Upholstery Fabric Types Acetate - cellulose fiber that features wood pulp as its major raw ingredient (window treatment commonly) Features good draping qualities (low durability)
Acrylics - made from fossil fuel (same family as polyester and nylon), durability and soft feel, moth proof, but heat-sensitive (popular in velvet)
Chintz - printed cotton fabric that usually has been glazed (English country style), the fabric is a plain weave woven on a plain loom, subject to fading and not very durable compared to woven patterns
Cotton - a vegetable fiber from the cotton plant, strong and durable, can be used to make various others fabrics, dye easily and are typically colorfast
Cupro - cellulose fiber similar to viscose rayon, it is very strong and can be fashioned into finer yarns.
Linen - comes from the vegetable fiber of the flax plant, unless treated it is extremely prone to wrinkling and creasing (not used for damp areas)
Modacrylics - blends with natural or other man made fibers
Modal - a modified rayon, this fiber looks like cotton, made from cotton waste or wood and used in fabric blends to upgrade or offset some of the weaker characteristic of the natural or synthetic fibers present in the blend.
Nylon - derived from petroleum, nylon is typically used in a blended fabric, inherent strength and wrinkle resistant, highly absorbent, heat-sensitive
Polyester - used in fabric blends with natural fibers, its processed nature as a material that is chemically produced from petroleum derivatives is not glaringly obvious, fast drying, low absorbency, good for heavy use in the home as an upholstery fabric
Rayon - among the first man made cellulose fibers
Silk - hand-dyed in rich, abstract colorations, or left in a natural-looking neutral to work with a monochromatic room palette. Unbend silk fabric is 100% percent natural animal fiber extracted from the cocoons of the silkworm larvae. Heat-sensitive, strong fabric and not easily prone to wrinkle
Wool - all-natural animal fiber made from the coasts of sheep or goats, wool is valued for its insulating warmth. Wool can retain body heat but absorbs spills. Make sure that a stain-resistant treatment has been applied to any wool fabrics. (It is subject to shrinkage and can be attacked by moths).
Springs Double-Cone Coil Springs - Introduced in 1828 the coil spring has lead the way to major changes in furniture during the nineteenth century. The double-cone coil spring is the best quality of springs for sofas and large chairs for which a deep, comfortable, resilient seat is a desired-and it is also the most expensive. Made from heavy coiled metal, these seat springs are shaped like an hour-glass. They are available in various degrees of compression, including soft, medium, and hard, determined by the size of the center coil.
No-Sag Springs - made from continuous wire shaped in a zigzag, they are much more affordable then the Double-Cone Coil Spring
Stuffing Down - A favorite material for bed pillows and comforters, down also is considered a luxury stuffing for upholstery furnishings. Is consists of the feathers from birds, or the light, fluffy undercoating, on which there is no quill shaft, from older ducks, geese, and other water fowl. Tends to leave body imprint on the seat, which requires fluffing and reshaping-a maintenance feature some consumer choose to avoid, even at the loss of the more comfortable seat.
Foam Rubber - One of the most expensive and best stuffing for new upholstered furniture, foam rubber is rubber that contains air bubbles. It is available in slab form for use as a stuffing material. Classic foam rubber tens to break down and granulate over time, and is no longer widely available, having been replaced by the newer high-resiliency (HR) polyurethane foam, which does not deteriorate.
Tow - a flax plant fiber, tow is firm and easy to work with. Its chief use in upholstery is as a firm foundation (first stuffing) for more resilient stuffing materials.
Webbing and Foundation Materials Bottoming - as the word indicates, this is the muslin cover tacked to the underside of an upholstered area. Usually CAMBRIC is the choice of most upholsters. It is a black cotton fabric and is used as a dust cover.
Burlap - A sturdy fabric woven from yarns made from the coarse fibers of jute or hemp, burlap is used to cover springs and to serve as a protective layer between them and the stuffing material. Burlap is tacked to the furniture frame after the springs are tied, with its edge folded back to give double thickness beneath the tack heads. Available in different weights from 7.5-16 ounces. A 12-ounce weight is recommended for custom pieces when one can afford to pay for superior strength.
Cotton Felt - Cotton spun into sheets, cotton felts is used as a pad over coarse stuffing and in between temporary and final covers.
Wadding - A thin layer of cotton contained between two sheets of soft paper, this material is used like cotton felt, as a topping for coarse stuffing and as a bridge between temporary and final covers.
Webbing - This material used as a base or platform for the upholstery springs and stuffing material. Because it is the foundation material, it must be extremely strong to ensure maximum load-bearing for a comfortable seat over time.
Acrylics - made from fossil fuel (same family as polyester and nylon), durability and soft feel, moth proof, but heat-sensitive (popular in velvet)
Chintz - printed cotton fabric that usually has been glazed (English country style), the fabric is a plain weave woven on a plain loom, subject to fading and not very durable compared to woven patterns
Cotton - a vegetable fiber from the cotton plant, strong and durable, can be used to make various others fabrics, dye easily and are typically colorfast
Cupro - cellulose fiber similar to viscose rayon, it is very strong and can be fashioned into finer yarns.
Linen - comes from the vegetable fiber of the flax plant, unless treated it is extremely prone to wrinkling and creasing (not used for damp areas)
Modacrylics - blends with natural or other man made fibers
Modal - a modified rayon, this fiber looks like cotton, made from cotton waste or wood and used in fabric blends to upgrade or offset some of the weaker characteristic of the natural or synthetic fibers present in the blend.
Nylon - derived from petroleum, nylon is typically used in a blended fabric, inherent strength and wrinkle resistant, highly absorbent, heat-sensitive
Polyester - used in fabric blends with natural fibers, its processed nature as a material that is chemically produced from petroleum derivatives is not glaringly obvious, fast drying, low absorbency, good for heavy use in the home as an upholstery fabric
Rayon - among the first man made cellulose fibers
Silk - hand-dyed in rich, abstract colorations, or left in a natural-looking neutral to work with a monochromatic room palette. Unbend silk fabric is 100% percent natural animal fiber extracted from the cocoons of the silkworm larvae. Heat-sensitive, strong fabric and not easily prone to wrinkle
Wool - all-natural animal fiber made from the coasts of sheep or goats, wool is valued for its insulating warmth. Wool can retain body heat but absorbs spills. Make sure that a stain-resistant treatment has been applied to any wool fabrics. (It is subject to shrinkage and can be attacked by moths).
Springs Double-Cone Coil Springs - Introduced in 1828 the coil spring has lead the way to major changes in furniture during the nineteenth century. The double-cone coil spring is the best quality of springs for sofas and large chairs for which a deep, comfortable, resilient seat is a desired-and it is also the most expensive. Made from heavy coiled metal, these seat springs are shaped like an hour-glass. They are available in various degrees of compression, including soft, medium, and hard, determined by the size of the center coil.
No-Sag Springs - made from continuous wire shaped in a zigzag, they are much more affordable then the Double-Cone Coil Spring
Stuffing Down - A favorite material for bed pillows and comforters, down also is considered a luxury stuffing for upholstery furnishings. Is consists of the feathers from birds, or the light, fluffy undercoating, on which there is no quill shaft, from older ducks, geese, and other water fowl. Tends to leave body imprint on the seat, which requires fluffing and reshaping-a maintenance feature some consumer choose to avoid, even at the loss of the more comfortable seat.
Foam Rubber - One of the most expensive and best stuffing for new upholstered furniture, foam rubber is rubber that contains air bubbles. It is available in slab form for use as a stuffing material. Classic foam rubber tens to break down and granulate over time, and is no longer widely available, having been replaced by the newer high-resiliency (HR) polyurethane foam, which does not deteriorate.
Tow - a flax plant fiber, tow is firm and easy to work with. Its chief use in upholstery is as a firm foundation (first stuffing) for more resilient stuffing materials.
Webbing and Foundation Materials Bottoming - as the word indicates, this is the muslin cover tacked to the underside of an upholstered area. Usually CAMBRIC is the choice of most upholsters. It is a black cotton fabric and is used as a dust cover.
Burlap - A sturdy fabric woven from yarns made from the coarse fibers of jute or hemp, burlap is used to cover springs and to serve as a protective layer between them and the stuffing material. Burlap is tacked to the furniture frame after the springs are tied, with its edge folded back to give double thickness beneath the tack heads. Available in different weights from 7.5-16 ounces. A 12-ounce weight is recommended for custom pieces when one can afford to pay for superior strength.
Cotton Felt - Cotton spun into sheets, cotton felts is used as a pad over coarse stuffing and in between temporary and final covers.
Wadding - A thin layer of cotton contained between two sheets of soft paper, this material is used like cotton felt, as a topping for coarse stuffing and as a bridge between temporary and final covers.
Webbing - This material used as a base or platform for the upholstery springs and stuffing material. Because it is the foundation material, it must be extremely strong to ensure maximum load-bearing for a comfortable seat over time.