Why Are Flame Retardant Curtains For Care Homes So Important?

Here at Hill & Hill Design we make a big song and dance about our flame retardant curtains. Why? Well, not only are curtains a fantastic way to add a splash of colour and personality to bedrooms, lounges and other areas in your care home, the fire retardant nature of them means a safer environment for your residents.

In 2018 alone the fire and rescue service attended 576,586 incidents across the country. And, within that, 35% of all fire-related fatalities in England were aged 65 and older. With those statistics in mind, it goes without saying that fire safety should be a top priority for care homes.

Flame Retardant Curtains and Safety Regulations

Fire safety regulations for care homes are straightforward and easy to understand. Their main aim is to ensure that the residents receive care in a safe environment that is equipped to deal with emergencies.

The Care Home Regulations Act 2001 (amended in 2003) clearly states that care homes must ‘take adequate precautions against fire risk’. Whilst The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 refers to the responsibility of non-domestic premises (such as residential and care homes) to undertake ‘general fire precautions’ including putting into place ‘measures to reduce the risk of fire on the premises and the risk of the spread of fire on the premises’.

This is where flame retardant curtains come in. In short, they work to both reduce the risk of fire and minimise the spread of flames.

The Evolution Of Flame Retardant Fabrics

Flame retardant materials have been around for a surprisingly long time. In fact, when we look back through history, we see them emerging as early as 400 B.C! That being said, the demand for these types of fabrics really took off around the 17th century in the theatres of Paris of all places!

Over time, flame retardant fabrics have become more and more sophisticated and effective in their creation. The idea behind modern materials treated in this way is that not only do they burn slower (or even put themselves out), they also work to reduce ‘flashovers’ (when fire spreads quickly due to intense heat) and thus slow down flames until they can be extinguished.

While this type of material is a stipulation for all public buildings, they are vital to care homes and residential facilities in particular. It can be an incredibly complex process to evacuate a large amount of vulnerable people safely. The benefits of flame retardant curtains is that they slow the spread of fire, allowing more time to safely move everyone to a place of safety.

Flame Retardant Curtains For Your Care Home

Whilst most fabrics will be flame retardant in some capacity, it’s important to understand that all fire retardant curtains aren’t created equally!

Lots of materials that are advertised as ‘fire retardant’ have been given what’s known as a topical treatment. This means that chemicals have been applied to the reverse of the fabric that will reduce flammability in the event of a fire. One thing to note for fabrics that have been treated in this way is that this treatment does not last forever. In fact, cleaning of these fabrics can drastically reduce their effectiveness, and even with no cleaning, the mineral based barrier that has been applied will naturally dissipate over time.

At Hill & Hill Design, all of our flame retardant curtains are permanently fire retardant. This means that you can guarantee their effectiveness for as long as they are in place. Whole many topically treated fabrics are only certified for one year, inherently fire retardant curtains remain that way throughout their lifetime – ensuring you remain compliant with regulations and promoting the safety of your residents.

Contact Us Today To Find Out More

When it comes to the design of flame retardant fabrics, for many years the focus has been on function over style. But that’s just not the case anymore. At Hill & Hill Design, we don’t believe you have to sacrifice the interior design of your care home to keep residents safe. In fact, we pride ourselves on bringing design led, functional furniture and furnishings for care homes including flame retardant curtains. You can check out our range of gorgeous, boutique style online or contact us for more information.