Wide width and railroadable fire retardant fabrics for large windows: fewer seams, cleaner drape and less waste on tall drops and wide runs. Inherently FR cloths tested to BS 5867 Part 2 for atriums, function rooms, wards and any elevation where a standard width would show joins. Certificates supplied, samples available. Request a quote.

2789 products

What wide width and railroaded mean

Most curtain fabrics are woven around 137 to 150cm wide, so a curtain for anything but a small window is made from several widths joined side by side. A wide width fabric is woven at 280 to 300cm or more. Used conventionally it halves the number of seams; railroaded, with the fabric turned so its width runs down the drop, it makes a seamless curtain of any width up to about 280cm tall. Every fabric on this page is inherently fire retardant and tested to BS 5867 Part 2, with the certificate supplied for your fire risk assessment.

Where wide widths earn their place

  • Atriums, lobbies and function rooms in hotels, where tall glazing and long runs make seams visible.
  • Wards, corridors and day rooms in healthcare, where fewer seams also means fewer places for dirt to lodge.
  • Halls, drama studios and lecture theatres in education.
  • Glazed office facades and meeting rooms with wall-to-wall windows.
  • Room dividers, stage drapes and ceiling-hung curtains, where a seamless drop is the whole point.

Choosing a wide width fabric

  • Check the drop. Railroading only works when the finished drop is less than the fabric width, allowances included. Beyond that, the fabric is used conventionally and still saves seams.
  • Pattern direction. Plains, textures, dimouts, blackouts and voiles railroad happily. A directional print or a pile fabric may not; the product page says whether a fabric can be railroaded.
  • Waste and cost. On large windows a wide width is usually cheaper made up than a narrow fabric, because there is less cutting waste and less labour in joining and matching.
  • Track load. A seamless curtain across a wide opening is a large, heavy panel. Specify the track for the load and consider corded or motorised operation on the biggest runs.

Specifying and ordering

Every curtain is made to measure in the UK. Choose the fabric, enter your drop and width, select a heading, and the configurator prices it, working out whether the fabric can be railroaded for your sizes. For a project, request a quote with your window schedule and we will price it as a single quotation, with certificates supplied for your fire risk assessment and O&M files. Samples are available on every fabric.

Wide width FAQs

How wide a curtain can be made without a seam?

When railroaded, as wide as you like, provided the drop fits within the fabric width; in practice up to around 270cm finished drop on a 300cm cloth.

Do wide width fabrics come in Type C?

Yes; many dimouts and blackouts in this collection are tested to BS 5867 Type C.

Are there wide width prints?

A few, designed to be railroaded with the pattern running the right way. They are marked on the product page.