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Proposal aims to preserve upholstery fabrics' soft feel

By Susan M. Andrews -- Furniture Today, March 7, 2004

HIGH POINT — A proposed new fire-resistance standard for upholstered furniture would preserve its feel, but still add to its cost.

Because "soft hand" has become a standard requirement of most consumers shopping for upholstery, fabric suppliers and furniture manufacturers long have been concerned that tougher flammability standards would lead to a stiffer, coarser, gummy feel.

Finishing chemicals and treatments could have this effect if they were applied directly to a fabric surface.

But the proposed standard, presented to U.S. regulators last week by a coalition of fabric companies, would allow for many fabrics to be placed on upholstery with no treatment if they are used with FR-barrier backing material. In that case, there would be no change in the hand of the upholstery fabric.

The answer is more complex for fabrics that would require backcoating to make them compliant, according to Roger Berkley, president of fabric supplier Weave Corp.

"In cases where fabrics have to be backcoated to comply with the standard, the resulting hand will depend on how much chemical treatment has to be added, as well as whether or not the fabrics would have been backcoated anyhow," he said. "If they would have been coated in any case, then the difference in hand would be minimal. But if they must be coated only for compliance, the goods would tend to be stiffer with current technology."

The industry also has been concerned with the cost related to making upholstered furniture fire-resistant.

Berkley said the added cost for a sofa made with a backcoated fabric would be about $35 for an average sofa at retail.

"For sofas constructed using an interliner, the additional cost will depend on which interliner is selected and the additional cost of double upholstering the furniture," he said.

David Petty, director of product development at Quaker Fabric, said the use of a barrier cloth would add approximately $120 for an average sofa at retail. He said that assumes the manufacturer would only need to use the barrier cloth on about half the sofa, such as the seat cushions, and could do without it in areas like the outback of the frame.

Proposed FR standards

Primary elements of the fabric coalition's proposed flammability standard for upholstered furniture include:

Fabric on upholstered furniture would have to withstand a five-second small open flame ignition as well as cigarette ignition.
Compliance could be achieved via backcoating or through the use of an FR barrier cloth.
Seat cushion core material, such as foam or an equivalent, would have to be FR.

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