Contract Upholstery Fabric

Loome contract upholstery fabrics have excellent durability - varying from 30,000 to 150,000 rubs on the Martindale rub test. They are also flame retardant to the required Crib 5 British Standard as specified in The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.

To see details of our contract upholstery fabric simply click on any of the images to the right.

Crib 5 Upholstery Fabric

Crib 5 refers to the test for flame retardancy given in British Standard BS5852:1990. All Loome contract fabrics are flame retardant to the Crib 5 standard.

In the Crib 5 test, fabric is attached over a standardised foam to a frame representing a small chair. A wooden crib (the ignition source) is then placed inside the testing unit, which is then lit with a match. To pass the test fabric must meet criteria for smouldering and flaming as specified in the BS document.

The Martindale Rub Test

The Martindale rub test measures the durability of a fabric. Specifically it tests the abrasion resistance of a fabric. The fabric is tested by being pulled taut and loaded onto plates inside the Martindale machine. Then, using a lissajous figure (an oscillating wandering circle pattern) small samples of an abradant (wire mesh or worsted wool) are rubbed against the test specimens until two yarns break in the test specimen or there is a noticeable deterioration of the fabric.

The generally accepted level of abrasion resistance for a contract fabric is 30,000 rubs. All Loome contract fabrics equal or exceed this value.

It should be noted that durability due to abrasion is only one factor which is desirable in contract fabrics. Another important consideration is stain resistance, for which there is no uniform test. However, in general terms, fabrics made from synthetic fibres are more stain resistant than those made from natural fibres, and polyester fabrics are especially stain resistant.