You’ve decided it’s time to change up one of your rooms and reupholstering your furniture is the plan. Determining which fabrics are suitable is a vital decision. Upholstery is more an art than a science…
However, there are certain guidelines to make it easier when selecting fabric. Let’s take a look at the four main factors you should consider:
WEIGHT – Most upholstery fabrics are a heavier weight and are opaque. If you can see through it, keep looking. These types of fabrics can suffer wear and tear to the point that more upholstery work would be needed again within a matter of weeks. Nobody wants that!
DRAPE – A more drape-y, soft fabric will sometimes have trouble holding a crisp edge. Some drape is good and can make upholstery easier, however, too much is not good and will make the upholstery look unprofessional.
WEAVE – The looser the weave, the less likely it will make a good fabric for upholstery. Unless it has a backing – fabrics with backing are normally great for upholstery. In this case, the backing should have a very tight weave.
WEAR – You need to consider how much daily use your piece of furniture will undergo. A fabric’s durability is determined by something called a double rub test. Double rubs represent a back-and-forth motion that mimics the wear and tear of someone sitting on an upholstered seat over time. They are an industry standard. The higher the double rubs, the greater the ability to resist wear. The charts below, offer a good idea of what to look for depending on the use of your furniture.
Residential usage is as follows:
Light Duty Wear – 3,000 Double Rubs
Medium Duty Wear – 9,000 Double Rubs
Heavy Duty Wear – 15,000 Double Rubs
Commercial (or Contract) Usage
Light Duty Wear – 10,000-15,000 Double Rubs
Medium Duty Wear – 15,000-30,000 Double Rubs
Heavy Duty Wear – Over 30,000 Double Rubs
These are only the four main considerations. Other things to think about include fade resistance, mildew, allergies, fabric care, and more. If choosing fabric makes your head spin, why not let your friends at GAMINO DÉCOR handle your next upholstery project for you?
