Furniture Materials

Invented in 1941,then made hugely popular in the seventies as a clothing fibre this man made fibre was dealt a near death blow when it was compared with natural fibres like cotton and silk. It was prone to static, did not breathe well, and often irritated the skin of people who were more sensitive to unnatural fibres. So they turned to the new growing furniture industry and found it made a great cover for furniture as it’s natural properties lent very well to their needs.

The fibre is durable, the fibres dye very well and permanently, and for a light fibre it retains it’s shape very well and is deceptively strong.

Today polyester is often combined or blended with cotton and silk, or other fibres to enhance comfort and breathability. Technology today will even allow for permanent pleats and laser etched patterns before or after being dyed.

So this new (old) fabric is durable, colorfast, stretch resistant, and easy to clean. Blended fibre is now in the top three choices for furniture covering bested only by olefin, a more course fibre, and leather - always the number one choice even though it comes with a premium price, the life span of leather is unmatched.

Recently we learned that plastic bottles are being recycled into polyester fabric as it is a plastic polymer at it’s base which is helping to keep prices for this synthetic fabric quite low. Polyester has earned our respect over time and is a great value in it’s many variations and finishes- many of which have a leatherish look to them thanks to l aser etching today.

Polyester offers great value, and better looks, along with long life. Look for it when you’re shopping for your furniture, there’s no down side.
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As it has been since the beginning leather is the leader in overall tough-ness and durability as well as its ability to take die very well offering a wide range of color anywhere from black to yellows and reds.Leather gets more supple and comfy with time and coolness and hot and sticky times are usually short lived. Well cared for leather can last in excess of ten years,it costs more but its also worth it in the long run.
 
Synthetic materials are the most common today and polyester is the leader among these newer fabrics.Polyester doesn’t fade from sunlight or cleaning,it is very stain resistant and cleans well when accidents do happen.The actual feel and appear-ance can vary from fuzzy and flufy to smooth and textured similar to leather in -appearance all offering long wear and low maintenance.Some would say it is the “new nylon”,as nylon is also extremely strong and durable and was for many years the main cover on most upholstery for decades.
 
Not to be forgotten is olefin,also a synthe-ic fibre and very strong and flexible with one up on some others as it is made from plastic it offers protection against liquid stains.The fibre strands in olefin are largeand coarser than polyester so the feel of it is a bit rough to the touch on its own.The way around this fact is of course blends of olefin and other synthetics like polyeste, rayon or a natural fibre like silk or cotton togive you the best of all things and long life from your upholstery.
 
I highly recommend you turn up a cushion or tip a chair over to see what its actu-ally made of and know what type of wear you should expect from the furniture your considering buying at your local stores or ask your retailer they will know.