If you follow this blog you will have read my first entry about outdoor living. Now I want to focus on outdoor fabrics. Barb Nyke, a colleague of mine presented some fabulous information. I would like to share.some of what I learned at the conference. I have many pages of information but will focus on the major issues.
We all have heard of Sunbrella, however that is not the only product available to be used successfully outdoors. Outdoor fabrics should be high performance and offer the following factors -
durable, water resistant, water repellent or waterproof, stain resistant, mildew resistant, colourfast: which means they will have UV resistant pigments.
We use outdoor fabrics in many ways - awnings, umbrellas, cushions, shade sails, flooring and marine. One of the great factors is that nowadays this fabric is not stiff and can easily be used indoors. In fact it is difficult to tell indoor from outdoor in many cases.
Fabric content can be Polyester (good); Olefin (better) and Acrylic (best). All three are appropriate with there being some differences.
The type of foam is very important. If one used regular foam the water would sit on top and cause mold to form. Using a marine grade allows for water to penetrate and drain out at the bottom, thus no mold.
There was a lot of technical information shared by Barb and I am just giving you an overview so you have some basic knowledge when sourcing your outdoor furnishings.
Enjoy your summer when it gets here!
Design Savvy is a full service Interior Decorating and Design Consulting Firm, serving Dundas, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville specializing in Residential Interior Decorating and Design. Design Savvy offers many ideas and creative solutions to compliment the individual needs of clients while working within their budget, timelines and respecting your personal taste.
No comments:
Post a Comment