What are Performance Fabrics?

According to FURNITUREToday, the new buzz is about "performance fabrics". What are performance fabrics? In the Police department think Kevlar, a fabric that stops bullets. In the furniture arena think fabrics that protect from stains and spills, think durability for motion furniture, think light-fastness for outdoor furniture, think anti-microbial for damp regions of the country.

For upholstery manufacturers then, performance can fall anywhere on a continuum from a simple durability story to a highly engineered product that is touted as impervious to liquid, bacteria, mold, mildew, stains, sunlight and bleach.

We have had Scotchguard and Teflon for fabrics that can be applied at the factory or in our warehouse before delivery to our clients. It protects against dirt and stains.

And if spills are an ongoing cause of concern, then just knowing that water- and oil-based liquids will bead up on the surface while you grab a napkin can make a consumer feel better about a fabric choice.

We have a dog that lays on the sofa with us at night when we watch television. Ralph, doesn't mean to forget to wipe his feet or doesn't intentionally drool at Baconbits, but Scotchguard has added life to this piece of furniture. At Landfair Furniture, for an added charge, Sherrill, one of the best values in upholstered furniture, will teflon coat (their name for a protective sealer) pre-production. Sherrill will be offering new fabrics that are geared to the clients demands for performance fabrics.

Two points to remember about about a protective spray. First, make sure the company applying the product is a professional. We use Ray-Burt's Inc., a company that has been in business for 25 years! Second, applying a protective product may cause you to lose any warranty on the fabric, especially if applied after it left the factory.

Bev & Mike