When choosing upholstered furniture, we first of all pay attention to its upholstery. Upholstery is the most expensive component of finished furniture and accounts for about 70% of its cost.
What properties should a good upholstery fabric have:
good abrasion resistance;
low peeling;
ability to keep fit
Upholstery fabrics are divided into two main types: natural and artificial. Natural fabrics are extremely rare. Furniture makers do not seek to use them, because they quickly wear out and lose their original appearance.
Of the wide variety of natural materials used, mainly leather. It is the most expensive natural material, but also the most durable. For furniture upholstery, leather with a thickness of not more than 5 mm is used.
In order to hide the minor flaws and seams formed during sewing, various decorative folds and wrinkles are made on leather covers. To keep leather upholstered furniture as long as possible, it must be protected from sunlight and placed away from bright electric lights.
Artificial leather is widely used for furniture upholstery. Made using modern technologies, it absolutely imitates natural leather, and the cost is much lower, more details here . The consumer qualities of such a material are a little worse - it bursts at the seams and at the folds during long-term operation.
Upholstery fabrics are woven and non-woven. Woven fabrics include cottons, chenille, jacquards, tapestries and velor. For nonwovens - flocks. In addition to these types of fabrics, there are several more variations: microfiber, plush, faux fur, stretch, but their use in the total volume is negligible.
What is the preferred fabric for upholstery?
From the standpoint of comfort, the best option is fabrics based on natural materials. Such fabrics are good for children's rooms.
Many people opt for flock. The basis of this fabric is polyester (65%) and cotton (35%). Flock has a decent appearance, it has dirt and water-repellent impregnation, does not fade, and washes well. It is impossible to pull the thread out of it, which is especially important if animals live in the house.
Teflon impregnation is desirable for any upholstery fabric. Teflon increases the life of the upholstery, minimizes friction, is able to withstand any washing and dry cleaning regime, and does not have any effect on the fading of the pattern. A treated fabric is much easier to care for than a non-treated fabric. Spilled liquid will not get inside the sofa (chair), but simply roll off the fabric.