Week 8 Learning Upholstery Specs

http://www.addicted2decorating.com/indestructible-fabric-maybe-not-but-pretty-darn-close.html

Considering Double Rubs?

During a rep visit this week I have learned the importance of knowing where the fabric will go and what specifications it should have for that area.  Of course it is a known factor that commercial upholstery should be used in commercial businesses but there is still more thought that should go into picking out fabrics. When the rep began to call out some of the specifications of different fabrics I began to have questions.  He mentioned the amount of double rubs that each had.  He explained the amount of double rubs a fabric has determines how durable the fabric is, this test is also referred to as the wyzenbeeck test.  I knew obviously that the higher the double rubs the more durable the fabric, but was there a minimum amount of double rubs that particular areas call for?  The higher traffic areas would call for a higher number of double rubs because furniture must withstand more wear.  Here at the VA designers choose not to use any fabric that is less that 30,000 double rubs.  Although the higher number in double rubs does mean a better quality fabric it could also be a bigger price difference.  At the VA designers must take into consideration that yes that fabric is durable helping it to last longer without tearing, but most of the time the fabric will stain and ugly quicker then the fabric wearing.  So is it really worth spending the price difference on the fabric for more double rubs if it will probably have to be replaced in a few years because of staining?

http://www.briteinc.com/Custom-Curtains/Cubicle-Curtains

What You Should Know About Patient Cubicles

When selecting fabric for patient rooms different considerations must be made. Selecting fabric for cubicle curtains I’ve learned that both the front and the back of the fabric must look appealing.  When a patient is laid in the bed of their cubicle they will see the back of the cubicle curtain more often than the front.  Choosing fabrics for bedspreads may be a challenge because not all fabrics are machine washable.  A designer at the VA was faced with a dilemma when she was trying to select a fabric for bedspreads in the patient rooms she was designing.  All the fabrics that she found that matched her scheme was not machine washable making it unsuitable.  Designers must pay attention to specifications of the fabrics to be able to ensure the success of the space.

http://www.onlinefabricstore.net/blog/what-is-railroaded-fabric/

Railroading

Once fabric is selected and to be upholstered on the furniture the designer may want to specify a direction of which the fabric should be placed.  When the fabric is being made it comes off the loom in a specific direction.  Unless specified, when upholstering the furniture the installer will put the fabric on according to how it unrolls on the bolt (same way coming off the loom).  For instance when the fabric comes off the loom the pattern may be at a horizontal direction, so the installer will upholster the fabric this way unless the designer specifies the opposite way.  If the designer wants the pattern of the fabric to be vertical, or opposite direction then he/she must specify “railroaded” or “up the bolt”.  Knowing these terms is beneficial for the purpose of specifying installations and when looking at fabric samples.  Some fabric samples may show at a railroaded direction which would say “shown railroaded: yes” on the specifications.