Flammabilty & Furniture Fabric

I am always being asked about the regulations about covering furniture – I hope this explanation helps a little.

Flame retardancy regulations on fabrics for upholstery are compulsory I am afraid.  There are laws about what you can and can’t use both at home and in commercial premises. These same rules apply in 177 countries – though not in Europe for some very strange reason.  These rules are of course for our own safety so although it may make the item of furniture a little more expensive it has to be worth it.  If you think that is an exaggeration check out this short video.

So what are these rules?

The rules apply to all domestic upholstered seating furniture as well as childrens furniture, and it includes pouffes, music stools, footstools and floor cushions – except furniture manufacture prior to 1950

There are all sorts of complex and confusing words but I thought it would be good to have it written down in very straightforward terms. It certainly would help me to be able to explain to my customers in simple terms rather than relying on the rather hazy information in pattern books which always leaves me thinking “ what does that mean and does it apply to me”

Firstly for most of us it boils down to whether the fabric is going to be used in a domestic (which falls under BS standard BS5852 for domestic upholstery) or commercial ( BS standard 7177) situation. BS 7176 covers all three standards

But for everyone making or reupholstering furniture –

• all filling materials must meet specified ignition tests
• all upholstery must be cigarette resistant
• furniture must be permanently labelled
• furniture must be display labeled
• furniture suppliers must maintain records for five years

What are the tests and how are they carried out

The cigarette and match tests fall under BS 5852. The tests involve the fabric being exposed to different ‘ignition sources’ essentially simulating possible real life causes of domestic fires. The ‘ignition sources’ are ways that the fabric could plausibly be burnt. There are 8 different sources/types of combustion but you only normally need to deal with sources 0, 1 and 5.

Source 0 = Cigarette (smouldering cigarette)
Source 1 = Match (simulated match)
Source 5 = Crib. (Wooden crib or Crib 5)

The crib test:

Principle: Different ignition sources are applied to a constructed test rig (simulated upholstered chair) to examine the burning behaviour of a test material.

Test Method: A test rig is constructed in order to simulate the back and seat of a chair with the fabric to be tested. Most testing is conducted over standard foam to give the “worst case” scenario though in practice other fillings such as horsehair or feather may be used which are much less flammable.    This rig is subjected to different ignition sources. There are 8 types of ignition sources, each with different heat intensity. They are classified from 1 to 8, the intensity doubling compared to the preceding source. The most frequently used are ignition source 0, 1 and 5. -Source 0: smouldering cigarette. A cigarette is put along the crevice of the test rig and allowed to burn over its entire length. If no flaming or progressive smouldering is observed on both cover and interior material, the test is recorded as no ignition and the material passes the test. -Source 1: simulated match. A burner is lighted, held along the crevice of the test rig for 20s and then removed. After 2 minutes if no flaming or progressive smouldering is observed on both cover and interior material, the test is recorded as no ignition and the material passes the test. -Source 5: wooden crib 5. A crib is composed of wooden planks, glued together. Lint is attached to the bottom. After adding propane-diol the crib is placed on the test rig and ignited with a match. If no flaming or progressive smouldering on both cover and interior material, the test is recorded as no ignition and the material passes the test.

Result: The test material passes or fails this test.

Types of fabrics suitable for upholstery

Well it broad terms the fabric, apart from fitting your design requirements, needs to be practical for your particular use eg a lightweight fabric for a bedroom chair which is used simply as a place to put your clothes at night or something much harder wearing for a family sofa.  I think that aspect is a basis for another weblog sometime in the future.

If it is not inherently flame retardant ( eg wool meets the domestic standards required without any further treatment) there are two choices on the domestic front but only one for commercial use.

For Domestic use

1. The fabric can be backcoated to comply with the standard. This must be done by professionals and a test certificate supplied.

2. Personally I don’t like the feel of fabrics once they have been treated I much prefer to have a flame retardant liner on the piece of furniture and then you can use the fabric untreated as long as it has more than 75% by weight natural fibres in its content, (cotton, silk, viscose, wool). This of course adds to the cost of the finished item as in effect the furniture  is upholstered twice and has two layers of fabric, but well worth it if you can afford it within your budget.  Don’t forget you will be saving the cost of the retardancy treatment which can be between £4 and £8 per metre.  ON top of that you have to provide the treatment company with at least an extra half metre to allow for shinkage and for  them to test the finished product to provide you with a certificate.

 For Commercial use

The fabric has to be treated to Crib 5 standard by backcoating

A sample of the cover fabric which has been treated with a flame retardant chemical must undergo a cleansing procedure (a 30 minute water soak) prior to match or cigarette testing.

As you can imagine there are many other rules and regulations on this subject and another occasion we may delve into regulations for curtains.  The rules for beds and bedding are another world too. I do hope that the information helps you a little when you are searching for a fabric to re-upholster for a much loved piece of furniture.

The words above are true to the best of my knowledge but should you need more detailed information try contacting FIRA or checking out their website www.fira.co.uk

Kind wishes

Maureen