Buying material that needs to be flame proof

[Jamtastic3]

Hi BR,

A promotor is doing a clubnight that will happen once a week and has asked told me of their ideas. The main bulk of the plan is to hang certain widths of material from the rig straight down to the floor (breaking up the room). I immediately said it has to be flame proofed if anything. She's been suggesting silk or velvet materials mainly in red.

I'm just wondering what materials I can suggest to her that are or can be fire treated. Anything but blacks and scrim is what is needed, not too expensive but not cheap.

 

Cheers!

[Ynot]

First thing to do is to stop calling it fire proof - that is a total mis-nomer and should be discouraged at all times.

 

Materials can be made fire retardent, but it's pretty darned hard to make anything fire proof!

 

Then you need to decide what sort of material is actually suitable for the job, and talk to appropriate suppliers.

Theatrical drapers, like Whaleys, or Acre Jean or Rex Howard can certainly supply materials which can be durably flame retardent (DFR) or non-durably flame retardent (NDFR) - the latter being in need of regular re-treatment to maintain their FR properties.

 

However, there will be many other suppliers on the market who can supply swathes of material in both DFR and NDFR for other purposes - eg displays, corporate events etc. Just a case of searching the web and querying the products with the companies.

 

And trust me - buying/renting material that's FR already is MUCH easier than trying to treat your own stuff, and much more reliable!

[Jivemaster]

DIY fire retardant application is so hit and miss in large areas and involves wetting and drying the fabric -- SO buy approved certificated fire retardant drapes from a theatre supplier familiar with UK regs.

 

The stage and theatre industry has lots of useful colours and materials, the exhibition industry has even more and, as exhibitions are usu temporary, usually this stuff is cheaper.

 

DFR is a set of initials to look for -meaning Durably Fire retardant - will eventually need re-treating

IFR meaning Inherently fire retardant is better - the fire retardance is a property of the fabric it's permanent.

[Nick S]

She's been suggesting silk or velvet materials mainly in red. I'm just wondering what materials I can suggest to her that are or can be fire treated. Anything but blacks and scrim is what is needed, not too expensive but not cheap.

 

Polysilk can come in IFR forms (as someone said above, the best type of fire treatment), and in vibrant colors. Also not terribly expensive.

[SoLiEn]

As they have said, best to go and get it done by professionals.

add to the list of manufacturers. J C& Joel.