What do BO, FR and ASC mean on your fabric names?
What Is BO?
BO stands for Black Out. This means the fabric will not let any light through it. This creates extra privacy as no silhouette is visible through the fabric. It can work better to keep a room cooler by blocking sunshine from entering the room. It also helps light sensitive people and children sleep for longer during the summer months when the sun is around for longer.
The thing to note is that whilst no light will come through the fabric there will be light leakage at any point where the fabric is not present eg around brackets used to install the blinds or along the edges of the fabric where the fabric meets the wall. There are specialist blackout products which look to block all the edges of the windows, but this is not something we sell.
Our blackout blinds will stop a significant amount of light from entering the room. If you are very sensitive to light when sleeping, have young children, work night shifts or have intrusive light sources outside of your home then a blackout blind is recommended.
The best blackout options are:
Blackout lined roman blinds – situated inside of a window recess will offer the best blackout we can offer. If measured for correctly the fabric will sit close to your recess walls and will minimise light leakage.
Perfect fit blackout rollers – for uPVC windows these offer a great blackout option.
You might also want to consider mix and match options such as perfect fit blackout rollers with a blackout roman or a blackout roller with blackout curtains. Layering like this will increase the blackout effect by limiting light leakage from the edges of the blinds.
Other tips are to order your blackout blind in a darker colour. White/bright fabrics will tend to bounce light about from the edges of the window where it leaks in. You may also want to consider painting the wall around the window a darker colour to absorb as much light as possible rather than bouncing it about and emphasising it.
What is FR?
FR states that a fabric is Flame Retardant Certified to British Standard BS 5867. This makes them a great choice for kitchens, workplaces, schools and public buildings. Flame retardant fabrics have been designed to prevent the start or slow the growth of fire. We have flame retardant fabrics in our all our Roller ranges (standard roller, Blackout Roller, Perfect Fit roller) as well as our standard and blackout vertical blind ranges. If you are looking for a flame retardant option in these ranges then use the Filters on the left hand side of page to select Flame Retardant on the Features list. This will then bring up all the relevant fabrics.
What is ASC?
ASC means a fabric has been treated with an Advanced Solar Coating which reflects heat from the sun to help keep your room cooler during hot sunny days. This coating can also help retain heat in your room during the winter months. You will notice the backs of these materials has a metallic sheen to it which is the solar coating. This means the front and the back of the fabrics will have a different appearance. To reduce the impact of this intruding upon your room décor, if ordering rollers, you can select the Reverse Roll option meaning the back of the fabric is not visible on the roller tube from the inside of your room.
We have ASC fabrics available in all our roller ranges and our vertical and blackout vertical ranges. If you are looking for an ASC option in these ranges then use the Filters on the left hand side of page to select Solar Reflective Coating on the Features list. This will then bring up all the relevant fabrics.