That was the system we inherited. Foam, liners, cushion cases, covers and internal layers have all been pulled into the world of fire-retardant chemistry.
We thought there had to be a better way.
After a good deal of testing, we’ve now developed a construction that usesa 100% wool barrier cloth instead. It means Schplendid sofas can meet the relevant UK fire safety requirements without using fire-retardant chemical treatment in the finished sofa.
This was important to us because we have never liked the idea of treating the fabric people actually sit on. We use natural linens and cotton velvet because we want them to feel like natural linens and cotton velvet, not like fabrics that have been forced into compliance by a spray.
But the wool layer is more than just a nicer substitute. It works because the rest of the sofa is built differently too: natural fabrics, wool, cotton, coconut fibre, timber, down, and as little foam or synthetic material as we can possibly manage.
So we’ve written a short guide explaining how we did it. And yes, competitors are very welcome to read it.
We are not interested in owning this as a secret advantage. We would rather see more sofas made with better materials. Of course, if your construction relies heavily on foam, Dacron, polyester and synthetic layers, wool may not solve the problem on its own. But it’s a goal to aim for.
Dear Sofa Industry: Please steal this
Schplendid openly invites our competitors to copy our method of making sofas fire resistant without chemicals, by using 100% natural wool…
For decades, British sofas have relied heavily on chemical flame-retardant treatments to meet UK fire safety regulations.
That was the system we inherited. Foam, liners, cushion cases, covers and internal layers have all been pulled into the world of fire-retardant chemistry.
We thought there had to be a better way.
After a good deal of testing, we’ve now developed a construction that uses a 100% wool barrier cloth instead. It means Schplendid sofas can meet the relevant UK fire safety requirements without using fire-retardant chemical treatment in the finished sofa.
This was important to us because we have never liked the idea of treating the fabric people actually sit on. We use natural linens and cotton velvet because we want them to feel like natural linens and cotton velvet, not like fabrics that have been forced into compliance by a spray.
But the wool layer is more than just a nicer substitute. It works because the rest of the sofa is built differently too: natural fabrics, wool, cotton, coconut fibre, timber, down, and as little foam or synthetic material as we can possibly manage.
So we’ve written a short guide explaining how we did it. And yes, competitors are very welcome to read it.
We are not interested in owning this as a secret advantage. We would rather see more sofas made with better materials. Of course, if your construction relies heavily on foam, Dacron, polyester and synthetic layers, wool may not solve the problem on its own. But it’s a goal to aim for.
Download the guide here:
How to Make a Sofa Fire-Safe Without Fire-Retardant Chemicals
The more sofas made this way, the better.
If you are a furniture maker, upholsterer or supplier exploring a more natural route to fire safety, we would be very happy to talk.