| MasterSpec - EVALUATIONS | 08/03 (R 05/05) |
The following editing instruction relates directly to specific parts of the Section Text where it is referenced by the applicable Editing Instruction No. in the editor's notes:
Draperies and tracks are sometimes specified and installed under the construction contract, and sometimes they are obtained separately as part of a furnishings contract, usually by a purchase order. If draperies will be specified separately from tracks, edit the Section Title to accurately reflect its content. If the Owner chooses a generic type of drapery as the building standard but not specific fabrics, tracks can be selected and installed before space is leased and the specific fabrics are known. However, the maximum weights of the draperies and the pull forces required for their operation must be accommodated by the tracks and installation techniques specified. If included in the construction contract, drapery fabrics can be selected at a later date by using drapery-fabric allowances.
The best way to specify drapery fabrics is by naming acceptable products. Color, pattern, texture, and other aesthetic characteristics cannot be precisely specified by descriptive methods, making generic specifications infeasible. For competitive pricing, naming several acceptable fabrics with a similar appearance establishes a cost baseline.
Buckram: Coarse linen or cotton fabric stiffened with glue or another substance, or a stiff nonwoven material that is used to reinforce headings.
Casement Cloth: Sheer, lightweight, open-weave fabric used for curtains.
Colorway: Group of coordinating colors that are incorporated into various fabric patterns. If a manufacturer's blue colorway is selected, many other colors may also be incorporated into the particular pattern selected but the predominant effect will be blue.
Contract Drapery: This term has an understood but generally undocumented meaning in the interior design profession. Wesco Fabrics, a manufacturer of fabrics and draperies, defines contract drapery as "a job of at least fifty widths of custom labor or fabricated from a special order contract fabric." The term contract fabric, as used here, means that the drapery fabric and the finished product (draperies) are manufactured by two separate companies.
Curtains: Loosely gathered (unconstructed), unpleated, and unlined window treatments.
Draperies: Opaque, lined window treatments that are pleated at regular intervals (constructed).
Fullness: Ratio of the width of fabric required to form pleats (the fabric width less the panel width) to the panel width. If the fabric width is twice the panel width, the drapery has 100% fullness (the fabric width is 100% greater than the panel width); if the fabric width is 1.4 times the panel width, the drapery has 40% fullness. Greater ratios create deeper pleats; they do not change the spacing between pleats. The fullness and heading style are interrelated and must be coordinated.
| FULLNESS (%) = (FABRIC WIDTH) - (PANEL WIDTH) (PANEL WIDTH) |
(FABRIC WIDTH) (PANEL WIDTH) |
|---|---|
| 200 | 3 |
| 150 | 2.5 |
| 120 | 2.2 |
| 100 | 2 |
| 80 | 1.8 |
| 60 | 1.6 |
| 40 | 1.4 |
Heading: Type of gathering or pleat at the top of a drapery panel.
Interlinings: Materials inserted between the lining and the drapery fabric.
Overlap: Distance the right panel overlays the left panel when draperies are closed. In spaces with 96- to 108-inch (2430- to 2740-mm) ceiling heights, standard drapery overlap is 3 inches (75 mm) per panel.
Panel: Single drapery unit of one or more fabric widths.
Railroad: An orientation for patterned fabric. It means the fabric as it comes off of the bolt is oriented perpendicular to the length of the drapery (the width of the fabric is oriented vertically in the drapery). When railroaded, the weft threads are parallel to the length of the drapery. Because the weft threads are not as tight as the warp threads, which are held taught on the loom, the effects of gravity make draperies made from railroaded fabric less dimensionally stable (they sag more) than those made from run-right fabric. Therefore, railroaded fabric is generally not recommended for drapery applications.
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| RAILROAD | RUN RIGHT (UP THE BOLT) |
Run Right: An orientation for patterned fabric. It means the fabric as it comes off of the bolt is oriented parallel to the length of the drapery (the width of the fabric is oriented horizontally in the drapery). When run right, the warp threads are parallel to the length of the drapery.
Sateen: Fabric with a soft, smooth hand (feel), made from yarns with low luster such as cotton or other staple-length fibers.
Stack Back: Space that a fully opened drapery panel occupies measured parallel to the track. Consider stack back when determining the lengths of tracks and the widths of draperies.
Staple Fibers: Short fibers, typically from 1/2 to 18 inches (13 to 450 mm) long. Wool, cotton, and flax fibers are staple fibers; synthetic fibers can be cut to a staple length.
Return: Distance the track projects from the wall; standard return is 3 inches (75 mm).
Up the Bolt: An orientation for patterned fabric; it means the fabric is run right.
Warp: Lengthwise threads in a woven fabric.
Weft: Widthwise threads in a woven fabric.
Coordinate drapery track selections with methods of track operation and with fullnesses, heading styles, and weights of draperies.
Maximum track lengths and weight-carrying capacities vary among manufacturers and must be verified. Carrying capacity may decrease if the track is bent to a radius. The minimum radius to which tracks can be bent varies with the track type.
Manual and motorized operations are available. Batons, pull cords, or cord tension pulleys are used to manually operate tracks.
For recessed or pocket installations, the dimensions of the recess must accommodate the track and drapery installation. A pocket is too narrow or too deep if installers cannot insert their hands and tools into the recess. The recess must also provide clearance for hand and tool movement and allow installers to see what they are doing.
Show or specify blocking between structural supports to support tracks. If the weights of draperies are unknown when blocking is designed, estimate the weight of the heaviest draperies possible plus the pull forces required for their operation.
Coordinate distances between tracks and conditioned-air sources or returns to prevent the draperies from restricting airflow or billowing.
When selecting fabrics for draperies, consider Project requirements for the following:
Select fabrics that are designed and manufactured for use in draperies. Upholstery fabrics usually do not drape well, and fabrics intended for other uses may not be resistant enough to fading from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Request or purchase 2 to 3 yards (1830 to 2740 mm) of each drapery and lining fabric under consideration, and hang these samples to see how well the fabrics drape. If fabrics must be treated for flame and stain resistance, evaluate treated fabric samples. Treated fabrics may not hang well and their color and texture may be substantially changed.
Fibers used in making fabrics are classified as "hydrophilic" or "hydrophobic." Hydrophilic fibers readily absorb moisture and are easy to clean. However, they are not appropriate for long draperies because they may expand and sag as relative humidity rises. Hydrophobic fibers have a limited capacity for moisture absorption. Whether a fiber is categorized as hydrophilic or hydrophobic is based on its percent moisture regain. The percent moisture regain of a fiber is its weight at 70 deg F (21 deg C) and 65% relative humidity, less its oven-dry weight, divided by its oven-dry weight.
| FIBER | MOISTURE REGAIN (%) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Wool | 13.6 - 16.0 | HYDROPHILIC High capacity for absorption |
| Rayon | 13 | |
| Silk | 10.0 - 11.0 |  |
| Linen | 10.0 - 12.0 | |
| Cotton | 8.5 | |
| Acetate | 6.3 - 6.5 | |
| Nylon 6 (Filament) | 4.5 | |
| Nylon 6,6 (High-Tenacity Filament) | 4.0 - 4.5 | |
| Triacetate | 3.2 | |
| Modacrylic | 0.4 - 4.0 | |
| Acrylic | 1.3 - 2.5 | |
| Polyester | 0.4 - 0.8 | |
| Vinyon | Up to 0.5 | |
| Olefin | Less than 0.5 | HYDROPHOBIC Low capacity for absorption |
| Glass | 0.0 |
Common drapery headings include pinch, stack, roll, and accordion pleats. Other pleat types, such as barrel, pencil, box, and shirred, are available.
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| PINCH PLEATS | STACK PLEATS |
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| ROLL PLEATS | ACCORDION PLEATS |
Hem weights in the bottom hems of draperies improve the way draperies hang. They include small lead weights, which are evenly distributed and stitched into place, or lead-weight tape, which is strung through hems.
Interlinings are used to change or enhance the properties of draperies. For example, acoustic interlinings, typically made of heavy cotton flannel, enhance the ability of draperies to absorb sound. Interlining materials are generally not durable enough to withstand exposure to UV light, abrasion, moisture, and other environmental conditions; therefore, they are inserted between the lining and drapery fabrics. Interlinings may increase the drapery stack space and may make draperies appear fuller.
Linings protect drapery fabrics from fading and deterioration caused by exposure to daylight and from water stains caused by condensation. They make pleats fuller, giving draperies a more luxurious appearance. Plain-woven linings may have silicone compounds applied to them to slow the rate of absorption of moisture from condensation on the window. Sateen fabrics are most commonly specified for linings. Draperies with metallic-coated linings have increased opacity and solar heat reflection. Self-lined draperies have permanently attached vinyl coatings or film sheetings on the back of the drapery fabric.
Textile treatments modify fabric performance. Commonly specified treatments include stain-repellent and flame-retardant treatments. Other treatments are available, such as those for increased microbial resistance and decreased moisture absorption. To evaluate a fabric sample, the proposed treatments should be applied to the sample to determine their effect on the color, stiffness, draping characteristics, texture, and dimensional stability of the fabric.
Stain-repellent treatments are silicone or fluoropolymer dispersions; the fabric manufacturer usually determines the type. These treatments cover each fiber in the fabric, preventing staining agents from penetrating into fibers. Stain-repellent treatments usually do not affect flame-retardant treatments.
Flame-retardant treatments are generally nondurable, meaning dry-cleaning or laundering will remove them. For this reason, treated draperies are typically vacuumed until they are visibly soiled, at which time they are replaced. In some cases, the fabric can be re-treated.
Two types of flame-retardant treatments are saline and polymer formulations.
Flame-retardant-treatment certificates should accompany each treated fabric. Because flame-retardant treatments can be removed, flame-resistance certification is often limited to the following:
The International Building Code (IBC) defines flame resistance of interior finishes as "that property of materials or combinations of component materials that restricts the spread of flame according to NFPA 701." In certain use groups, the IBC requires that curtains, draperies, hangings and other decorative materials suspended from walls or ceilings be noncombustible or flame resistant according to NFPA 701, Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films, Test Method 1 or 2, as appropriate. IBC also limits the area of flame-resistant decorative materials in relation to the aggregate area of walls and ceilings in a space.
The two test methods in NFPA 701 assess flame propagation of fabrics beyond the area exposed to an ignition source. For multilayer assemblies, such as lined draperies, the layers must be sewn together. Test Method 1, a small-scale test, assesses fabrics or other materials used in window treatments, in single layer and multilayer constructions, when exposed to a 4-inch (100-mm) burner flame. This test method does not apply to vinyl-coated blackout linings or assemblies that incorporate such linings. Test Method 2, a large-scale test, assesses fabrics with areal densities greater than 21 oz./sq. yd. (700 g/sq. m) and vinyl-coated fabric blackout linings, in single and multilayer constructions, when exposed to an 11-inch (280-mm) burner flame. It addresses the effect of air columns and the reradiation of heat between fabric layers and folds.
For materials intended to retain their flame-resistant characteristics after cleaning or weathering, NFPA 701 includes procedures for accelerated laundering, dry cleaning, water leaching, and weathering.
To pass NFPA 701 tests, fabrics can be treated with a flame retardant. See the "Textile Treatments" Article in these Evaluations for a discussion of flame-retardant treatments.
Draperies control daylight entering a space and affect the HVAC and lighting design of buildings. Window treatment information is required for mechanical and electrical engineers to accurately calculate heating and cooling loads and to coordinate lighting layouts.
Determine relative transmittance, reflectance, and absorptance values for fabrics under consideration; this information may be available from some manufacturers. Reflectance has the greatest effect on a drapery's ability to reduce heat gain because the effectiveness of an internal shading device depends on its ability to reflect incoming solar radiation back through the building envelope. Light-colored linings are the most reflective; therefore, they are the most efficient in reducing heat gain through windows.
To effectively reduce heat gain, select fabrics with the following solar-optical property values relative to the values of other fabrics under consideration:
Drapery fullness also affects the amount of heat flow that enters through windows. Because fabrics more efficiently reflect heat gain when used flat instead of in folds, the fuller the drape, the more it allows heat to enter an interior space.
The 2001 ASHRAE HANDBOOK - Fundamentals classifies drapery fabrics by their appearance. Some manufacturers call this value a fabric designator. Classes may be approximated by eye if they are not available from the manufacturer. Classifications are as follows:
Publication dates represent the editions on which the current Section Text is based. Standards are revised periodically, which may occur before this Section is updated.
The following publications are useful in specifying draperies and tracks. Other references may be needed for design purposes.
The list of manufacturers is neither a recommendation for the companies nor an endorsement of their products. Verify manufacturers' capability to comply with indicated requirements each time the Section Text is edited.
TRACKS BTX Inc. Dallas, TX (800) 422-8839; (214) 343-1610 www.btxinc.com Kirsch Sturgis, MI (800) 817-6344; (616) 659-5100 www.kirsch.com Silent Gliss USA Inc. Loganville, GA (800) 938-7225; (770) 466-4811 www.silentgliss-usa.com SM Automatic, Inc. Culver City, CA (800) 533-3040; (310) 559-6405 www.smautomatic.com Springs Industries, Inc. Fort Mill, SC (800) 221-6352 www.springs.com VIMCO Shading Systems Richmond, VA (800) 446-1503 www.vimco.com DRAPERIES Barjan Manufacturing Ltd. Farmingdale, NY (800) 611-6950; (631) 420-5588 www.barjan-mfg.com Boriack Interiors Inc. Grand Prairie, TX (972) 264-2341 Contract Shading Systems Kernersville, NC (877) 868-0372; (336) 993-4466 www.cssautomation.com County Draperies, Inc. Middletown, NY (800) 453-7273 www.drape.com Creative Draperies Inc. Nicholasville, KY (859) 885-6073 www.creativedraperiesinc.com Dallas Drapery Contract Carrollton, TX (888) 431-8913; (469) 568-1600 www.dallasdraperies.com DFB Sales Long Island City, NY (800) 433-4546; (718) 729-8310 www.dfbsales.com Fabricut Tulsa, OK (800) 999-8200 www.fabricut.com Fabtex Danville, PA (800) 778-2791 www.fabtex.com Standard Textile Co., Inc. Cincinnati, OH (800) 999-0400 www.standardtextile.com Wesco Fabrics, Inc. Denver, CO (800) 950-9372 www.wescofabrics.com
Included below for specifiers' convenience is a list of manufacturers along with their telephone numbers, which were current when this Section was written. The list is neither a recommendation for the companies nor an endorsement of their products.
Applied Textiles Byron Center, MI (616) 559-6100 www.applied-textiles.com Arc-Com Orangeburg, NY (800) 223-5466 www.arc-com.com Architex International Northbrook, IL (800) 621-0827 www.architex-ljh.com Carnegie Rockville Centre, NY (516) 678-6770 www.carnegiefabrics.com DesignTex Inc. New York, NY (800) 221-1540 www.dtex.com Maharam Hauppauge, NY (800) 645-3943; (516) 582-3434 www.maharam.com Robert Allen Mansfield, MA (800) 333-3777 www.robertallendesign.com Standard Textile Co., Inc. Cincinnati, OH (800) 999-0400 www.standardtextile.com Wesco Fabrics, Inc. Denver, CO (800) 950-9372 www.wescofabrics.com