Did you know that you can rent or purchase flame retardant tablecloths from Bright Settings? You may not know this either, but flame retardant table linens are now required at many venues including churches, restaurants, banquet halls, and trade shows. If you are renting a hall for a wedding reception or exhibiting at a trade show, you may be obliged to use tablecloths that meet certain fire-safety standards. Luckily, Bright Settings has you covered. Not only do we carry flame retardant tablecloths, we also provide a Certificate from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA.)

Many local ordinances and private vendor regulations require that the textiles used at their facilities (including tablecloths, curtains, awnings, tents, etc) meet NFPA 701 standards for flame retardance. However, if you research the topic, you’ll find that the terminology within the textile industry can be quite confusing. Some of the terms thrown around include flame resistant, flame retardant, fire resistant, inherently fire resistant, fire retardant, flammable, inflammable, nonflammable, fireproof. Yikes! Let’s see if we can get to the bottom of this conundrum.

When it comes to fire-safe tablecloths, there are only two terms you need to know: flame resistant and flame retardant.

  • Flame resistant fabrics are chemically treated to slow down (or retard) burning. Nearly all textiles can be treated with special chemicals to make them flame retardant. The downside to this type of fire-safety precaution is that the applied chemical can wash out when laundered. Also, only certain chemicals qualify textiles to be NFPA 701 compliant. You can buy flame retardant fabric sprays at any big box store, but not all meet NFPA standards. Searching for “NFPA 701 compliant fabric spray” on Amazon will usually bring up a few that you can choose from.
  • Flame retardant fabrics are made from textiles that are inherently nonflammable. In other words, the fabric itself is resistant to burning due to its chemical structure. Depending on the textile, fires may burn very slowly or even self-extinguish. Since the fibers themselves are resistant to fire, laundering does not impact their fire-suppression capabilities.

All of the flame retardant fabrics that we rent and sell at Bright Settings are designated with the symbol you see here on the right. These fabrics are inherently nonflammable which means that the fabric itself is resistant to burning and won’t lose its fire-suppression attributes over time or through repeated washings. They are the perfect choice for venues where NFPA 701 requirements apply. Certificates are available upon request for venues requiring documentation.

Polyester Flame Retardant Tablecloths for Sale

These flame retardant 100% polyester table linens are wrinkle resistant, durable, and easy to care for. They come in widths up to 132″ in 15 beautiful colors (Update—as of November 2016, 72 colors are available):

Polyester Flame Retardant Tablecloths Available for Rent

These flame retardant 100% polyester table linens are wrinkle resistant, durable, and easy to care for. They come in these 10 colors (Update—as of November 2016, 58 colors are available):

Additional Flame Retardant Tablecloths for Sale at Bright Settings

Supernova Shantung, 27 colors

Matte Satin, 57 colors

Additional Flame Retardant Tablecloths for Rent at Bright Settings

Supernova Shantung, 27 colors

Matte Satin, 57 colors

So, if your venue of choice has you jumping through hoops to meet their table linen requirements, let Bright Settings put out that fire. (Lame pun intended;-) To request free fabric swatches or to speak to one of our friendly customer service reps, call 800-327-6025 during regular business hours. Don’t worry. When it comes to flame retardant tablecloths, Bright Settings has you covered.

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