Designing for Durability

IN THIS EPISODE:

I. Intro

a) What are considered “performance” fabrics
b) Properties of Crypton and Sunbrella
c) Designing with pets and kids in mind
d) Beach House Rental
e) Outdoor products

II. Performance

a) “Performance can mean many things: abrasion, stain resistance, light fastness, flame retardance.”

b) Abrasion:  The Wyzenbeek testing method is the most common abrasion testing method in the U.S. A fabric is stretched onto a machine and rubbed back and forth, with signs of wearability checked every 5,000 rubs.

c) Stain Resistance – Crypton, Indoor/Outdoor/Microfiber

d) Light Fastness – To evaluate fade resistance, a strip of fabric is placed in a large device with part of the fabric protected by a card. The remaining fabric gets a 40-hour blast of light exposure, and results are measured from 1 to 5.  A score of 4 is generally considered good for normal residential use.

e) Flame Retardance – Almost all the tests in this category test for flammability by holding a fabric to a cigarette or flame to see how it responds.

III. Best places to use performance fabric
a) Kitchen and Dining Rooms
b) Family Room Upholstery
c) Custom shower curtains
d) Sunny spots
e) Outdoor cushions, awnings, curtains

IV. Crypton  – each fiber of Crypton Fabric is encapsulated with a patented technology that never breaks down its resistance to stains, moisture, mildew and odors. This protects the fabric from spills and keeps stains from setting in the foam of the cushions.

V. Sunbrella – UV and fade resistant, mold and mildew resistant, bleach cleanable.

VI. Designing with pet/kids

a) Kids:   choose eco-friendly, non-toxic furnishings, bedding and paint to make the environment healthy.

b) For a family room, use an upholstered (crypton or sunbrella) ottoman instead of wood and use tray for drinks, remote, etc.

c) Leather – Fur and hair won’t stick to it. You can simply vacuum it away and use a cleaner to keep the leather supple.  Leather does scratch but if you don’t mind, it will develop a patina that some people think looks great. But if you want your leather to stay pristine, keep your pets off of it.

d) If you have a shedding animal, match the fabric to their hair color.

e) As a general rule for choosing pet-friendly fabrics, look for fabrics that have a tight weave and a pattern.  Stay away from: Velvet, chenille and silk.

f) Use pet covers for sofas and bedding.  Good ones at Chewy.com and Amazon.

VII. Beach House Rental

a) Our Favorite Outdoor manufacturers
b) Costco
c) Frontgate
d) Summer Classics
f) Selamat
g) Janus et Cie
h) Braxton Culler