Frequently Asked Questions
These are frequently asked questions about KM Fabrics and our fine woven velvets, plus the answers.
If you have any questions we haven’t answered, please contact us.
Yes, from the day we opened in 1979. We weave our velvets at our mill in Greenville, South Carolina, for complete control of production quality and lead times.
We sell through distributors. They carry inventories of our most popular fabrics and will order products if they’re temporarily out of stock.
Email us at info@kmfabrics.com with your address and we’ll send you a list of KM distributors in your area.
IFR fabrics are woven with flame retardant fiber. FR fabrics receive a flame retardant finish after weaving. The topical FR finish provides equivalent protection, but may require new FR treatment after dry cleaning. KM recommends annual testing of drapery fabrics using the Field Test Method for textiles, NFPA 705.
We test using the NFPA standard. Our fabrics are all NFPA 701-compliant under the 2010 Test Method 1. We also test to make sure our fabrics meet or exceed requirements established in California, New York and other municipalities.
Our drapery fabrics meet or exceed industry performance and flammability standards, as well as color and lightfastness standards. These fabrics have excellent opacity and sound absorption with a “best” rating for Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC).
Yes. We work with architects, designers and our distributors on custom fabric colors. Send us a PMS chip or color reference and we’ll work with you to create the exact color you want.
Minimum orders apply. Contact us at info@kmfabrics.com to start the process.
KM’s fabrics are true woven velvets. This is important to note, as people often use the words “velvet” and “velour” interchangeably and they’re different fabrics.
Velvet is woven, for a softer hand, more luster and better drape. Velour is knit, with a shorter pile or brushed surface, so it’s soft, but it doesn’t feel as soft or full as velvet. And it won’t have the sheen of velvets woven with bright fibers.
We weave our velvets with the finest quality natural and synthetic yarns. The weaving process is more complex, to create two pieces of fabric simultaneously.
We dye our velvets with both pressurized and atmospheric dye machines. Our 100% IFR polyester velvets need to be dyed with extreme heat and pressure. This helps the dye penetrate the fabric deeply and evenly. We dye the cotton velvets in open atmospheric machines.
After dyeing and drying, we finish our velvets for their end use. This may include the application of a flame retardant, back coating or soil repellent. The last steps are brushing, to position the pile and shear the fabric face, if required.
Our 100 IFR% polyester velvets are flame retardant for the life of the curtains. They should never require additional FR retreatment. Depending on their environment, we suggest periodic cleaning. We recommend annual field testing.
Light vacuuming with a soft brush keeps 100% IFR polyester curtains fresh and removes airborne pollutants, such as dust and allergens. Dry clean these curtains as often as needed.
Our 100% FR cotton velvets will require dry cleaning for extended exposure to high or low humidity, or unusual dust build up. These conditions can degrade FR performance. Cotton velvets require new FR treatment after dry cleaning and we recommend annual field testing.
Light vacuuming with a soft brush and keeping the area clean and dust-free will reduce the need for dry cleaning.
We recommend periodic field testing for flame retardant performance. Changes in atmospheric humidity and buildup of airborne dust and oils reduces FR performance and durability.
An annual test of velvet stage curtains, using the NFPA 705 Field Test Method for Textiles, will ensure the proper level of performance.
Intertek’s Clean Air GOLD designation independently verifies that the level of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from our 100% IFR polyester velvet fabrics comply with various VOC standards, such as ANSI/BIFMA e3, CDPH SM v1.2, LEED and WELL. This certification ensures consumer and client confidence in the user-health and safety of our product.
In addition, all KM Fabrics 100 % IFR polyester velvets qualify for the following LEED credits and WELL features :
- LEED credit Low-Emitting Materials under the category Indoor Environmental Quality
- LEED credit Indoor Air Quality Assessment under the category Indoor Environmental Quality
- WELL Feature A01 – Air Quality
- WELL Feature A05 – Enhanced Air Quality
- WELL Feature X06 – VOC Restrictions
Intertek is a Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, performing product testing and certification using a global network of testing labs accredited to ISO 17025. Their certification supports KM’s commitment to producing beautiful, luxurious fabrics that meet emissions standards for better indoor air quality.
