Specification guide

Roman blinds and pelmets for contract interiors

Three roman blind styles and three pelmet styles, made lined, dimout or blackout in any fabric on the site, with construction details and the child-safety and fire standards that apply.

Roman blinds

Flat-fold fabric blinds on a chain-operated cassette headrail, made lined, dimout or blackout in any fabric on the site with fibreglass rods in sewn pockets so the folds stack evenly. Three hem styles; all quoted rather than configured online.

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    Standard roman blind

    Straight hem and even flat folds. The usual specification for hotel bedrooms, offices and education, and the simplest to keep aligned across a run of windows.

    Straight hem; recess or face fix; control left or right

    Fire standard BS 5867-2 fabric; BS EN 13120 cord and chain safety

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    Scalloped roman blind

    A repeating curved hem along the bottom fold, usually piped or bound in a contrast to define the shape. Used where a decorative finish is wanted without a pelmet.

    Scallop count set to the blind width; piped or bound edge

    Fire standard BS 5867-2 fabric; BS EN 13120 cord and chain safety

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    Shaped roman blind

    A bespoke hem profile, such as a single arch, a serpentine or a stepped edge, cut to the designer's drawing. Suits feature windows in restaurants, lounges and function rooms.

    Made to a supplied profile drawing; interfaced hem to hold the shape

    Fire standard BS 5867-2 fabric; BS EN 13120 cord and chain safety

Pelmets

Pelmets conceal the track and give the window a finished top line. Hard pelmets are upholstered boards made to the track length plus returns; soft pelmets hang from a valance rail. All are made in curtain fabric or a contrast and quoted with the curtains.

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    Straight-edged pelmet

    A flat upholstered board with a straight bottom edge, the standard hard pelmet for hotel bedrooms and offices. Plain, piped or braided along the lower edge.

    FR-rated board, FR wadding, self-fabric or contrast; 150–250 mm deep as standard; supplied with fixing battens

    Fire standard BS 5867-2 fabric

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    Shaped pelmet

    An upholstered board cut to a profile, such as a centre arch, scalloped edge or stepped ends, to a supplied drawing or one we produce for approval. Used in restaurants, suites and heritage rooms.

    Profile cut to drawing; buttoning, contrast banding and braid on request

    Fire standard BS 5867-2 fabric

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    Soft pelmet and valance

    A gathered, pleated or box-pleated fabric valance hung from a valance rail in front of the curtain track. Made to the same heading and fullness as the curtain, or as a bed pelmet to match a bedspread.

    Lined as standard; pencil, pinch, goblet or box pleat

    Fire standard BS 5867-2 fabric

Roman blind construction

What every roman blind is made to unless the specification says otherwise.

Headrail
Aluminium cassette headrail with sidewinder chain control; control side stated in the schedule. Recess fix inside the reveal or face fix to the wall or architrave.
Child safety
Tensioned chain device fitted as standard so the loop cannot form a hazard, to BS EN 13120. Chain length set to the installed height and the presence of children in the building.
Lining
Inherently FR standard, dimout or blackout lining to BS 5867-2, matched to the face fabric's Type. Blackout blinds are made with the lining sewn in so no light gap appears at the folds.
Rods and folds
Fibreglass rods in sewn pockets across the back at equal centres so the folds stack evenly; bottom bar weighted. Fold depth set to the drop, typically 200–300 mm.
Sizes
Single blinds up to 3,000 mm wide; wider windows are split into linked blinds on one headrail or separate blinds with a light-lap. Maximum drop 3,000 mm as standard.
Pelmet boards
FR-rated board, FR wadding, fabric-wrapped with returns to suit the track projection; supplied with fixing battens. Straight or profiled edge to drawing.

Fire and safety standards

Item Standard What it tests Typical requirement by sector
Roman blinds BS 5867-2:2008 and BS EN 13120:2009+A1:2014 Fabric to BS 5867-2 as for curtains. BS EN 13120 covers the safety of cords and chains: breakaway or tensioned devices and cord length limits. Fabric Type B or C by sector as above. EN 13120 child-safe operation is expected in schools, nurseries, care homes and any premises where children may be present.
Pelmets and valances BS 5867-2:2008 Fabric to BS 5867-2. Board substrates are specified to the relevant building material class. As curtains: Type B or Type C.

Specification clause

Copy the clause and complete the fields in square brackets. Clauses for curtains, cushions and bed coverings are on the clauses page.

Roman blinds

Include the control side and fixing.

Supply and install made-to-measure roman blinds to location reference [ref].
Face fabric: [supplier], [collection], [design / colourway], inherently flame retardant, certified to BS 5867-2:2008 Type [B / C].
Lining: inherently FR [standard / dimout / blackout] lining certified to BS 5867-2 Type [B / C].
Construction: flat-fold roman with fibreglass rods in sewn pockets, aluminium cassette headrail, chain operation with child-safe tensioned chain device to BS EN 13120, control on [left / right].
Finished width [mm], finished drop [mm], [recess / face] fixed.
Supplier: CreateFR, createfr.co.uk.

Frequently asked questions

Do roman blinds need to be fire retardant?

Yes. Blind fabrics fall under BS 5867-2 in the same way as curtains, so the face fabric and lining must both be certified to Type B or Type C to suit the building. Every fabric on this site is inherently FR.

What does BS EN 13120 require for blind cords?

That cords and chains cannot form a loop a child could be caught in: a tensioned or breakaway device on the chain, chain length limited to keep it out of reach, and warnings on the product. We fit a tensioned chain device as standard and set the chain length at survey.

When is a roman blind a better choice than a curtain?

Where there is no room for a curtain to stack, on small or recessed windows, and where a flat, tailored look is wanted. Curtains are better on wide glazing, where full blackout is critical, and where laundering has to be frequent.

Need this priced for a project?

Send window sizes or drawings and we price blinds and pelmets with the curtains, in the same fabric.

Request a quoteFrom-plan estimating