Preventative fire protection with Warema SecuTex fabric A2

Safely and well protected

Preventative fire protection with Warema SecuTex fabric A2

The choice of the right material can save lives. Preventative fire protection is an important issue today when planning and fitting out a construction project. This applies in particular to public buildings and facilities that are open to the public, where certain fire protection rules are laid down by the law. The risks that toxic combustion gases cause need to be taken into account. Non-flammable special fabrics can minimise these hazards. Warema, the leading sun shading expert, offers sun shading with added safety for a wide range of architectural solutions.

Textiles can often accelerate a fire more quickly than anything else. The key factor here is the energy that a fabric releases in the event of a fire – known as the fire load. At the same time, textiles are essential in particular in the field of energy-efficient sun shading. They fulfil various functions for façades and buildings. Fire prevention regulations call for special fabrics, and they are divided into various fire protection classifications. Polyester fabrics with flame-resistant coatings for internal sun shading systems and PVC screens for external sun shading systems are rated as flame resistant. However, they develop toxic combustion gases in the event of a fire.

Protection against toxic gases and fire expansion
To achieve the perfect combination of sun and fire protection, Warema manufactures SecuTex fabric A2 that is certified as non-flammable to DIN 4102-1. It can be used flexibly both indoors as fire protection roller blinds and outdoors for window awnings. The fabric is a silicone-coated glass fibre curtain with no added toxic or harmful chemicals, so toxic gases cannot be released in the event of a fire and there is only minimal smoke development. This means that, unlike with other textile sun shading systems, the Warema SecuTex fabric does not also become a fire accelerator, and it prevents life-threatening smoke inhalation.

Energy-efficient and ecologically safe
High safety standards in combination with a reliable sun shading system also comply with the requirement for building sustainability. As this fabric releases neither PVC nor odours, as a modern sun shading product it contributes towards the promotion of the optimum room climate. The aluminium vapour-coated side reflects heat radiation with sufficient transparency, and in winter helps to keep the heat on the inside. Irritating glare and dazzle are prevented and unwanted solar radiation reflected, while the woven structure provides an adequate transparency. Thus this sun shading system ensures the users’ thermal comfort – all year round.
Thanks to its ecological safety and environmental quality, Warema SecuTex fabric A2 is also suitable for sensitive areas. It can safely be used in hospitals, retirement homes, schools and canteens as well as in private buildings to provide shading in children’s rooms and bedrooms. The curtains are extremely low in emissions, weather-proof, wipeable, and resistant to cleaning agents and disinfectants.

A good reference: Festo AutomationCenter in Esslingen
One company that relies on the Warema SecuTex fabric A2 is Festo, the world leader in automation technology, and the world market leader in technical training. The innovative Festo AutomationCenter in Esslingen has an all-glass façade that requires aesthetic shading as well as a sustainable energy concept. Sun shading glazing alone is not enough here to comply with the valid regulations. Instead, the glare control on the inside made of non-flammable Warema SecuTex fabric A2 acts both as sun shading system and to partition the interior. The warm air in the space between the window and the glare control is removed through the building’s mechanical ventilation by an articulated air flow.

First choice for the next generation of architects
Warema SecuTex fabric A2 is also in use at the Technical University of Brunswick, where it is to be found in the refurbished art room of the Architower. The largely glazed art room had to be given some kind of effective sun shading system in order to prevent overheating and glare effects at the workplaces near the windows.
The budding architects opted for internal roller blinds that fulfil the high requirements for aesthetics and function. Warema SecuTex fabric A2 prevents irritating glare effects, yet is sufficiently transparent to provide workplace lighting. The light colour of the roller blind blends harmoniously with the open, expansive atmosphere for the more than 400 m² art room. At the same time, it effectively reflects unwanted heat radiation. Furthermore, the innovative fabric minimises the fire load in the art room and, thanks to its positive non-toxic characteristics, also benefits the quality of the air in the room.

Advantages at a glance

◾tested safety – certified “non-flammable” to DIN 4102-1 A2

◾strong fabric – suitable for use in humid environments and resistant to cleaning agents

◾flexible in use – can be used indoors and out

◾improved room acoustics – thanks to the high sound absorption level

◾environmentally-safe quality – PVC- and halogen-free

◾in the event of a fire: minimum smoke development with no combustion gases