UL CERTIFICATION

UL 10D vs UL 10B: What the Standards Actually Mean

UL 10D is the standard for fire protective curtains — deployable fabric assemblies rated for fire exposure. UL 10B is the fire test for fire shutters and door assemblies and includes the hose stream test (ASTM E2226), where the assembly is blasted with a fire hose after burning. A curtain that passes UL 10D protects against smoke and fire; an assembly that passes UL 10B with hose stream survives fire plus the mechanical shock of firefighting. Fire barrier walls typically demand the hose stream test. Smoke partitions do not.

UL 10D

UL 10DUL 1784

What UL 10D requires

Fire exposure testing for deployable curtains, paired with UL 1784 air leakage for smoke.

  • Fire exposure

    RATED FIRE PROTECTIVE CURTAIN

  • Air leakage — UL 1784

    SMOKE CONTAINMENT

  • Hose stream — ASTM E2226

    NOT REQUIRED

UL 10B

UL 10BASTM E2226

What UL 10B adds

The hose stream test — and why fabric-only curtains cannot pass it (our Steel-Tex® shutters do).

  • Fire exposure

    FIRE TEST OF FIRE SHUTTERS AND DOOR ASSEMBLIES

  • Hose stream — ASTM E2226

    BLASTED WITH A FIRE HOSE AFTER BURNING

  • Fabric-only curtains

    CANNOT PASS — STEEL-TEX® SHUTTERS DO

Which standard does your opening need?

The IBC Chapter 7 wall type on the life safety plan determines the test standard — the exception is elevator hoistway smoke containment, which requires UL 1784 air leakage only. Each row links to its full application.

OPENING TYPECODEREQUIRED STANDARDPRODUCT LINE
Smoke PartitionIBC §710UL 10B 20 MIN — NO HOSEASTM E136 · ASTM E84SD60® smoke & draft curtain line
Smoke BarrierIBC §709UL 10D + UL 1784HOSE STREAM NOT REQUIREDSD60GS® / SD240GS® / SD240A® rated curtains
Fire PartitionIBC §708UL 10D + UL 1784ASTM E2226 WHERE HOSE STREAM APPLIESRated curtains · Hose Stream where required
Fire BarrierIBC §707UL 10B + ASTM E2226HOSE STREAM TESTEDHose Stream shutter line
Fire WallIBC §706UL 10B + ASTM E2226UL 263 FOR MOVEABLE FIRE WALLSHose Stream / Dual Hose Stream lines
Elevator HoistwayICC AC 77UL 1784NO FIRE RATING · NO HOSE STREAM REQUIREDESC / SD60GS® hoistway line
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