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When you’re choosing upholstered furniture
for your home, it’s important to make sure you understand how you plan
to use the piece of furniture, how much time and effort you’re willing
to put toward its upkeep, and the length of time you expect the piece of
furniture to last.
Here are some helpful tips that will help
you choose the best fabrics for your furniture.
- When selecting furniture, first check
the fiber content on the manufacturer’s tag. If it’s not there,
have the salesperson provide you with the information.
- Check to see that the actual fabric is
firmly woven. Hold it up to the light to see if it’s compact and
closely woven.
- Examine the fabric’s raw edges to see
if they fray or easily ravel. If they do, you’ll find that the yarns
will pull away at the seams in cushions, sofas, and chair frames.
- Stretch the fabric diagonally to see if
it will hold its shape without wrinkling.
- A balanced weave (all yarns are about
the same size and strength) will wear better than a weave that has
heavy yarns in one direction and thin yarns in the other.
- A twill weave will resist wear and show
soil less than a plain weave of similar quality.
- Flat-surfaced fabrics such as damask,
brocade and satin will show the effects of abrasion because the long
yarns on the surface are subject to wear.
- Pile fabrics, such as plush, frieze, and
velvet, will withstand abrasion well if they are made of firm yarns
with deep and close pile and are firmly held to the ground cloth.
- A pile fabric with cut loops mats more
easily than one with uncut loops.
- Loosely woven fabrics should have
applied latex backings to ensure stability and longer wear.
- Rub a fabric sample 20 to 30 times with
an emery board to see if the color changes or rubs off.
Pigment-printed fabrics may show color loss from abrasion.
- Check to see if the fabric has an
easy-care or stain-resistant finish such as Scotchgard® by the 3-M
Company, Teflon® and Zepel® by DuPont, that will allow water-based
stains to be easily blotted.
- Ask the salesperson if the finish that
the manufacturer has applied is durable and covered in the warranty.
- Choose fibers that withstand sunlight.
- Check to see if the fabric is flame
retardant.
The most important thing to remember when
choosing upholstery fabrics is to read all hang tags, labels, and
information imprinted on the fabric samples. And when you’re comparing
prices, note that a less expensive fabric might serve your purpose as well
or better than a more expensive one.
Author's Resource:
Article by James Charles, an award-winning interior designer who offers
premium room design services without premium prices at DesignerAtHome.com.
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