How Smoke Curtains Work and Why They Matter in Building Fire Safety

Other News   Subscribe to FREE newsletter

Jan 07, 2025

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoke inhalation, not burns, is the leading cause of death in building fires. Smoke can incapacitate individuals so quickly that they may be unable to reach an exit in time and get out of the building. This is where smoke curtains play a vital role in occupant safety. By creating a barrier that prevents smoke from entering adjacent spaces in a building, smoke curtains protect evacuation routes and give occupants more time to escape safely.

Understanding Smoke Curtains

Smoke curtains are designed to create a physical boundary between a fire and other areas of a building containing hazardous toxins such as carbon monoxide and smoke. Their primary function is to prevent the spread of smoke, heat, and toxic gases, which travel much further and faster than the fire itself. Smoke curtains are especially effective in large, open spaces like atriums, shopping malls, and warehouses, where smoke can spread rapidly. These areas often have a single, large space, making it challenging to contain smoke without a physical barrier like a smoke curtain.

In multistory buildings, smoke curtains can also be installed at elevator openings to prevent smoke from traveling between floors. Elevator shafts function as chimneys during a fire, allowing smoke to spread rapidly to other levels. By sealing off the elevator shaft, smoke curtains help stop the vertical spread of smoke and prevent oxygen from fueling the fire, assisting in overall fire containment.

Smoke curtains can be seamlessly integrated into a building's fire protection system to deploy automatically when a fire or smoke sensor is triggered. Alternatively, they can be manually deployed. Smoke curtains can be deployed vertically or horizontally, depending on the specific application. Unlike fire door systems, smoke curtains stay hidden until activated, allowing them to preserve the building's design and functionality.

Smoke curtains are regulated by building codes and standards such as the International Building Code and NFPA 105. Smoke curtains must pass standardized low and high-temperature testing to verify their fire resistance rating and ability to deploy successfully.

Durability and Longevity of Smoke Curtains

The durability and longevity of smoke curtains depend significantly on the materials used in their construction. Smoke curtains are typically made from fire-resistant fabrics reinforced with steel fiber and durable hardware, ensuring they remain functional even after years of exposure to environmental factors.

Regular maintenance is crucial to ensure smoke curtains stay in optimal working condition. It is recommended that smoke curtains be inspected every six months, but testing is required annually as a part of the fire protection system. Maintenance tasks include cleaning dust and debris from fabric, tracks, and pulleys; lubricating cables and pulleys; checking cable tension, inspecting fabric, seams, and hardware for damage; and verifying fail-safe operation if power is lost.

Types of Smoke Curtains

There are five main types of smoke curtains commonly used in commercial buildings:

• Elevator Curtains: These smoke curtains are installed above elevator doors to prevent smoke from entering the elevator shaft and spreading to other floors. Most codes require some type of barrier over elevator doors to limit the vertical spread of smoke during a fire.


• Draft Curtains: Typically installed in large spaces like warehouses, manufacturing buildings, and hangars, draft smoke curtains help channel smoke toward sprinklers to focus the heat plume and more quickly activate sprinkler heads for more effective containment of a fire.


• Vertical Curtains: These smoke curtains are installed in ceilings above openings, such as doorways or atriums, and deploy downward. They help divide a building containing smoke in individual areas. This improves evacuation safety for occupants by limiting the spread of smoke.


• Perimeter Curtains: These smoke curtains cover entire areas, creating a complete barrier that prevents smoke from spreading across multiple zones. They can be custom-fitted to suit the architectural design of a building and be configured to articulate around corners without the need for a column.


• Horizontal Curtains: Primarily used in atriums, horizontal smoke curtains can divide the space between floors, creating compartments. This helps to contain smoke and limit its spread, particularly in multistory buildings with large open areas.

Smoke Guard Smoke Curtains

Smoke Guard offers premium smoke curtains constructed from the highest quality materials, including fire-resistant fabrics, reinforced steel cables, and durable hardware. Our systems are certified with Warnock Hersey (WH) Mark and designed to be highly customizable to meet your specific needs. With advanced deployment mechanisms and a focus on reliability, Smoke Guard smoke curtains provide superior fire protection for your building, ensuring the safety of your occupants and assets.

Our team of expert designers and technicians will work closely with you to ensure your system meets all your specific needs and complies with relevant codes and regulations.

To learn more about how Smoke Guard can help enhance fire safety in your commercial building projects, contact us at (800) 574-0330. To view our portfolio of Fire + Smoke Protective Systems for elevators, stairways, corridors, and atriums, visit https://smokeguard.com/products.

@smokeguard #smokeguard #firesafety #firecurtain #smokecurtain

For other relevant searches, you might want to try: