Fire & safety regulations- Upholstery Fabrics
Fabrics used to make the following products are not required to meet any fire standards, so do not need to have and fire rating,
Cushions
Curtains
Blinds
Bed Clothing [Duvets and Pillowcases]
I thought I had better write a little about the fire and safety regulations, as this was something I wasn’t aware of when starting out my business. As I’m selling Natural Linen and Cotton Fabrics which have no flame retardants I need to let you know a little more. So to begin, the Fire regulations state that any fabrics used for any upholstery have to be flame retardant, so this is something that your upholsterer will do for you to ensure the fabrics are safe and adhere to all safety regulations. If you are going to do your own upholstery on your items, I suggest you look on the market for the correct products to apply to coat your new fabrics to meet with regulations or speak to a professional upholsterer who will advise you. Our Printed linens, whilst being suitable for light upholstery with regards to fabric weight, may require treating to the relevant British Safety Standard if you are to use your chosen fabric to cover furniture or other items in the home. Alternatively, you could use an FR barrier cloth with your chosen fabric when doing upholstery. When using a barrier cloth, you upholster the furniture in the barrier cloth first and then upholster the furniture in the upholstery fabric on top of the barrier cloth. So essentially the barrier cloth acts as a protective layer between the upholstery fabric and furniture. Alternatively, you can spray your fabric with a Flamtect C spray [ for natural linen and cotton], This spray is odourless and great for indoor furniture, it is however not suitable for outdoor furniture as it is water-soluble. This company also sells upholstery labels for you to use, showing that your upholstered piece has been treated with Fire-retardant spray. Bear in mind our printed linens have not been washed so will incur a small amount of shrinkage so best treated before you upholster your piece of furniture. Although I have tested this product on my printed Linens, a small spot test is always recommended before you start.
Outside the UK you should check national regulations, as these will possibly be different to the UK and will need to be adhered to.
