NFPA 701: How to Read the Test Results
26.03.2012 § Leave a comment
(No. 3 of 3) It is very common for people to request copies of our test results, especially fire test results, for their records. I imagine they are usually just looking for the note at the bottom that says that the fabric “complies” or “meets the requirements.” When a fabric doesn’t pass the test, that’s when we start looking at the other numbers. So what do all of those numbers mean, anyway? « Read the rest of this entry »
NFPA 701: Description of Test Methods
20.03.2012 § 2 Comments
(No. 2 of 3) The flammability test we use for all of our drapery fabrics is the ACT performance guideline: NFPA 701. The standard actually includes two tests, one for draperies that weigh less than 21 oz./sq. yd (Test Method #1, the replacement for the original small scale test) and a second for draperies that weigh more than 21 oz./sq. yd or have some kind of backing (Test Method #2, the replacement for the original large scale test). « Read the rest of this entry »
Quote of the Day
15.03.2012 § Leave a comment
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
I read this when I feel defeated.
NFPA 701: What is the Small Scale Test?
13.03.2012 § Leave a comment
(No. 1 of 3) When referring to drapery fire tests, we often hear people talk about the “vertical fire test” or “small scale”. The actual test code is NFPA 701. (NFPA stands for National Fire Protection Agency.) Since the test is done vertically, compared with, say, ASTM E-84 which is done with the fabric lying horizontally, NFPA 701 is nicknamed the vertical test.
The latest NFPA 701 version was updated in 2010, although its two test methods have hardly changed since 1996. We use NFPA 701 Test Method #1 for lightweight, single layer draperies. In this test, a hanging fabric is exposed to a 4” flame for 45 seconds; whether it passes depend on how much weight the fabric loses when it burns and whether any pieces that break off continue to burn. This second criterion is sometimes called drip burn. « Read the rest of this entry »
California Camellias and Jade Trees
02.03.2012 § 2 Comments
Just got back from California. My brother-in-law’s camellias and jade trees are blooming furiously. These rare indoor plants were mundane in California. So many of them were blooming, the old brown-turned blooms mixed with the new ones, looking sloven as a whole under blinding sunlight but still beautiful up close in the shade.
Woven-Words 