Resources

Drapery, Sheers & Blackout

NFPA 701:

• Measures the flame-resistant properties of a vertically hanging textile or plastic when exposed to an open flame.
• All Valley Forge Fabric drapery qualities meet the requirements for NFPA 701 certification.

CAL TITLE 19:

• Applies to any window treatment fabric used in Public Spaces with 50+ occupancy in CA. (e.g., lobby, restaurant, corridors).
• Proper labelling must be reviewed with the fabricator in advance to confirm compliance.
• Purchasing Individual MUST notify Valley Forge Fabrics prior to order placement if CAL TITLE 19 certification is needed.

BFD IX-1:

• Applies to all window treatment fabrics regardless of location on property in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Purchasing Individual MUST notify Valley Forge Fabrics prior to order placement if BFD IX-1 certification is needed

NFPA 705:

• Applies to all window treatment fabrics regardless of location on property in Miami/South Beach
• Purchasing Individual MUST notify Valley Forge Fabrics prior to order placement if NFPA 705 certification is needed.

CAN ULC S109:

• This standard is applicable to hanging window treatments in the public area and sometimes guestrooms depending on the territory in Canada. Customer must review with each Canadian Territory's fire marshal to confirm.
• Purchasing Individual MUST notify Valley Forge Fabrics prior to order placement if CAN ULC S109 certification is needed.

Upholstery

CAL TB 117:

• Measures the smolder resistance properties of the materials used in upholstered furniture.
• All Valley Forge Fabric upholstery qualities meet the requirements for Cal TB 117 Section 1 certification.

NFPA 260:

• Measures the smolder resistance properties of the materials used in upholstered furniture.
• This was the voluntary hospitality industry standard for upholstery flame resistance testing prior to the adoption of CAL TB 117. As of 2021, CAL TB 117 compliance is now mandatory in the US for hospitality upholstery fabrics.
• Purchasing Individual should notify Valley Forge Fabrics prior to order placement if NFPA 260 certification is needed.

ASTM E 84 (AKA Steiner Tunnel Test):

• Measures the flame spread and smoke developed by an adhered or unadhered fabric to a wall upholstery.
• Fabric can be tested adhered to a gypsum board or tested in a frame unadhered depending on the end use. All VFF fabrics are tested unadhered unless otherwise requested by the customer.
• Purchasing Individual MUST notify Valley Forge Fabrics prior to order placement if ASTM E 84 certification is needed.

Cruise

IMO FTPC PART 7 Section 6.1-6.4 - Drapery:

Measures the vertical flammability of drapery materials used on commercial boats traveling in international waters.

IMO FTPC PART 8 Section 3.1-3.2 - Upholstery:

Measures the smolder resistance and flammability of upholstery materials used on commercial boats traveling in international waters.

IMO FTPC PART 9 - Bedding:

Measures the ignitability of mattresses, upholstered bed bases, quilts, blankets, pillows, etc. used on commercial boats traveling in international waters.

FR Compliance Glossary

ACT:

Association for Contract Textiles, professional trade association for organizations involved in the business of textiles for commercial environments

AFTER-FLAME:

Continuation of visible flaming of the specimen under the specified testing conditions after the applied flame is removed

AFTER-GLOW:

Continuation of visible glowing of a specimen after flaming has stopped.

FLAME DRIP:

Molten material that carries the flame away from the burning material, potentially igniting other materials and spreading fire

FLAMMABILITY:

A material's ability to burn or ignite/the measurement of a fabric's performance when exposed to specific ignition sources

FLAME RETARDANT aka FR:

Chemicals that are added to materials to make them less flammable

FLAME RESISTANT:

A material's ability to resist ignition and slow down/prevent the spread of flames. This property can be either inherent to a material's design or enhanced with FR chemicals.

IMO:

International Maritime Organization

MANDATORY REGULATION:

Rules or laws established by governmental bodies that must be followed by individuals and organizations.

NFPA:

National Fire Protection Association, a non-profit org dedicated to eliminating loss due to fire and related hazards.

VOLUNTARY GUIDELINE:

Recommendations not enforced by rules or laws that individuals and organizations can choose to follow.

FR Compliance Disclaimers & Additional Resources

• As a member of ACT, Valley Forge Fabrics follows all guidelines for physical testing and flammability set forth by the association. For more information visit: contracttextiles.org
• All Valley Forge Fabric drapery qualities meet the requirements for NFPA 701 certification, while all upholstery qualities meet the requirements for CAL TB 117 Section 1 certification.
• Purchasing Individual MUST notify Valley Forge Fabrics prior to order placement if any other FR certification is needed based on the specific project location and confirmation from local fire marshall.
• Individuals looking to specify any Valley Forge Fabrics MUST confirm with their local Fire Marshall what certifications/labelling are necessary for the product's intended end use and notify Valley Forge prior to order placement.
• Test results relate to the behavior of the test specimens of a product under the particular test conditions, they are not intended to be the sole criterion for assessing the potential fire hazard of the product in use.
• For more information: nfpa.org

Drapery

Colorfastness to Crocking AATCC 8:

• Measures a fabric's propensity to transfer dye to another surface through rubbing.
• Valley Forge Fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 3.0 = moderate color change for wet crocking and 4.0 = slight color change for dry crocking.

Colorfastness to Light AATCC 16.3:

• Measures a fabric's resistance to fading effect of light.
• Valley Forge Drapery fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 4.0 = slight color change after being exposed to light for 60 hours.

Seam Slippage ASTM D434:

• Measures the amount of yarn movement that occurs in a fabric when pulled apart at a seam.
• All Valley Forge Drapery fabrics over 6 oz/yd² meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 25 lbf in warp and fill directions.

Blackout Drapery

Pinhole Inspection:

• Measures the number of pinholes in a coated fabric prior to manufacture of a drapery.
• Internal pinhole reviews are conducted on all Valley Forge blackout qualities during development and production to ensure compliance with ACT Quality Guidelines.
• Inspections are conducted per the Act Coated Fabrics Commercial Upholstery Quality Guidelines, for more information: ACT Voluntary Quality Guidelines.
• All Valley Forge blackout fabrics comply with the hospitality industry standard of less than 10 defects per 60 yd roll and all upward or downward extrapolations based on 1 defect per 6 yd roll.

Woven Upholstery - Indoor

Abrasion / Double Rubs ASTM D4157:

• Also known as the Wyzenbeek test, this test method measures the surface wear of a fabric caused by friction.
• All Valley Forge upholstery fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 30,000 double rubs for general contract upholstery end uses.
• All Valley Forge booked upholstery fabrics meet or exceed 50,000 double rubs for heavy duty upholstery end uses.
• Abrasion test results exceeding ACT Performance Guidelines are not an indicator of product lifespan. Multiple factors affect fabric durability and appearance retention.

Breaking Strength ASTM D5034:

• Also known as the Grab test, this test method measures the amount of force necessary to pull a fabric apart under tension.
• All Valley Forge Upholstery fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 50 lbf in warp and fill directions.

Brush Pill ASTM D3511:

• Measures a fabric's propensity to pill and fuzz.
• Valley Forge Upholstery fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum rating of 3.0 on the pilling rating scale which equals moderate pilling.
• Aesthetic issue that does not affect the durability or functionality of the material.
• Although laboratory testing can provide insight into this property, lab tests alone cannot predict field performance.
• A material's propensity to pill is affected by many external factors including maintenance, misuse, end use, and environment.

Colorfastness to Crocking AATCC 8:

• Measures a fabric's propensity to transfer dye to another surface through rubbing.
• Valley Forge Fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 3.0 = moderate color change for wet crocking and 4.0 = slight color change for dry crocking.

Colorfastness to Light AATCC 16.3:

• Measures a fabric's resistance to fading effect of light.
• Valley Forge Drapery fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 4.0 = slight color change after being exposed to light for 40 hours.

Seam Slippage ASTM D4034:

• Measures the amount of yarn movement that occurs in a fabric when pulled apart at a seam.
• This test method calculates the force needed to create seam grin or seam failure. Seam failure where the stitching thread breaks but the fabric itself remains intact is ideal for easy repairs.
• All Valley Forge Upholstery fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 25 lbf in warp and fill directions. All booked upholstery fabrics exceed 35 lbf in warp and fill directions.

Soil Release: Oily Stain Release AATCC 130 (Modified):

• Measures a fabric's resistance to shade change from staining and spot cleaning.
• This test is done by customer request only; if a certain rating is needed for soil release testing, customer must notify Valley Forge prior to order placement.
• VFF conducts a modified version of this test method, most similar to a spot cleaning method to simulate how these fabrics would be cleaned in the field.
• A variety of common stains are applied to the fabric. VFF tests for: black coffee, mustard, ketchup, corn oil, mayonnaise, betadine, sunscreen, sun-tan oil, and lipstick.
• Unless otherwise noted by the customer, VFF will look for ratings which meet or exceed 3.5 slight/moderate staining/removal on the scale which indicates good soil release/stain resistance properties.

Woven Upholstery - Outdoor

Colorfastness to Light AATCC 16.3:

• Measures a fabric's resistance to fading effect of light.
• Valley Forge Drapery fabrics exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 3.0 = moderate color change after being exposed to light for 1000 hours.

Coated Upholstery - Indoor

Adhesion of Coating ASTM D751 Section 50-53:

• Measures the amount of force required to separate the material's coating from the substrate/backing material.
• All Valley Forge coated fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 3 lbf/in in the warp and fill directions.

Hydrolysis Resistance ASTM D3690:

• Measures a fabric's ability to withstand exposure to extended periods of humidity and heat while retaining its initial appearance and performance characteristics.
• This test is only conducted on coated fabrics with a majority polyurethane (PU) content as these chemistries are specifically susceptible to hydrolysis breakdown.
• The ACT recommended test method for Hydrolysis Resistance is ISO 1419 (AKA Tropical Test), which is a passive test that requires appearance rating before and after 5 weeks of exposure in a hydrolysis chamber.
• Valley Forge Fabrics conducts the more stringent ASTM D3690 active test method to ensure the retention of physical durability as well as appearance after exposure to humidity and heat.
• All Valley Forge PU Coated fabrics meet or exceed the minimum requirements per the ASTM D3690 test protocol.

Print Retention ASTM D3389 (Modified):

• Measures the surface wear of a printed fabric caused by friction.
• All Valley Forge printed coated fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 3.0 = moderate print loss at 250 cycles.

Tear Strength / Tongue Tear ASTM D751 Section 33-36:

• Measures the amount of stress required to rip a fabric under tension.
• All Valley Forge coated fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 4 lbf in the warp and fill directions.

Coated Upholstery - Outdoor

Mold & Mildew/Fungal Resistance ASTM G21:

• Measures a fabric's resistance to mold and mildew growth.
• Valley Forge outdoor fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of no fungal growth after 28 days of incubation.

Colorfastness to Light AATCC 169:

• Measures a fabric's resistance to fading effect of light.
• Valley Forge outdoor fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 4.0 = moderate color change after being exposed for 650 hours.

Bedding & Shower Curtains

Seam Slippage ASTM D434:

• Measures the amount of yarn movement that occurs in a fabric when pulled apart at a seam.
• This test method calculates the force needed to create seam grin or seam failure. Seam failure where the stitching thread breaks but the fabric itself remains intact is ideal for easy repairs.
• All Valley Forge bedding fabrics meet or exceed the ACT minimum requirement of 25 lbf in warp and fill directions.

Dimensional Stability to Commercial Laundering AATCC 96 (Modified):

• Measures the percentage of shrinkage and growth and evaluates the appearance retention of a fabric during commercial laundering.
• All Valley Forge bedding fabrics have less than 3.75% shrinkage in both the warp and fill directions.

Performance and Testing Glossary

AATCC

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, a professional association that provides test method development, quality control materials, educational development, and textile and apparel industry networking

ACT

Association for Contract Textiles, a professional trade association for organizations involved in the business of textiles for commercial environments

ACTIVE TEST

Evaluates the performance of fabrics functional properties such as resistance to pilling, snagging, tearing

ASTM

American Society for Testing and Materials International, a standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical international standards for a range of materials, products, systems, and services

COATED FABRIC

Includes a fabric or similar substrate with one or more layers of a film-forming polymer such as PVC or PU on the wear surface of the fabric

CROCKING

The transfer of color or dye from a material onto another surface due to rubbing or abrasion

FADEOMETER

A device used to measure a material's lightfastness by exposing the material to light radiation produced from a carbon arc or xenon lamp

FLEX RESISTANCE

A material's ability to withstand repeated bending or flexing without damage

HYDROLYSIS

Chemical breakdown and degradation of polymers due to extended exposure to humidity and heat

KNIT FABRIC

Formed by interlocking loops of one or more yarns

LBF

Pounds of force

PASSIVE TEST

Evaluates the visual properties of a fabric such as appearance only

PIN HOLE

A defect that can occur during the manufacture of blackout coated fabric as the coating dries bubbles form and burst creating small holes in the coating

SEAM GRIN

When a seam line spreads open exposing the stitches so they appear similar to the teeth in a grin or smile

WOVEN FABRIC

Formed by interlacing two or more perpendicular groups of yarns