Things you should know about clearance upholstery fabrics!

An old piece of furniture, where the fabric is now worn or faded, can be repaired with a new cover. Many fabrics like clearance upholstery fabrics made of natural & synthetic fibers are suitable for this purpose, as well as artificial leather, which is almost indistinguishable from leather in its high quality.

Classifying Upholstery Fabrics

Upholstery fabrics made of natural and artificial yarns. That can be divided into two groups.

• Flatweaves consist solely of warp and weft threads, which are woven together longitudinally and transversely. This variant includes, for example, fabrics made of microfiber, chenille, jacquard, and damask. Although flat weaves are two-dimensional, they can have a structure through the use of fancy yarn. For their visual design, glossy yarns are also often used, which makes a pattern stand out more strongly. Buy any of these from the wholesale upholstery fabric store. You can visit Lulu Fabrics for the best quality. 
• In addition to the flat weaves, there are fabrics in which additional threads are inserted into the fabric. After the fabric is finished, they protrude from the fabric and thus form a pile. A typical representative of this group is the velour.

Microfibre – Thin, Soft & Dimensionally stable

In the case of upholstery fabrics made of microfiber, the yarns consist of extremely fine fibers. It is even thinner than silk. These fibers have a maximum fineness.

• Microfiber fabrics are made from synthetic materials such as polyester and are therefore soft.
• They can be dyed well & are therefore available in many colors and designs.
• Compared to other fabrics, microfibre covers have the advantage that they dry very quickly.
• In addition, they are durable, breathable, insensitive to dirt, and do not lint.
• Stains can be removed with a brush or wet cloth.
• If the covers are removable, they can also be washed in the washing machine. However, the fabric use softener must be avoided for all microfiber fabrics, because the substances contained in it cause these fabrics to lose their typical properties.

The group of microfibre fabrics also includes Alcantara, which many people are familiar with from fashion in addition to its use as an upholstery fabric for furniture. There it is used for the production of high-quality coats and other garments.

Chenille – velvety soft yet heavy

Like velour fabrics, upholstery fabrics made of chenille have a very soft and velvety surface. These fabrics also look a little brighter in places where the light falls than in shaded areas. In contrast to velour, however, chenille is a flat weave. Therefore, no additional threads are protruding from the fabric. Nevertheless, an upholstery fabric made of chenille has a three-dimensional effect, because a typical feature of chenille yarns is the fibers protruding from the sides, which look like a pile. As a result, they bear a certain resemblance to a caterpillar, which is called chenille in French, which gave these yarns their name.

Velour - velvety &  hard-wearing

Velour is the French term for velvet. This name already expresses one of the main characteristics, namely the softness & velvety surface of these fabrics. Another typical feature of a velour fabric is the fact that, depending on the incidence of light, its color appears slightly lighter in some places & slightly darker in others. In the case of velour fabrics, additional yarns are inserted into the base fabric from the threads woven at right angles. These protrude from the fabric and thus form a soft pile. Upholstery fabrics made of velour are very hard-wearing & therefore also suitable for furniture that is subject to heavy use during use.

Synthetic leather - loadable and stretchy

Nowadays, artificial leather is difficult to distinguish from real leather and even the typical leather smell can now be produced artificially. In these upholstery fabrics, the top layer is made of a plastic such as polyurethane or PVC, which is provided with a leather-like structure. The carrier material is a fabric fabric made from natural or synthetic materials. Faux leather is usually cheaper than real leather, but just as sturdy and durable. It is easy to clean and is also often waterproofed to protect it from dirt and damage. Upholstery fabrics made of imitation leather can be stretched to varying degrees. 

This elasticity is mainly due to the fabric that serves as the carrier material. Very stretchy imitation leather is mainly used for furniture with curves and edges, but for larger pieces of furniture such as sofas, the less stretchy upholstery fabrics are also well suited. In many cases, however, the material can also be heated with a heat gun to make it stretchier in the crucial areas and to pull it into the right position. However, a little caution is advised here. Excessive heat can cause burn marks on the material that can no longer be removed. Faux leather can be stapled, nailed, & glued, but can also be sewn like any other upholstery fabric.

Upholstery fabrics for special applications

Upholstery fabrics can fade if they are permanently exposed to the sun. For this reason, for upholstering the furniture on the terrace, there are special fabrics with UV protection. They are also water & dirt-repellent, making them easy to clean. Fabrics that are suitable for outdoor use are usually made from synthetic fibers such as polypropylene. It can be dyed well, which is why these fabrics are available in many colors and striped or other patterned designs.

Other upholstery fabrics are available for cars, caravans, and other vehicles. These fabrics are characterized above all by their low flammability and are very robust. They can be used to cover not only the seats in the vehicle but also the sides, the headliner, and the interior walls of the trunk. Various upholstery fabrics and artificial leather are suitable for this purpose.