The ins and outs of flame retardant fabrics

Fire retardant fabrics are used in everything from IFR Curtain Fabric high-end upholstery to soft furnishings to schoolroom curtains - but what exactly qualifies a fabric as "fire retardant"? Read on to discover what makes a fabric count as flame retardant, how flame resistant fabrics are made and some of the practical matters of owning fire retardant upholstery.Fabric is classified as fire retardant fabric based on, unsurprisingly, the time it takes for the fabric to burn and at what temperatures it does so. Our fabrics undergo rigorous testing in independent laboratories. The fabric is then assessed on a range of criteria to show the strength of the fire retardant properties, so that the end consumer can know exactly what they're investing in.Tests are carried out in laboratories like Labotex for the speed at which the fabrics catch fire, using methods such as a gas burner or gas flame, smoldering cigarette, a small stack of dry wood.

There are also worldwide furniture standards that measure the fire retardant properties of upholstered furniture through testing such. Check out our post  things you need to know about upholstery fabric testing for a read jam-packed with information.Fabric may be naturally fire retardant due to the fiber's innate properties.Polyester is also easy care and durable, whereas fabrics such as wool could shrink after washing  which isn’t something you want happening on your furniture! Besides durability and fire retardancy, our fabrics are just, well, amazingly soft. You need to feel it to believe it. We’re all about that luxurious feel here, combining an easy elegance with a coziness you can feel.While some fabrics can also be treated with a fire retardant chemical that resists heat and helps to extinguishes flames, this is not the way FR-One safeguards our fabrics.

FR-One Fire Retardant fabrics begin by perfecting the fibers with Inherent Fire-Retardant characteristics , a quality that is embedded in the molecular structure of the fiber and will therefore never diminish.The best solution is inherent FR polyester, because it starts us off with a naturally high base level of fire resistance - and then we add the FR-One magic. This guarantees that our fire retardant fabrics look and feel just like natural ones, and that's even before they undergo rigorous testing for high safety standards!Wool is generally considered the most fire retardant natural fiber, as it is difficult to ignite and may extinguish smaller flames on its own.Silk also burns slowly, is difficult to ignite and may self-extinguish under certain circumstances.

Acrylic, polyester and nylon are also all considered fire retardant fabrics, as they catch fire at a much higher temperature than natural fibers.There are three different ways a fabric can be made fire retardant, so we'll start off with the best and most efficient way it's when the FR properties are inherent in the yarn itself.This is what makes FR-One special. We do not apply treatments or finishes to fabrics, nor do we coat our fabrics. There are ways though to make your textiles fire retardant using chemical treatments and finishes, and we'll have a quick look at those below.There are two types of treatment commonly used in fire retardant upholstery.With the coating technique, a fire retardant back-coating is applied to the fabric in question. This stiffens the fabric, making it better for upholstery use. The coating technique is considered less suitable as curtain fabric though, as the drape of the material end up less natural than with other fabric treatments.