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The Importance of Fabric Durability

The Importance of Fabric Durability

Sourcing quality upholstery fabrics and textiles is bound to take time and effort. You want to be sure you’re selecting the right fabric for your furnishings; textiles that suit the room aesthetically, while remaining durable and safe to use. So, just how important is fabric durability? This article will discuss the importance of fabric durability in choosing ideal upholstery and curtain fabrics.

Durable upholstery fabrics improve furniture quality, as well as the overall ambience of interior spaces. Fabric strength and resilience means furniture holds onto that luxury feel for longer, without the need for regular upholstery repairs and even replacements. Maintaining a sense of indulgence is essential in plenty of interior spaces, from hotels to business receptions and lounges. Investing in durable fabrics from the beginning will help any space hold on to that quality feeling for years down the line.

Due to its nature, upholstery fabric is subject to constant wear and tear. Long-term use, spills and accidents, as well as heat and light exposure, can take their toll on the quality of your soft furnishings. Once you find the perfect durable fabric for your project, your furnishings and curtains will last much longer. In the end, it’s all worth it.

Here’s our guide to the importance of fabric durability, and how you can consider factors such as abrasion resistance, lightfastness and antimicrobial qualities when selecting durable upholstery fabrics.

Abrasion Resistant Fabric

Abrasion resistant fabrics are great for upholstered furniture that experiences a lot of use on a regular basis.

Abrasion Resistant Fabric

Upholstery fabrics are used to cover furnishings in order to enhance comfort and function. For example, you wouldn’t upholster a coffee table, unless you planned on re-purposing it as a bench or footrest. When people use upholstered furnishings over time, it’s only natural that the materials will experience abrasion. This happens when people move around and sit on furniture.

So, many upholstery fabrics are designed to be abrasion resistant. Abrasion resistant fabrics are often reinforced with strong, heavy duty synthetic fibres.

Lightfastness

Lightfastness simply refers to how long fabric can retain its colour and vibrance even while regularly exposed to light sources. When selecting brightly coloured fabrics for curtain use, for example, one of the key qualities you’ll want to look for is lightfastness.

Lightfastness

Lightfastness is actually measured in terms of daylight hours. The more hours a particular fabric can withstand on an annual basis, the higher the lightfastness count is. When it comes to outdoor fabrics, such as those used to cover garden chairs, lightfastness is another key factor to contemplate.

When your fabric is exposed to more natural daylight, the UV rays within the sun can harm the shade of fabric by lightening it. Just like how the sun’s rays can alter our skin, fabric can also suffer damage.

Antimicrobial Fabrics

Antimicrobial fabrics are specially formulated by textiles experts. It was designed with the intention of keeping soft furnishings fresh, clean and ultimately hygienic, without the need for constant cleaning or re-upholstering.

Antimicrobial upholstery fabrics are a great option for applications that may experience a lot of use by various people. Particularly right now, it’s essential that businesses and organisations aim to halt the spread of viruses and harmful bacteria.

Antimicrobial fabrics work as they are treated with special chemicals that do not allow germs, viruses and bacteria to penetrate the surface of the textiles. Reduce the spread of infection and ensure hygiene and sanitation measures are maintained in healthcare environments, with the use of antimicrobial fabrics.

Microbe Resistant Fabrics

Microbe resistant fabrics, similar in nature to antimicrobial fabrics, are engineered to stop potentially harmful germs from entering textile surfaces. Being microbe resistant actually improves the quality of upholstery fabrics for longer – when fabrics are exposed to microbes over time, the composition of materials can gradually break down.

Many businesses and organisations therefore opt for microbe resistant fabrics when choosing quality upholstery and curtain textiles. Hotels, hospitals, educational environments and even shops may choose microbe resistant fabrics, as they are public spaces that cater for many visitors.

Microbe resistant fabrics for upholstery are often made from carefully designed materials, such as polyester or vinyl mixtures. Despite the manmade qualities of these microbe resistant fabrics, many upholstery textile designers incorporate natural-looking fibres and materials. So, sterile and clean fabrics don’t have to be lacking in style. Our Metro fabric is microbe resistant due to its waterproof qualities and mixture of both polyester and PVC materials.

Mold & Mildew Resistant Fabrics

If you’ve ever taken care of soft furnishings, you’ll understand the trouble brought about when mould and mildew seep their way into your upholstery. When left to grow, mold and damp can completely ruin your lovely upholstered furnishings and curtain fabrics. The mold can cause fabrics to disintegrate over time, leaving you with a useless piece of furniture that needs to be re-upholstered or discarded.

Outdoor fabrics are often mold and mildew resistant, as they’re exposed to the elements – like rain and humid environments. They can be waterproof, incorporating PVC and polyester in the composition of materials.

Carefully considering your upholstery projects and the importance of fabric durability can take some time. At Edmund Bell, we offer a wide variety of upholstery and curtain fabrics that are designed to last. We’re also more than happy to have a chat about which of our quality upholstery fabrics would suit your project harmoniously and effortlessly.


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