Specification guide
Contract soft furnishings specification guide
Heading types, linings, sheers, roman blinds, pelmets, cushions and bed coverings for contract interiors, with the fire standard that applies to each and specification clauses ready to paste into a schedule.
The guide
Seven reference pages, one per product family, each with the headings, construction, fire standard and specification wording for that item.
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Curtain heading types
Nine headings compared for fullness, track or pole, hook type, stack-back and sector fit, with the standard make-up specification and hardware.
Heading types -
Curtain linings and interlinings
Standard, dimout, blackout, interlined and thermal interlined, all BS 5867-2, with a sector-by-sector guide to which to specify.
Linings -
Sheers, voiles and café curtains
Headings that suit a translucent cloth, four café curtain styles for restaurants and clinics, and how sheers differ in make-up.
Sheers and café curtains -
Roman blinds and pelmets
Standard, scalloped and shaped roman blinds; straight-edged, shaped and soft pelmets. Construction and child-safe controls.
Roman blinds and pelmets -
Cushions and bed coverings
Scatter cushions, bolsters, bed runners, throws and bedspreads made in your curtain fabric, with the Crib 5 and BS 7175 positions.
Cushions and bed coverings -
Fire standards by item
Which British Standard applies to each item and the level usually required by sector: BS 5867-2, BS 7175, BS 5852, BS 7176, BS EN 13120 and IMO.
Fire standards -
Specification clauses
Copy-and-complete NBS-style wording for curtains, roman blinds, cushions and bed coverings.
Specification clauses
Fire standards at a glance
Curtains, bedding and cushions are tested to different standards; a fabric that passes one does not automatically pass another. The full table, with test details and ignition sources, is on the fire standards page.
| Item | Standard | What it tests | Typical requirement by sector |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtains, drapes and sheers | BS 5867-2:2008 | Type B: flame applied to the face for 15 seconds; the flame must not reach any edge and there must be no flaming debris. Type C: flame applied to face and back for a range of times with a stricter afterflame limit; treated fabrics must also pass after 50 washes. | Type B: hotels, offices, schools, universities, retail, public buildings, holiday lodges. Type C: hospitals, care homes, healthcare, secure accommodation and anywhere with a sleeping risk. |
| Bed runners, throws and bedspreads | BS 7175:1989 | The made-up item is tested against ignition sources from BS EN 597 and BS 5852: Source 0 (smouldering cigarette), Source 5 (Crib 5 wooden crib) and Source 7 (larger crib). | Source 0 and 5: hotels, student accommodation, holiday lodges. Source 7: typically hospitals, care homes and secure settings. Confirm against the fire risk assessment. |
| Cushions and bolsters | BS 5852 (cover) and BS 7176:2007 (filled item) | Cover fabric tested against Source 5 (Crib 5) over a standard FR foam; the filled cushion is then classed under BS 7176 as medium, high or very high hazard. | Medium hazard (Crib 5): hotels, offices, restaurants, education. High hazard: hospitals, care homes, hostels, student accommodation. Very high hazard: prisons and secure units. |
| Cruise ships and ferries | IMO 2010 FTP Code | Part 7 covers vertically supported textiles (curtains and drapes); Part 9 covers bedding components; Part 8 covers upholstered furniture. | All SOLAS passenger vessels. Marine-certified fabrics are listed in the IMO collection. |
The building's fire risk assessment sets the requirement and takes precedence where it differs from this guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do curtains in commercial buildings have to be fire retardant?
Yes. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes the responsible person for any non-domestic premises accountable for reducing fire risk, and BS 5867-2 is the recognised standard for curtains and drapes. Type B is the usual requirement for hotels, offices and schools; Type C applies where people sleep under care, such as hospitals and care homes.
Does BS 5867 apply to cushions and bed runners?
No. BS 5867 is a curtain standard. Bed runners, throws and bedspreads are tested as made-up items to BS 7175 against cigarette and crib ignition sources. Cushion covers are tested to BS 5852 Source 5 (Crib 5) and the filled cushion is classed under BS 7176. A fabric being BS 5867 certified tells you nothing about how it will perform on a bed or a cushion.
What does inherently fire retardant mean?
The flame retardancy is built into the fibre itself, typically Trevira CS, FR polyester or wool, so it cannot wash out or wear off. Treated fabrics rely on a chemical finish that can degrade with laundering and has to be re-tested. Every fabric on this site is inherently FR; we do not stock treated fabrics.
Can cushions and bed runners be ordered online?
They are made in the same fabric as your curtains and priced as part of the project quote rather than sold as separate products. Add the curtain fabric to a project quote from any product page and note the cushion or runner sizes you need; we price them in the same fabric and band.
Need this priced for a project?
Send drawings and a window schedule, or build a quote from any fabric page, and we price the curtains, blinds, cushions and bed coverings together to the standard the project needs.