• Working Hours - Mon - Fri: 9:00 - 17:00

What Makes Furniture Flammable?

What Makes Furniture Flammable?

The flammability of any furniture depends on several factors including its fabric, wood, foam, and other materials. One such material that is highly flammable is polyurethane foam. Although it is durable and inexpensive, unfortunately, it also burns very quickly and has a lot of energy stored in it that is conducive to rapid combustion.

Here’s all you need to know about flammability of furniture:

Flammability of upholstered furniture

Upholstered furniture is soft, cushioned, and versatile. It offers a great addition to your living space without spending a fortune. It’s common in almost every household because of its desirable characteristics including affordability and comfort.

Upholstery refers to the fabric, polyurethane foam, oil springs, webbing, and padding of the furniture that provides its soft texture. Unfortunately, fires ignited by upholstered furniture can be 14 times deadlier than other types of house fires.

Due to the flammability of polyurethane foam, a small spark can lead to a hazardous house fire.

a brown and white wooden table beside a sofa chair

Do you need a fire-retardant upholstery fabric?

When looking for a particular fabric for your furniture construction, you must choose the most fire-retardant material. This will ensure that in case of a fire, the flames would spread very slowly. Moreover, during an emergency, a fire-retardant material can help minimize the effects of a house fire.

What are the four major categories that should be considered when using upholstery fabric?

When you’re looking for a fire-retardant fabric, here are four factors that you must consider:

  • The probability of a fire due to a cigarette ignition
  • The likelihood of a fire from a small flame ignition
  • The consequences of “smoke development”, and “rate of heat and flame spread” during a fire
  • When ignited, will the fabric lead to an increase in the severity of the flames?

Are you looking for furniture flammability testing services in the UK? You should check out the flammability and Analytical testing services offered at IFS Laboratories.

They’re a leading laboratory in the area with flammability testing, CBD product testing, TPD testing, hemp thc testing, environmental flammability testing, terpene testing, residual solvents testing, and much more.

The qualified experts at IFS Laboratories can help you test the flammability of the domestic and commercial upholstery. Get in touch with them now for more information and get started today!