes (ASME A17.1 in the US) limit flame spread and smoke development for materials inside the car. The rule applies to the finished panel, including any backing or substrate, so ask your elevator contractor for the exact requirement and match it against each product's ASTM E84 test data before you choose a finish.

Metal: the most durable option

• ATI Fusion Textured Metal is unbacked aluminum (5005, H14 temper) with an embossed 3D texture, in nominal 48″ × 96″ sheets weighing 14 to 16 lb. It tested at flame spread 0 and smoke developed 0 (ASTM E84) and showed no wear after 4,000 Taber abrasion cycles. ATI lists elevator interiors as a use because the unbacked sheet installs without counterbalancing.
• ATI NuMetal is a thin real-metal laminate, about 0.035″ thick (0.050″ for stainless steel and Art Copper), in 4′ × 8′ sheets. Brushed Aluminum and Copper tested at flame spread 15, smoke developed 5. ATI lists wrapped columns, accent walls, and elevator interiors among its uses.

Laminate: the widest choice of looks

Lab Designs laminates are bonded to a substrate panel by the cab fabricator, which makes them easy to replace during a later renovation.

• UltraMatte has a silky, ultra-low-gloss surface that resists fingerprints, smudges, and stains, and is scratch tested to EN 438-2, which helps in cabs where every surface gets touched.
• High Resolution Digital prints custom imagery at up to 1,200 dpi on 0.9 mm postforming-grade HPL, for branded or art-led cabs.
• Premium Woodgrains offers nearly 300 woodgrain designs for a warmer cab.

Lab Designs high-pressure laminate is ASTM E84 Class B as standard (flame spread 26, smoke developed 80), and every design is available with a Class A fire-rated add-on, the usual choice for elevator cabs. IMO-certified laminate is also available for marine interiors. The code applies to the assembled panel, so ask for test data on the laminate and substrate together. Lab Designs' published GREENGUARD low-emission certificates ran from December 2020 to July 2025; ask for a current certificate if low emissions are part of your spec.

Texture for the walls guests see most

ATI MirroFlex 3D panels are ASTM E84 Class A (flame spread 10, smoke developed 200), impact resistant to ASTM D5420, and rated at 4,700 to 5,000 Taber abrasion cycles depending on finish. They come in 4′ × 8′ and 4′ × 10′ panels and as wainscoting.

A short checklist

• Confirm the fire requirement with the elevator contractor and match it to the test data.
• Put the toughest surface where carts and luggage hit, usually the lower wall.
• Choose a finish that hides fingerprints, or one that cleans easily.
• Count the weight: thin metal and laminate add less load than stone or heavy panels.
• Order samples and look at them under the cab's own lighting.

Samples and pricing

Order samples from the product pages (see how sampling works) or see the materials at our Deerfield Beach showroom. Full-material pricing is given by quote. Roos International is the Authorized Florida Distributor for ATI Decorative Surfaces and Lab Designs and supplies projects across the US.