A technician in hi-vis running a long-handled dusting pole down a tall grey velvet curtain in the workshop

Fire treatment

Fire retardant treatment, for stage drapes

We treat stage drapes, backdrops and soft goods by immersion or spray, flame retarded to AS 1530 standards. Every job comes back with a treatment certificate for your insurance and audit file.

Talk to the makers →

The Drape Selector

Spec your drape
before you call.

Answer five quick questions. The Drape Selector matches fabric, fullness and opening style to your space, then turns it into a spec ready to send to the makers.

Start the Drape Selector →
  • Five questions
  • No email gate
  • Quote-ready spec
The Drape Selector running on a laptop and a phone
Drape Selector
01What is the job?
House curtain
Masking legs
Cyclorama
02Which fabric?
VelvetIFR
Wool sergeIFR
MoltonNDFR
03How full should it hang?
Flat
75%
100%
04How does it open?
Traveller
Guillotine
Tableau
05What size?
FabricWool serge
FR classIFR
Size12.0 x 7.0 m
SpecReady →
Step 1 of 5 · The job

The process

Five steps, every job

  1. A workshop technician kneeling on the chequered floor, checking a length of black fabric
    01

    Evaluate

    We identify the fabric, its fire rating and its condition. Inherently flame retardant cloth is not treated. Worn or water-marked pieces are flagged first.

  2. Gloved hands running a vacuum brush across red velvet laid on a workshop table
    02

    Clean and prepare

    Dust comes out before anything goes on. Left to build up, dust can carry fire even on inherently flame retardant fabric.

  3. A technician in hi-vis and a respirator spraying black drapes hung from a truss in the workshop
    03

    Apply

    Immersion or spray, chosen to suit the fabric. Treated goods are flame retarded to AS 1530 standards.

  4. White and black drapes hanging from a pipe under the workshop skylights
    04

    Dry and check

    Each piece is dried and quality checked before it goes back.

  5. Folded black drapes stacked on a workshop table
    05

    Certificate

    Your treatment certificate and aftercare guidance travel back with the drapes.

What you receive

The certificate is the deliverable

5steps

The same process on every job

1certificate

With every treatment job

2 to3years

Usual re-treatment cycle for treated fabric

ItemDetail
What we treatDrapes, backdrops and soft goods in fabric that is not inherently flame retardant
HowImmersion or spray, flame retarded to AS 1530 standards
The certificateStates that the treatment was applied by a trained and competent technician
You keep on fileThe treatment certificate, for insurance and audit, and our aftercare guidance
When it is due againUsually every 2 to 3 years, depending on use, moisture and cleaning. Sooner after any water

On the floor

The work, and what we look for

  • A technician with a backpack sprayer misting a hung black stage curtain in a venue
    Spraying hung curtains in a venue
  • Worn burgundy velvet drape with faded pile and visible wear at the seams
    Wear and fading, flagged at evaluation
  • White salt tide marks across the hem of a black stage drape after water exposure
    Tide marks: a drape that has been wet
  • A technician looking closely at a beaded black drape held up in the workshop
    Checking a drape up close

Questions

Fire treatment, answered

Do my drapes need fire treatment?

It depends on the fabric. Inherently flame retardant fabric such as wool serge is not treated. Durably and non-durably treated fabrics need treatment renewed over time, and untreated fabric needs treating before it hangs. Not sure what is hanging? We check first.

What does the treatment certificate state?

That the fire retardant treatment was applied by a trained and competent technician. Keep it with your insurance and audit records, along with the aftercare guidance we supply.

How often should drapes be re-treated?

Usually every 2 to 3 years for treated fabric, depending on how hard the drape works, how it is cleaned and how much moisture it sees. Re-treat sooner after any water.

What should I do if my drapes have been wet?

Take them down and arrange re-treatment before they hang again. Water can strip a surface treatment with no visible sign, though white tide marks along a hem are a common clue.

How is the treatment applied?

By immersion or spray, chosen to suit the fabric. Every job follows the same five steps: evaluate, clean and prepare, apply, dry and check, then the certificate.