The management of hotels, buildings, and other public facilities involves prioritising the safety of the people you serve, those that work for you, and the environment within and around your establishment. Besides having properly installed systems in place, the curtains and other fabrics you use must work well against unfortunate incidents involving fire, among other cases.
If you want to increase your customers’ privacy while showing concern about their welfare, installing blackout material for blinds with flame retardant properties is essential. Make sure they are eco-friendly, developed from sustainable sources, and free from PVC that consists of synthetic plastic polymer.
Besides their ability to resist flames, many curtains and blinds have other benefits that focus on good health by keeping harmful bacteria at bay and offering protection against the ultraviolet radiation of the sun. Keep reading below to find out the factors to focus on when acquiring curtains and blinds for your facility.
Sun-protective Fabrics
The heat from the sun significantly impacts people’s level of comfort and quality of living indoors. Whether you manage a home, a building, or another kind of establishment, sunlight can cause a structure to overheat, specifically houses and office spaces.
Fortunately, you can find solutions, such as blackout curtain fabrics, that provide valuable solar reflection benefits to minimise the chances of letting the outdoor heat get in the way of your routine. As part of BREAAM requirements, a sustainability assessment method, it’s crucial to choose the suitable fabric for your building.
Whether you own a brand new hotel or one that requires a renovation, you can decrease the negative impact on the environment, minimise energy bills, and save money by utilising the proper fabric installations. The Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) showcases the amount of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) it can reduce once it goes through your blinds or curtains.
When you select fabrics, note that the more prominent the UPF value, the better you experience lower UVR impact and acquire greater protection against the sun. However, various manufacturers offer different values. The best thing to do is adhere to the British Standard BS EN 13758 on selecting proper solar-protective fabrics.
Fire Retardant Fabric
If you manage a public establishment, you must adhere to the laws regarding your blinds and curtains and use fire retardant fabrics to maintain the safety of the people at all times. The materials should follow the British Standards BS 5867 and should not be prone to ignition and can be chemically treated.
Fabrics with solar shading properties are called FR-treated, which means it has a higher resistance to ignition. In addition, it can minimise the chances of flame spreading if an accident occurs. Fire retardant solutions follow two types of British Standard—Type B and C.
Curtains for hotels, public establishments, and offices follow Type B, which involves flames unable to touch any edge of the fabric and not let any kind of burning debris fall off from it. Meanwhile, Type C is what healthcare facilities should address. While the same requirements are still applicable, the flame and afterglow of fire on fabrics should not stay longer than 2.5 seconds.
Some chemical treatments are necessary to provide a fabric with fire-retardant properties. Fabrics can have both non-durable and durable fire-retardant properties, where the former allows it to become inefficient once wet. The latter goes through several washes before requiring treatment. It is inherently flame retardant, meaning you can wash the fabric multiple times without affecting its FR properties.
Conclusion
While the curtains, blinds, and other shadings you choose to use for your building may not seem as important as your other fixtures and installations, they are indeed part of keeping your place safe. It will greatly help if your fabrics offer sun-protective and fire-retardant properties to ensure it complies with governmental standards, keeps people safe, and lets you remain in business for the years to come.
Are you looking to purchase flame retardant curtains in the UK for your hotel establishment? Direct Fabrics manufactures and supplies fabrics for hotels, healthcare facilities, universities, and more. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our products!