Frequently Asked Questions About Fire Ratings in the GTA

All common areas that are not sprinklered require furniture to have fire rated fabric. Lobbies and Corridors that are a means of egress are required to pass or meet  CAL TB-133 or ASTM E1537 in The municipality of Toronto. In other words, if you have to pass the furniture to escape a burning building, this is in the means of egress and must pass the required burn test.

Toronto Fire Services took the lead after some deadly furniture fires caused loss of life due to the toxic smoke that was released very quickly in some common multi-residential spaces and pushed for the most stringent testing there is. Other municipalities have their requirements of flame spread as well. Often when one municipality takes the lead, others will follow. As of today only Toronto has the requirement for CAL TB-133 however some inspectors in other jurisdictions have requested it and if so then the building needs to comply.

Ontario’s fire code will sometimes be the standard, which says the fabric must have a reduced flame spread rate that passes either ULC-S103 or CAL TB-117.

The requirements for fire rated fabrics in these spaces depends on the room’s capacity, which varies with each building. Our designers can advise on your particular building. But to be on the safe side, we recommend furniture with fabric and foam that passes CAL TB-117 at a minimum, with solid wood or plywood frames – not particle board.

California Technical Bulletin 117 (or CAL TB-117)  is a flammability test for fabrics and films.

Canadian Underwriters Laboratory of Canada S109 (or CAN/ULC S109 ) is the same test as the above. In Canada, both are generally acceptable, depending on how stringent your specific inspector demands the tests to be passed. Our fabrics meet both of these tests.

California Technical Bulletin 133 (Or CAL TB 133) is a flammability test for a complete piece burn tested in its entirety. The test measures things like flame spread speed, toxins released and amount of smoke.

ASTM E1537 is a similar test and generally inspectors will accept both.

In general, if a chair was burned and passed the required test, all other pieces in the collection, whether a sofa or a bench, would pass the test if the exact same components were burned in their entirety. This means the fabric, foam and frame of the furniture is constructed in an identical fashion in the collection. For example, if a wood frame is used for the chair, even if just the legs are changing to metal, a new test is usually required. Only the colour or texture of the fabric can be modified. Trellis can provide sample documents to your inspector for their approval.

Fire rated furniture is expensive. And replacing perfectly good furniture is not a pleasant or desirable option. So can they be reupholstered instead?

Theoretically yes. However this is rarely done because 1. The cost can be as much as buying a new piece when all costs are factored in from pickup to replacement of specific components and in some cases rebuilding whole pieces and 2. Often the frames used in older furniture are of unknown origin, can be particle board, or not made of the solid wood construction required to be considered fire rated. 3. There would be no burn test for the finished piece and therefore it would not pass inspection by most fire inspectors.

All components of the furniture must be of solid wood or metal construction. Hardwoods such as maple, ash and oak are the safest, slowest burning woods and will be acceptable as the frame of the furniture. Plywood with hardwood components is also acceptable. But please check with your specific inspector. When possible we prefer to offer pieces which are all one species of wood. Stains can be matched to samples or you can select from our swatches.

Trellis Contract has put together the largest collection of pre-tested furniture available to make it easy to select pieces that will satisfy the most strict inspector in the GTA. Ordering can be done through our consultants who will recommend pieces for your space. You can choose from our website or we can come to you, draw up a floor plan and make some suggestions. The furniture is made in the USA or locally, in the GTA. No retail stores offer fire tested furniture that will pass the TB-133 requirements.

Trellis Contract offers furniture that is only of commercial quality. This means the frames are heavier and robustly built, with foam, metal springs and hardware that are built to last. Except for the odd decorative piece, the fabrics used in our furniture meet a minimum of 80,000 double rubs for durability and are generally easy to clean and maintain.

When choosing a fire rated fabric, choose based on the utility of the piece. Lighter colours will show more staining and be more difficult to keep clean. Soft fabrics provide a more cozy feel while faux leathers are sophisticated and the easiest to maintain. Some faux leathers we offer are very advanced, with textures that mimic fabrics, even linen and silk! We offer furniture in Natural materials too, however  in general these have not been burn tested to TB-133.
Note that not all pieces have been burned with all fabrics – so for many pieces there is only one general type of fabric that can be selected, but there is usually a range of textures and colours to choose from.

Yes! you can come to our showroom at 170 Ambassador Dr, Mississauga. Alternatively, this guide shows the general range of fire rated fabrics you can choose from here. Should you wish to see faux leathers in tan for example, Trellis can send you a selection of 5 to 10 swatches or a line card. Speak to us to request fire rated fabrics to meet your specific needs and we can send you a selection. Availability changes regularly so we will provide you with the current offerings.