IFR or Non-IFR Curtains

[Tom Andrews]

No dissent? Did we step through the looking glass? Like a Star Trek alternate universe.

I don't think we can say the IFR is always better than cotton. It really depends on usage, staffing, both short term and long term budget, and ability to properly maintain them.

As a separate backlash to IFR, in high end commercial venues we're seeing a resurgence in natural-based fabrics and designers moving away from synthetics, mostly in regard to 'sustainability'. I've seen more hemp-based fabrics too.

 

[MNicolai]

You don't think his faux fire curtain was part of a drencher or soaker system, developed for the McCormick place theater and allowed by code for a decade or two? Required a "regular" curtain which would close automatically and a sprinkler system that was not really a deluge system - less water and designed to wet the curtain - often just the house curtain.

I'm replacing one now - making curtain just a normal main and replacing soaker system with a full deluge water curtain.

Full deluge. Looks like the curtain spec was developed assuming or ignoring that the deluge system was going in and certain elements of it were seemingly compromised on when the contractor discovered it wasn't required for code. It was an all-around subpar installation. Unbalanced and triggered a couple times for no apparent reason. Tension lines kept getting snagged on steel connection hardware on the face of the tilt-up panels. To crank it back up you had to dismantle a rope lock from the arbor to get to the crank-side of the braile winch.

3-4 years after opening an independent rigging contractor was brought in to assess the entire venue and produced a 13-page report of deficiencies...

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Here's an interesting article that also throws a wrinkle into the argument...

Just a few snips from NFPA 705 of interest:

and

In my opinion, most of 705 is about not starting a building fire or getting injured while doing the test that proves very little.

 

[Lextech]

IFR, if they get dusty give them shake.

 

[venuetech]

IFR Installed ten years ago and still going strong without issues. Dust? The whole dam theatre is a dust magnet, I have dust bunny kick line numbers in some shows.

 

[Joshua Schoeneck]

+1 for IFR. We've never noticed additional dust collected on ours.

 

[Protech]

IFR. Don't do anything thats not IFR. The other place just wants to get all the $$$ to re-coat them every 5 years.

In my experience its the opposite. With the dominance of IFR in the market its now difficult to find someone to respray them.

IFR has been industry standard for quite some time. We no longer quote non IFR unless specifically requested.