What is artificial suede and what are its features.
Artificial suede (or, as it is also called, alcantara) is a textile material that imitates natural suede fabric and is an interlacing of natural and synthetic yarn.
Due to the unique composition of such a material, wear-resistant, resistant to the negative effects of factors such as sunlight, high humidity, does not require much care.
Natural suede and its imitation are distinguishable only to the eye of an expert, but the price of the first one is much higher. The fabric is velvety, tactilely pleasant and soft, unlike natural suede upholstery does not form creases and is not afraid of scratches.
Given that the characteristics of artificial suede is not worse than that of natural, and in some cases even significantly better, it is not surprising that artificial suede for furniture has deserved such great popularity in furniture production.
The material is suitable for upholstery of almost any upholstered furniture and take pride of place in the interior. Especially often alcantara is used for covering the sofa.
Content
Kinds
By type of production Alcantara is divided into:
- Woven;
- Non-woven.
The material on the woven base is the most expensive, but its quality is also higher. This fabric is made from special microfiber yarns, splitting them into villi. The fabric is quite dense, outwardly attractive, but not practical enough for upholstery.
The sofa from such upholstery will quickly become worthless and lose its initially attractive appearance. Suitable more for making clothes.
For the upholstery of furniture, the second method of making cloth is often used - non-woven. This type is obtained by laying on the primed surface of the adhesive composition. Then sprayed with fiber, and apply Teflon impregnation to give textiles durable properties.
Fabric as the basis for this may be natural or synthetic. The combination of polyester (75%) and cotton (25%) is mainly used. This is the optimal ratio for a durable, unpretentious care product.
Advantages and disadvantages
Objectively, the material has more advantages than disadvantages. Let's take a closer look at each factor.
pros | Minuses |
1. Excellent value for money.
Compared with the natural, whose price is several times higher, artificial suede wins in terms of characteristics: durable, does not stretch, does not scratch, does not wrinkle and does not tear. The sofa from such upholstery never "grows thin". |
1. Despite the wear-resistant characteristics, it can not withstand the claws of animals and other sharp objects. |
2. Water-repellent properties thanks to Teflon grease. | 2. Light material is more susceptible to contamination. Teflon impregnation may not be enough to protect the fabric from deep stains. Save in this situation can a special cover on the sofa. |
3. Artificial suede practically does not change its color over the long years of operation. It initially, unlike natural, has a more even color and does not fade under the influence of solar radiation. | 3. The appeared stains can be removed only by dry cleaning. |
4. Pleasant visually and to the touch textiles. Suede furniture creates comfort in the interior, adds warmth. The product, covered with this velvety material you want to iron endlessly. This type of furniture upholstery will be appropriate both at home and in the office, because her appearance is quite respectable and does not look cheap. | — |
5. If you follow the advice on care, then this type of upholstery can be called unpretentious. In case of contamination, it is necessary to use only dry wipes and brushes for cleaning and only after the contaminated area has dried. | — |
6. When spandex is added, the fabric drapes well and fits the product beautifully. | — |
How to choose
When buying, you need to pay attention to the following parameters:
- Colour;
- Teflon treatment grade;
- The height of the pile.
It is better to avoid light upholstery. Since the spots on it are more noticeable, and then get rid of them - the occupation is very troublesome. In general, the palette of colors is huge. You can choose a shade for almost any interior.
It is only necessary to know some rules: washing should be at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees. Otherwise, the adhesive part of the product may be broken.
After the Alcantara has dried, with a brush you can easily restore its nap. The presence of Teflon impregnation should always be clarified with the seller upon purchase.
In the store you can also find types of upholstery with a long or short nap. The length of the pile affects how long the material will last. Sofa with a long nap spoils faster.
Among the upholstered furniture on sale there are instances of unusual to the touch, rough surface. There is no doubt in the quality of the material itself.
This is the same artificial suede, but laminated for extra strength.Such processing also helps to keep the shape, but is more suitable for office environments.
Thus, if you need furniture that at the same time creates comfort and gives the interior a noble look, then the choice is undoubtedly better to give a suede finish.
VIDEO: Faux suede sofas.
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