Curtains and Drapes

SECTION 12 22 00 – CURTAINS AND DRAPES
[Version 1.0 · Draft for Architect/Specifier Review · Upholsterers United (UU) Network Guide Specification]

Editor's note to the specifier: This is a three-part CSI guide specification for custom window treatments — draperies, sheers, blackout/dimout panels, decorative curtains, and healthcare privacy/cubicle curtains — fabricated and installed by a current Upholsterers United (UU) Registered Shop in the Draperies/Window Treatments trade category. This Section is one of four in a companion series of UU network guide specifications (12 22 00 Curtains and Drapes; 12 48 00 Rugs and Mats; 12 52 00 Custom Upholstery; 13 31 23 Tensioned Fabric Shade Structures), all built on the same network-qualification model. Unlike a conventional guide specification built around a single named basis-of-design fabricator, this Section qualifies the fabricator by current network registration, verifiable by any bidder and confirmable by the Architect at upholsterersunited.com at time of bid. Choose or delete each bracketed option [like this], renumber as needed, and insert project-specific values (fullness ratios, flame-test labeling, hardware loads) before issuing for bid. Code basis: 2021 IBC/IFC and NFPA 101, the editions in widest current adoption — confirm the editions and amendments adopted by the AHJ having jurisdiction, including any state amendments to Chapter 8 "Interior Finish, Decorative Materials and Furnishings" provisions. Items marked [verify] cite a real standard or body but a figure, section number, or edition that the specifier must confirm against the current adopted code/standard before issuing.

PART 1 – GENERAL

1.1 SUMMARY
A. This Section includes field measurement, patterning, workroom fabrication, and installation of:
1. Draperies, sheers, and decorative window curtains, [pinch pleat][ripple fold][grommet][tab top][pole pocket][as scheduled].
2. Blackout and dimout lined panels.
3. [Healthcare privacy/cubicle curtains and track][Not Used].
4. [Motorized][manual] drapery track, traverse rods, decorative rods, and associated hardware, brackets, and low-voltage controls.
5. Tiebacks, holdbacks, valances, and cornices where fabricated as soft goods under this Section.
B. This Section excludes structural wall/ceiling blocking and backing for track and rod mounting (Division 06), line-voltage electrical power and wiring to motorized track controllers (Division 26, except low-voltage control cable furnished and terminated by the drapery workroom), and wall-mounted upholstered panels (Section 09 77 00) and custom upholstery (Section 12 52 00), which are specified separately.
C. Single-source responsibility: one UU Registered Shop (the "Workroom") shall perform field measurement, patterning, cutting, sewing, and heading construction for all soft goods under this Section. Track and hardware may be furnished by the Workroom or furnished separately by [Owner][General Contractor] per the window treatment schedule; where furnished separately, the Workroom remains responsible for verifying hardware compatibility, load capacity, and mounting coordination before fabrication.

1.2 RELATED SECTIONS
A. Division 06 – Wood, Plastics, and Composites (blocking and backing for track/rod attachment).
B. Division 09 – Section 09 77 00 Special Wall Surfacing (upholstered wall panels).
C. Division 10 – Section 10 21 13 Toilet Compartments; Section [10 21 23] Cubicle Curtains and Track (where specified as a separate section rather than under this one).
D. Division 12 – Section 12 48 00 Rugs and Mats; Section 12 52 00 Custom Upholstery.
E. Division 26 – Electrical (line-voltage power to motorized controllers).

1.3 REFERENCES
A. NFPA 701, Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films (current edition referenced by the adopted IBC/IFC; 2023 edition is the most recent NFPA edition at this writing) [verify edition cross-referenced by the adopted IBC/IFC]. Governs flame-propagation testing of hanging and decorative textiles, including curtains, draperies, and window shades, under Test Method 1 (lightweight materials) and Test Method 2 (heavyweight, coated, or expanded-vinyl-type materials) [verify current weight break-point and pass criteria directly against the edition referenced by the AHJ before scheduling].
B. IBC Chapter 8, Section 806 "Decorative Materials and Trim." Section 806.2 limits combustible curtains, draperies, and similar hangings to not more than 20 percent of the wall or ceiling area to which they are attached in Groups A, B, E, I, and M, and in R-1 and R-2 dormitories, but exempts curtains, draperies, and similar materials used as window coverings from that area limit. Section 806.4 nonetheless requires decorative materials and window coverings subject to this Section to meet the flame-propagation performance criteria of NFPA 701 regardless of the area exemption. [Verify section/subsection numbering and area percentages against the IBC edition and any state amendment adopted by the AHJ; Minnesota's adoption of this provision was used to confirm current substantive content.]
C. IFC Section [807] "Decorative Materials," the IFC's parallel provision to IBC 806, governing existing buildings and fire department enforcement of decorative-material and window-covering flame-propagation requirements. [Verify exact IFC section number in the edition adopted by the AHJ.]
D. NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, provisions applicable to curtains, draperies, and similar furnishings in health care (Group I-2) and ambulatory health care occupancies, including cubicle/privacy curtain flame-propagation and maintenance requirements. [Verify current chapter/section numbering in the edition adopted by the AHJ; health care privacy curtains are commonly specified to meet NFPA 701 and are laundered/replaced on a documented schedule rather than tested in place.]
E. ACT (Association for Contract Textiles) Voluntary Performance Guidelines, Drapery/Panel Fabric category, the industry-consensus benchmark most commercial drapery fabric is tested and labeled against:
1. Flammability: NFPA 701 (small-scale method), all specimens required to pass with after-flame time under 2.0 seconds, char length under 6.5 inches, and no continued flaming after the specimen contacts the test-chamber floor. [Verify which NFPA 701 small-scale test method the current ACT edition references — NFPA 701 Test Method 1 is the method commonly applied to lightweight drapery-weight fabric — and confirm the specific edition cross-referenced.]
2. Colorfastness to Light: AATCC 16 (Option 1 or 3), minimum Grade 4 after 60 hours of xenon-arc exposure. Drapery is the one ACT category tested to 60 hours rather than the 40-hour threshold used for upholstery and panel fabrics, in recognition of sustained window exposure.
3. Colorfastness to Wet and Dry Crocking: AATCC 8 (solids) [AATCC 116 (prints)] [verify current ACT-referenced method number for printed goods], minimum Grade 3 wet and dry.
4. Physical Properties — Seam Slippage: [ASTM D4034][ASTM D434], minimum 15 lbf (warp and weft) for fabrics under 6 oz/sq yd and minimum 25 lbf (warp and weft) for fabrics 6 oz/sq yd and over. [Verify current ACT-referenced ASTM designation; sources differ between D434/D3597 and D4034 depending on edition.]
5. Abrasion resistance is not a required ACT test category for drapery (unlike upholstery), because vertically hung drapery is not subject to seat-level mechanical wear. Where a panel-track, sliding, or high-traffic contact application warrants it, abrasion testing to [ASTM D4157 (Wyzenbeek)][ASTM D4966 (Martindale)] may be scheduled as a project-specific requirement.
F. ICC A117.1, Section 309, "Operable Parts," and the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, Section 309.4, governing the force required to operate manual wands, cords, chains, and motorized-control switches on drapery track in accessible rooms and spaces. The ADA Standard sets a 5 lbf operating-force limit; ICC A117.1-2017 and later editions (as referenced by the 2021 IBC's accessibility chapter) set 15 lbf maximum for push/pull/sliding operation and 28 in-lbf maximum for rotational operation. [Verify which standard governs on this project — the two have not been fully reconciled — and confirm with the Architect's accessibility consultant before selecting wand, cord, or motorized-control hardware for accessible rooms.]
G. UL 325 and the manufacturer's own corded-product safety standards [verify applicability], governing child-safety requirements for corded manual drapery and shade operating mechanisms where scheduled for residential, multifamily, or health care patient-room use.

1.4 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
A. Flame propagation: all curtain, drapery, and sheer fabric furnished under this Section, including linings, shall pass NFPA 701 testing applicable to its weight classification, and shall be furnished with a test report or certification traceable to the specific fabric, dye lot, and finish installed. Compliance is required for all window coverings in occupancies subject to IBC 806.4/IFC [807], without regard to the window-covering exemption from the area-percentage limit of IBC 806.2.
B. Health care occupancies: privacy and cubicle curtains in Group I-2 and ambulatory health care spaces shall additionally meet [NFPA 101] requirements and shall be [laundered][replaced] on the schedule established under the Owner's infection-control policy; [antimicrobial fabric finish per AATCC [100][30]] [verify applicable AATCC designation and whether an antimicrobial finish is required by the project's infection-control authority] [Not Used].
C. Colorfastness, crocking, and seam-slippage performance shall meet or exceed the ACT Drapery category thresholds of Paragraph 1.3.E for all scheduled fabric, whether COM or Workroom-furnished.
D. Hardware operable parts in accessible rooms shall meet the operating-force limits of Paragraph 1.3.F.
E. Blackout lining shall achieve [full room-darkening][dimout] light-blocking performance with no light leakage at seams, headings, or returns when installed per the approved sample.

1.5 SUBMITTALS
A. Product data for all fabric, lining, thread, track, rod, and hardware, including NFPA 701 test reports or certifications for each fabric and lining furnished.
B. Field measurement record and shop drawings showing finished panel widths, heading type, fullness ratio, stack-back dimension, hem and heading details, return and overlap dimensions, hardware mounting locations, and motorized control wiring where applicable.
C. Samples: one full heading repeat of each fabric/heading combination and one hardware finish sample for each type scheduled. The approved sample becomes the standard of workmanship for color, pattern match, fullness, and hem/heading construction.
D. Qualification data: current confirmation of UU Registered Shop status in the Draperies trade category per Paragraph 1.6, plus a list of completed projects of comparable scope with owner contacts.
E. COM/COL yardage requirements where fabric is Owner-furnished.

1.6 QUALITY ASSURANCE — WORKROOM QUALIFICATIONS AND UU REGISTERED SHOP STATUS
A. Fabricator shall be a current Upholsterers United (UU) Registered Shop in the Draperies / Window Treatments trade category at time of bid and shall maintain that registration status throughout the Work.
B. UU Registered Shop status means the shop has cleared Upholsterers United's shop-registration process for that trade category, which verifies, in objective and documented terms:
1. A current business license and a current certificate of liability insurance on file with Upholsterers United;
2. A documented history of completed work in the trade category submitted to and reviewed by Upholsterers United;
3. Completion of a UU-monitored qualifying period of initial network jobs, assessed before the shop is granted full registration; and
4. The shop's agreement to Upholsterers United's network terms, including a minimum workmanship standard and warranty commitment applicable to work performed under the UU network.
C. Registration status is not a one-time credential; a shop that fails to maintain current insurance, licensing, or network terms is subject to removal from the UU directory, and a shop so removed no longer qualifies under this Section regardless of its registration at any earlier date.
D. In addition to current UU Registered Shop status, the Workroom shall: have performed patterning, cutting, sewing, and heading fabrication in its own facility for a minimum of [5] years; maintain [in-house][in-house or by a UU-registered track installer] capability to install track and hardware; and have completed at least [3] commercial or health care drapery projects of comparable scope within the past [5] years.
E. Mockup: the Workroom shall fabricate one complete panel of each heading type and fabric/lining combination scheduled, for Architect approval, before proceeding with full production.

1.7 NETWORK QUALIFICATION VERIFICATION
A. This Section does not name a single basis-of-design fabricator with a formal substitution process for alternates. Any current UU Registered Shop in the Draperies trade category is qualified to bid and perform this Work.
B. Not later than [10] days before bid, and again at [Contract award][shop drawing submittal], the Workroom shall furnish documentation confirming current UU Registered Shop status as of that date, consisting of: (1) a printed or screen-captured confirmation of active Draperies-category registration from the upholsterersunited.com member directory, dated within [5] days of submission; (2) a current certificate of liability insurance; and (3) the completed-project list required under Paragraph 1.5.D.
C. The Architect or Owner may independently verify a bidder's or Contractor's registration status directly through the upholsterersunited.com member directory at any time before or during the Work.
D. Should a Workroom's UU registration lapse after Contract award but before Substantial Completion, the Workroom shall notify the Owner and Architect in writing within [5] business days of the lapse. The Workroom remains bound by this Section's quality, submittal, and warranty requirements for all work performed, whether or not its registration is current at the time of notice; the Owner reserves the right to require completion of the remaining Work by another current UU Registered Shop at the lapsed Workroom's expense if the lapse is not cured within [15] days.

1.8 CUSTOMER'S OWN MATERIAL (COM)
A. Where fabric or lining is furnished by the Owner or Architect (COM), it shall arrive in the quantity specified on the Workroom's yardage schedule. The Workroom shall inspect COM before cutting and report defects, flaws, shading variation, or insufficient quantity in writing before proceeding. The Workroom is not responsible for COM defects, shrinkage, colorfastness, flammability compliance, or durability of material it did not select or supply.

1.9 DELIVERY AND STORAGE
A. Finished panels and hardware shall be delivered wrapped or bagged, labeled by location per the approved shop drawings, and stored clean, dry, and conditioned, off the floor, until installation.

1.10 WARRANTY
A. Workmanship warranty: the Workroom warrants seams, hems, headings, and overall soft-goods construction against defects in workmanship for [one year] from the date of installation or Substantial Completion, whichever occurs first.
B. Materials, including fabric, lining, thread, and hardware, are covered only by the applicable manufacturer's warranty. Normal wear, fading within manufacturer-published lightfastness ratings, and dimensional change within manufacturer tolerances are not defects.
C. Motorized track and control hardware is covered by the hardware manufacturer's warranty; the Workroom warrants only its installation of that hardware for the workmanship period of Paragraph 1.10.A.

PART 2 – PRODUCTS

2.1 FABRICATOR
A. The Contractor shall engage a current Upholsterers United (UU) Registered Shop in the Draperies trade category, verified through the upholsterersunited.com member directory at time of bid, to perform the Work of this Section.
B. American Upholstery (Custom Upholstery, LLC), Phoenix, Arizona, is one example of a shop currently registered and qualified under this Section. This listing is provided as an example of a currently qualified network shop and does not establish American Upholstery as the exclusive or basis-of-design fabricator; any current UU Registered Shop in the Draperies trade category is equally qualified to bid and perform this Work.

2.2 FABRIC AND LINING
A. Face fabric: [as scheduled][Customer's Own Material (COM)], meeting the flammability, colorfastness, crocking, and seam-slippage performance of Paragraph 1.4.
B. Lining: [blackout][dimout][interlining][sheer, unlined], constructed and seamed to prevent light leakage at seams, headings, hems, and returns per the approved sample.
C. Where abrasion resistance is scheduled for panel-track or high-contact applications, fabric shall meet [ASTM D4157, 15,000 double rubs minimum][ASTM D4966, 20,000 cycles minimum] [as scheduled].
D. Exterior or marine applications: solution-dyed acrylic or marine-grade vinyl, UV-stabilized, with manufacturer's published UV/weathering performance data submitted.

2.3 HARDWARE
A. Track: [manual][motorized] traverse or stationary drapery track, load rating per linear foot as published by the hardware manufacturer and not less than the project's scheduled panel weight including lining, with mounting brackets spaced per manufacturer's instructions and coordinated with Division 06 blocking.
B. Rods, finials, brackets, and decorative hardware: [Type 304/316 stainless steel][powder-coated steel][aluminum][as scheduled], corrosion-resistant finish appropriate to the installation environment.
C. Motorized controls: low-voltage motor and control system [wall switch][remote][building automation integration], control wiring furnished and terminated by the Workroom; line-voltage power furnished under Division 26.
D. Weighted/hem chain, tiebacks, holdbacks, and tie-back hardware as scheduled.
E. Operable parts (wands, cords, chains, motorized switches) in accessible rooms shall comply with the operating-force limits of Paragraph 1.3.F.
F. Corded manual operating mechanisms furnished for residential, multifamily, or health care patient-room use shall comply with applicable corded-product child-safety requirements [verify current applicable standard for the product type and occupancy].

2.4 CONSTRUCTION
A. Heading type and fullness ratio per schedule: [pinch pleat, 2:1 to 2.5:1 fullness][ripple fold, 2:1 fullness][grommet, 1.5:1 to 2:1 fullness][tab top][as scheduled]; sheers typically fabricated at higher fullness, up to 3:1, as scheduled.
B. Buckram or interlining in headings as required to hold the specified pleat or fold style.
C. Hems double-turned and weighted at bottom; side hems finished to prevent light leakage in blackout applications.
D. Pattern, stripe, and railroaded-fabric repeat matched across seams and across multi-width panels per the approved sample.
E. Each panel cut from a single dye lot per project where available; Workroom shall notify the Architect in writing before using more than one dye lot on a single opening.

2.5 LABELING
A. Each finished panel and hardware component labeled by location per the approved shop drawings before delivery.

PART 3 – EXECUTION

3.1 EXAMINATION AND FIELD MEASUREMENT
A. The Workroom shall field measure each opening after wall, ceiling, and window finishes are installed, verify quantities and conditions against the approved shop drawings, and report discrepancies in writing before fabrication proceeds.

3.2 FABRICATION
A. Panels shall be cut, sewn, and pressed to match the approved sample in fullness, heading construction, pattern match, and hem/heading finish.
B. Seams shall be straight and inconspicuous; headings uniformly spaced; no visible puckering, pulling, or distortion.

3.3 HARDWARE INSTALLATION
A. Verify mounting substrate and blocking before installation; install track, rods, and brackets level, plumb, and securely fastened to structural blocking, not to finish material alone.
B. Where motorized track is scheduled, coordinate low-voltage control wiring termination with Division 26 power rough-in, and test motorized operation before panel installation.

3.4 INSTALLATION
A. Hang, dress, and steam or otherwise finish panels in place; adjust stack-back, overlap, and hem height to the approved shop drawings.
B. Install tiebacks, holdbacks, and valances/cornices as scheduled.

3.5 FIELD QUALITY CONTROL
A. Inspect installed panels and hardware against the approved sample and shop drawings; correct puckering, uneven hems, misaligned headings, or hardware operation defects before Substantial Completion.

3.6 CLEANING AND PROTECTION
A. Clean per fabric and hardware manufacturer's methods; remove tags, pins, and shipping protection; leave the work area clean at the end of each work period.

3.7 OWNER INSTRUCTION
A. Instruct Owner's personnel in operation of motorized controls, cleaning/laundering requirements for linings and privacy curtains, and any corded-product child-safety features, with written care instructions furnished at closeout.

Editor's sources: NFPA 701 scope/edition confirmed via NFPA/ANSI standards listings (fire-police-ems.com, ansi.org/globalspec NFPA 701 product pages); IBC Section 806 "Decorative Materials and Trim" content and window-covering exemption confirmed via Minnesota's state-amended adoption of the IBC text (law.cornell.edu/regulations/minnesota/Minn-R-1305-0806), which mirrors the model IBC provision — verify exact IBC section/subsection numbers and percentages against the specific IBC edition adopted by the AHJ. ACT Drapery category test methods and thresholds (NFPA 701 small-scale pass criteria, AATCC 16 60-hour colorfastness, AATCC 8/116 crocking, seam-slippage thresholds) sourced from a third-party summary of ACT's published Textile Performance Guidelines (kothea.com); verify current figures directly against ACT's current published guideline PDF before issuing, as ACT revises thresholds periodically and this session could not retrieve ACT's own current PDF directly. ADA/ICC A117.1 operable-parts force limits (5 lbf vs. 15 lbf/28 in-lbf) sourced from a hardware-industry summary (idighardware.com) discussing the 2010 ADA Standards and ICC A117.1-2017; verify which standard the AHJ enforces and whether later editions have reconciled the conflict. IFC section number, NFPA 101 cubicle-curtain section numbering, AATCC antimicrobial test designation, UL 325/corded-product standard, and the current ASTM designation for ACT's seam-slippage test (D4034 vs. D434/D3597) are marked [verify] because this session could not confirm them against a primary current-edition source. All [verify] items should be confirmed against the current adopted code/standard edition before this Section is issued for bid.