[cleanchoice]

Any advice or comments on flame retardent? what to charge etc?

Thanks

Justin

[lee_gundry]

justin

why & what to
 would you want to apply a flame retardent.



Lee G

[Liahona]

If you clean curtains in a public place it would need re-coating with a flame retardant. In fact in many cases a retardant should be used if you clean curtains or upholstery in public places. Hotels being the obvious one. I retard a lot of childrens rooms in houses. Best, Dave. P.S. to charge......I charge the same as I would to protect. When doing this you have to supply a certificate of the fire protection to the customer. It needs to be sprayed as uniformly as poss. I use a 5 gallon bucket on a trolley with a small solution pump from a portable hwe, 100 psi is ok but if you can get about 80 it is easier to control.

[CLEANCARE LIMITED]

Although we provide this service we do not provide a certificate of fire protection when completed.

If there was a fire the customer or insurance company would come down on you like a ton of bricks.

How do you know what you have sprayed is applied evenly, properly and conforms to BS standards.

We spray fire retardant on both sides of the carpet but never give full guarantees as we are not trained fire prevention inspectors.

[Liahona]

Cleancare, if you have to ask what you have done then in all honesty you have no business doing the work. It is a legal requiremnt to supply a certificate and for those having the service done need it to produce to the fire board and also to H and S people, and various other inspectors. Why would the customer or insurance people come after you at all? For if you knew what you were doing then what burned wasnt what you treated not too. Best, Dave.

[John Kelly]

The fire retardent market is huge but unfortunately carpet cleaners are not benefitting from it.
As mentioned in a previous posting by Paul Moss I believe, wet cleaning of suites can remove some of the flame retardent.
Personally I think it would be an easy product to sell. What better benefit can a customer have than their furnishings being fire retardent.
As regards certification. All you need to do is apply it as stated on the instructions then issue a certificate saying that the said item has been treated with such and such to the manufacturers specifications. You are then covered from any legal redress.
We used to do a lot of this when we done brewery work.

[CLEANCARE LIMITED]

As previously stated we have been applying this for years without issuing certificates. This is on the advice of our solicitors.

When a product is new then it has to conform to a BS standard for fire retardant but when it is not new then these rules do not apply for obvious reasons.

You could buy a second hand carpet 30 years old that had been cleaned 20 times with no fire retardant capabilities left.

We have 2 workshops where these are carried out. The carpet is bought back to these and thoroughly cleaned, insecticide, stain protected and fire retarded during a week. All this is done in controlled conditions using latest industry products and techniques.

We still refuse to issue certificates for our fire retardant and will continue to refuse in the future as not to attract large potential insurance claims.

[Liahona]

Cleancare, if that is your attitude then you have no business in being in this business, period. Best, Dave.

[CLEANCARE LIMITED]

Cleancare, if that is your attitude then you have no business in being in this business, period. Best, Dave.

It's alright stating this but you didn't answer the argument?

If you issue fire retardant certificates then you must get a fire inspector around on every job and test its resistancy after completion? Do you?

I think you would be in serious trouble if you didn't and you issued a certificate (which is a form of a guarantee) and it back fires on you (literally)?

No, I think some of your posts are not for this country but may be more appropriate in your country. Speaking about that why do americans always say God Bless America? It should be the other way round!

[Liahona]

Cleancare, you realy ought to know what you are talking about before you post. As John has said and I have ..... you provide the certificate having applied the retard treatment. No inspectors are called in, ever. If they were you are telling me that there are hundreds of inspectors at our beckon and call to attend each property that is treated. Obviously this isnt the case..... I am not sure which argument you are reffering to. I am not arguing any point, simply you are wrong so there is no argument. Best, Dave. P.S. If you are applying a fire retardent to those people who need it by law then you are having them break the law by not having a certificate..

[CLEANCARE LIMITED]

Cleancare, you realy ought to know what you are talking about before you post. As John has said and I have ..... you provide the certificate having applied the retard treatment. No inspectors are called in, ever. If they were you are telling me that there are hundreds of inspectors at our beckon and call to attend each property that is treated. Obviously this isnt the case..... I am not sure which argument you are reffering to. I am not arguing any point, simply you are wrong so there is no argument. Best, Dave. P.S. If you are applying a fire retardent to those people who need it by law then you are having them break the law by not having a certificate..

What am absolute load of rubbish.

So you issue a certificate not knowing if its been applied evenly or prepared properly or if it will live up to its name in the event of an accident. You are talking rubbish.

The Law only applies to new fabrics.

 

[carpetclean]

when i did my training i was told then it was a legal requirement to issue a licence after flame retarding.

[Liahona]

Carpetclean, it is. Cleancare, you are not worth the time or effort. A lot of good and experienced people have given advise on here for you and you have chosen not to take it. So you can carry on in your world and we shall continue in the real world, best, Dave.

[Neil Grainger]

Read Dave's posts, he knows his stuff. He's been on here a long time and makes a lot of sense.

Like most of us who are in business to make money he does'nt suffer falls gladley.

Listen to what he says its helped me.

[Ian Gourlay]

Peter,

Where did you do your training?

I do not know the Answer to this one,

In the past I have been told simikliar to Cleancare Ltd.

But I have also been told you can issue a certificate.

Hence I avoid mentioning the service.

 

I

[jasonl]

I, AND HUNDREDS OF CD people have applied FLAME RETARDANT for years, with a piece of paper that says flame retardant to the relevant british standards has been APPLIED to the fabric in question. The key words are FLAME RETARDANT and APPLIED.
there is no such chemical as a fire proofer and all we are doing is applying it to the standard we have been trained, I have had an occasion when I have applied product to a carpet on a bar and it had slowed down (retarded) the flame, compared to surrounding areas. Most people I have found expect some kind of documentation to confirm a suitable product has been supplied.
CLEANCARE
If you charge for this service even you are providing some kind of certification..... via your invoice if you mention it!!!!!!

[Liahona]

Thanks Jason. That should just about clear it up. But then again, perhaps not? Best, Dave.

[Ian Gourlay]

I have just Checked with the local Fire Service and basicaly Dave is correct.

And as Jason L says.

Obviously if training is available it adds to the Audit trail

The Fire Service may carry out tests from time to time.

[Liahona]

Thanks Ian. Best, Dave.

[jasonl]

I might add that it is not advisable to use phrases such as "flame proof" of "fireproof" as this is not what you are realistically going to achieve.
On the same note, it surprises me how many people who are involved in water damage claim to "sanitize" affected areas........ when what they have really done is apply sanitizer , one day these such phrases can come back to bite you .... HARD.