Partsexpress has black grill cloth for $5.25/yard vs $10-15 for black GoM.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=260-335&raid=44&rak=260-335

I plan to use on all 4 walls, floor to ceiling. Is there any reason to spend more on GoM?

Flammability, durability, opaqueness, and stretchability...

I have the partsexpress grill cloth on my front speaker columns. It's thin... I painted the wood frames flat black and still had to use 2 layers of grill cloth to avoid seeing the frame.

Have you ordered a sample of GoM? It's much more durable. When you attach fabric to the wall, you'll find you want a material without much "give". This way you can pull it tight without pulling it thin and without getting ripples.

I have a scrap of the partsexpress grill cloth left... I'll give it the bic lighter test tomorrow, but I expect it to fail miserably. I did this with GoM and it wouldn't maintain a flame... it just barely melted.

I guess that rules out grill fabric for anything but speakers. The main reason I was considering it was cost, also I can't find any Canadian sellers for GoM.

I searched "gom canada" in this forum but didn't find anything.

I am using stretch velvet on my walls it is very AT and looks great.

I am using stretch velvet on my walls it is very AT and looks great.

Velvet? Acoustically transparent? :confused:

Is there a Canadian dealer for GoM? If not, what US site has the best prices and customer service?

many have mentioned http://www.fabricmate.com/ as a reliable supplier. I haven't personally used them.

Whatever you decide, please be sure you use material that is fire rated for on-wall use.

-Gerry

Canadian GOM Rep:

Guilford of Maine Canada
254 St. Urbain
Granby, Quebec Canada
J2G 8M8
phone 450 777 3411
fax 450 777 3413
e-mail:
yanne.larosa@interfacefabrics.com


Fabricmate.com has the best prices - US that I am aware of.

Yup, the Stretch velvet that I have when stretched into place is as acoustically transparent as my SMX screen is. I also use it in front of my Equipment room panel and use the remotes right through it.

Yup, the Stretch velvet that I have when stretched into place is as acoustically transparent as my SMX screen is. I also use it in front of my Equipment room panel and use the remotes right through it.

Where did you get it? Do you have a link with color options? I am looking for a dark brown color for my columns.

Thanks,
T.Wells

Dazian makes a reasonably priced alternative to GOM. The new line is called Exposure. It has similar properties to GOM but not everyone likes the faint pattern that it has. I suggest ordering a sample of a few different ones before making a decision.

Dazian Exposure (http://www.dazian.com/cgi-bin/page.pl?action=show_style&style_id=253&group_id=)

Yup, the Stretch velvet that I have when stretched into place is as acoustically transparent as my SMX screen is. I also use it in front of my Equipment room panel and use the remotes right through it.

I would also like to know where you bought the stretch velvet.
Thanks

I get my fabrics from various online fabric stores or from JoAnn's I don't have a link to where I got the last batch, but the stretch velvets without pattern or crushed are pretty similiar. With JoAnn's you can go in and see what they have get the stretchiest you can find and they often have coupon sales where you can get up to 50% off one item and the fabrics themselves go on sale often.

Yup, the Stretch velvet that I have when stretched into place is as acoustically transparent as my SMX screen is. I also use it in front of my Equipment room panel and use the remotes right through it.

I take it you did some AT testing on this material. Some people mention the blow test, where a fabric is considered AT if you can blow on it and feel wind on the other side. Does it pass the "blow" test? Did you do any other testing or take any other measurements?

I would also caution other users about the high flammability of these materials which are not intended for on-wall use. I'm all for saving money during a build, but not at the expense of safety.

I take it you did some AT testing on this material. Some people mention the blow test, where a fabric is considered AT if you can blow on it and feel wind on the other side. Does it pass the "blow" test? Did you do any other testing or take any other measurements?

I would also caution other users about the high flammability of these materials which are not intended for on-wall use. I'm all for saving money during a build, but not at the expense of safety.

Overrated in my opinion. You have alot more flammable things in your room, fabrics are the least of your worries unless you are using paper drapes.

Overrated in my opinion. You have alot more flammable things in your room, fabrics are the least of your worries unless you are using paper drapes.


I suggest you show that post to your wife and kids - I am sure they will agree with you on saving money at their expense - they really do want you to have that 1080P PJ after all.

I suggest you show that post to your wife and kids - I am sure they will agree with you on saving money at their expense - they really do want you to have that 1080P PJ after all.

What is the fire rating of all the artwork on your walls? Oh, I suppose you have bare walls in your home because you would not put anything on your walls that are not flame retardant. :rolleyes:

Overrated in my opinion. You have alot more flammable things in your room, fabrics are the least of your worries unless you are using paper drapes.

I disagree, and I'm sure you're local fire chief would too. There's a reason why this stuff is fire rated - it's because people die from using the wrong stuff. It's not worth the risk.

By the way, I would bet that velvet would fire up about as fast as paper drapes.

What is the fire rating of all the artwork on your walls? Oh, I suppose you have bare walls in your home because you would not put anything on your walls that are not flame retardant. :rolleyes:

yeah, I cover my walls from floor to ceiling with artwork :rolleyes:

The Dazian Exposure line has a much lower standard of fire rating. Would it be safe for an entire room?

It makes no claims of being acoustically transparent. Does this really matter for use over 703 type material? It's not like the fabric is going to reflect sound like a piece of cardboard/drywall. It just can't be placed in front of a speaker and expected to not diminish some of the high frequency output.

Yes next time I build a public commercial theater I will be sure to use all fire rated material and install a sprinkler system. My HOME like most peoples is FULL of things that are not fire retardant. In my case we are talking about a few pieces of material covering some sound treatments on my walls.

It gets me every time this subject comes up. I have adequate exits, I have fire extinguishers handy and there is a LOT less material and clutter in my theater than any other room in my home.

Hey by all means people if it makes you happy or feel "safe" to use only commercial theater designed material then go for it, but don't condemn those of us who do NOT.

Yes next time I build a public commercial theater I will be sure to use all fire rated material and install a sprinkler system. My HOME like most peoples is FULL of things that are not fire retardant. In my case we are talking about a few pieces of material covering some sound treatments on my walls.

It gets me every time this subject comes up. I have adequate exits, I have fire extinguishers handy and there is a LOT less material and clutter in my theater than any other room in my home.

Hey by all means people if it makes you happy or feel "safe" to use only commercial theater designed material then go for it, but don't condemn those of us who do NOT.

First off the material is not solely for commercial applications.

Secondly, I don't condemn anyone who decides they wan't to do this. I do condemn people trying to convince others that it's OK to do this, or that it is safe. Or that downplay the importance of fire safety. It's not safe and that's the bottom line. If you choose to put your family at risk so be it - but don't go around telling others that it's OK.

You don't know the OP's situation. Most people have no windows and only one exit in their home theater. To cover the walls "floor to ceiling" as the OP stated with a highly flammable material is dangerous. The extra time one would get to egress the theater would save lives.

Oh, so now anything not GOM or rated the same is HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. at no point did I suggest the OP use anything. What I did was post what I used and the results I had with it, fantastic Light absorption as well in the entire front precenium area by the way.

I assume that the OP can make his own decisions on what aspects of the materials he chooses are the most important to him.

Oh and too the OP, there is really no need to cover everything in your room with any fabric. Normally only sound treatments or the lower half of the wall are fabric covered, though some in fact do use more than that.

Oh, so now anything not GOM or rated the same is HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. at no point did I suggest the OP use anything. What I did was post what I used and the results I had with it, fantastic Light absorption as well in the entire front precenium area by the way.

I assume that the OP can make his own decisions on what aspects of the materials he chooses are the most important to him.

Oh and too the OP, there is really no need to cover everything in your room with any fabric. Normally only sound treatments or the lower half of the wall are fabric covered, though some in fact do use more than that.

McCall:

I'm not trying to get into a pissing match with you. You and some others are the ones that got all fired up just because I pointed out that one should consider safety when choosing a material. I never "condemed" you - those were your own words.

All I'm trying to say is that there is a reason fabric that hangs on walls has a fire rating. Just like there is a reason that lighting and electronics are UL rated.

If the fabric is not rated, I'll assume that it is HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. And I stand by my statement that a piece of velvet will flame up like a dry Christmas tree, until someone proves me wrong.

You've considered the facts and made your decision - let's make sure everyone else is aware of the facts before they make their decision.

-Gerry

Nylon carpeting which just happens to cover every square inch of most peoples theater rooms is the number one fire hazard and cause of toxic smoke death in america during fires.

Seems quite trivial that wall coverings be targeted an argued over as a safety issue when over 90% of the theater room houses 'non-fire rated materials'.

Is there some reason that a theater room be given special treatment over the rest of the house when it comes to fire rated materials? Should apply to the whole dwelling if everyone really cared.

I think people imagine falling asleep in their theater and then being consumed in the flaming inferno. Carpet may be flammable but fire does tend to spread fastest vertically, not horizontally.

I think I would feel safe if the fabric had the lesser FR badge and by mounting a smoke detector in the theater itself. Then when the popcorn maker "shorts out", we'll be alerted immediately :)

Nylon carpeting which just happens to cover every square inch of most peoples theater rooms is the number one fire hazard and cause of toxic smoke death in america during fires.

Seems quite trivial that wall coverings be targeted an argued over as a safety issue when over 90% of the theater room houses 'non-fire rated materials'.

Is there some reason that a theater room be given special treatment over the rest of the house when it comes to fire rated materials? Should apply to the whole dwelling if everyone really cared.

I see it as a flammability issue. My feeling is that fabric hanging vertically on a wall will ignite and spread much faster than a piece of carpet on the floor.

EDIT: Yeah, what Jesse said!

Just get the Dazian sample...it looks nice and it is way cheaper than GOM and it is flame resistant.

Many people come here for help and believe anything that forum members tell them.

In my opinion I would never wrap my walls in something that is highly flammable. Grab a piece of normal fabric and light it...you will be surprised at how fast it burns...scary stuff.

From Google about carpet and flame spread....

By 1971 the Department of Commerce (DOC) FFI-70 Flammability Fabrics Act was enacted into law. This act required that all carpet manufactured for sale in the United States pass the pill test, which provides carpet with a “first to ignite” scenario from a small incendiary source. This is established by placing a flammable, methenamine pill in the center of a 9” x 9” carpet specimen, which has been oven dried. The pill is ignited by a match, providing a standardized flame source for approximately two minutes. If the flame spread is more than three inches from the point of ignition the specimen fails. If more than one out of eight specimens fail that carpet cannot be legally manufactured for sale in the United States. This test vividly exhibits that all carpet sold in the United States will self-extinguish, and that flame propagation from carpets that pass the pill test will only occur when the carpet is exposed to a fully developed fire.

As use of carpet increased, more and more attention was focused on a dependable, reproducible test method that would simulate flammability of carpet from a fully developed fire. In 1978 the Flooring Radiant Panel Test (ASTM E-648) was first used in the carpet industry for this purpose. By 1980 members of the National Fire Protection Association (N.F.P.A.) adopted the Flooring Radiant Panel flammability ratings as the new standard for carpet.

The Flooring Radiant Panel apparatus involves a horizontally mounted carpet specimen, which receives radiant energy from a gas-air fueled radiant panel mounted above one end on the sample at a 30 degree angle. The sample and radiant panel are located within a test chamber. This test measures the lowest level of radiant energy necessary for a fire to continue to burn and spread. The distance the carpet specimen burns to extinguishment is measured and converted to watts per square centimeter from a calibration graph. This measurement is identified as critical radiant flux. The lower the critical radiant flux the greater the tendency of the material to spread flame. Flammability ratings are reported as either Class I (a minimum of 0.45 watts/sq centimeter), or Class II (a minimum of 0.22 watts/sq centimeter). Although the Flooring Radiant Panel Test has been adopted by virtually all federal agencies, this test is not required under federal law; testing of a specific style is left to the discretion of the manufacturer.

In most cases a Class I rating is only required for corridors, entrances, and exits of health care facilities and nursing homes. All other regulated areas are only required to have a Class II rating or to pass the Pill Test. However, if a local fire official determines a given area to be hazardous, a ruling requiring a Class I rating may be issued. Although the state Fire Marshall sets the state standard for flammability testing, the local Fire Marshall has the same level of legal authority and usually has the final say. Typically, you can determine which test method a state or local fire official requires by asking them if they abide by the Life Safety Code (produced by the N.F.P.A.), which continues to recognize the Flooring Radiant Panel Test as the accepted standard.

Everyone here does have some very valid points.

Greg- Great article.

I got a Dazian sample of "Exposure" fabric. It looks reasonably good.

As for the "blow" test; you can blow through the fabric but the airflow is at restricted by at least half. Is this porous enough to allow 703 behind to work to it's fullest? One downside is that it's only 48" wide.