List every curtain, drape, scrim, and decorative film the documents show, then check that the schedule, the specifications, and the product data name the same product and the same flame test basis for each room. AI can flag conflicts; the designer and the authority having jurisdiction decide compliance.
What does NFPA 701 cover?
NFPA 701 is the Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films. NFPA’s page states that the standard establishes test methods to assess the propagation of flame of various textiles and films under specified fire test conditions.
NFPA’s official NFPA 701 page identifies the 2023 edition as current when checked on October 11, 2026. Confirm the edition, local amendments, and project scope that actually govern the work. The publisher’s newest edition does not establish local adoption.
The adopted code decides which textiles must meet a flame propagation test; see the NFPA 101 guide. Stage and production settings connect to the NFPA 140 guide, tents and membrane structures to the NFPA 102 guide, and textile wall coverings have their own test standard. Record which items the project treats as decorative materials before comparing.
Gather every textile and film in the set
Collect the window treatment schedule, the finish schedule and finish plans, the interior elevations, the theater or stage rigging drawings, the specifications for window treatments, stage curtains, and decorative films, the code or life safety plan, and the manufacturer’s data and flame test certificates.
Window treatments are often owner-furnished or added by a separate designer. Upload whatever schedules exist so items outside the main specifications are still compared.
Trace each textile to its test basis
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory | Window treatment schedule, finish plans, elevations | Confirm every curtain, drape, scrim, and film shown on the drawings appears in a schedule. |
| Test basis | Specifications, schedule notes, product data | Check that each item names the same flame test basis in the specifications and product data. |
| Treated or inherent | Product data, specifications, certificates | Find items whose data and specifications disagree about whether flame resistance is inherent or applied. |
| Stage textiles | Rigging drawings, stage curtain specification, theater plans | Match each stage curtain and scrim with its specified product and test basis. |
| Decorative films | Glazing schedule, film specification, elevations | Identify window and glass films shown on elevations but missing from the specifications. |
| Owner-furnished items | Responsibility matrix, schedules, specifications | Ask the designer to confirm who supplies the test documentation for owner-furnished textiles. |
These questions come up in hotel, sports and recreation, and senior living projects. Wall and ceiling finishes connect to the NFPA 286 guide, and the window shade specifications guide follows the same openings from the specification side.
Example: a stage scrim without a test basis
Hypothetical example. A school auditorium renovation adds a new main curtain and a projection scrim. The rigging drawings show both, while the stage curtain specification lists only the main curtain with a flame test requirement and the scrim appears in no specification section.
The rigging drawings add a projection scrim, but the stage curtain specification covers only the main curtain and no section states a flame test basis for the scrim. Please confirm the scrim’s product and test basis and coordinate the specifications.
The theater consultant adds the scrim to the specification with its test basis. Compliance is decided by the designer and the authority having jurisdiction.
Review textiles and films with Groundbook
Upload the current project PDFs and relevant specifications to Groundbook. Identify the governing issues and add the applicable NFPA 701 reference from a copy you are licensed to use, where the license permits uploading it. State the edition, amendments, review area, and known exclusions in your instructions.
Compare the window treatment and finish schedules, finish plans, interior elevations, rigging drawings, specifications for window treatments, stage curtains, and films, code plan, and product data and certificates. Flag textiles and films missing from a schedule, and products or flame test bases that differ between sources. Use the supplied NFPA 701 edition and adopted code where applicable and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets involved and the reference you uploaded.
Document review does not test a fabric, verify a certificate, or approve a product. Those decisions remain with the designer and the authority having jurisdiction.