Guide - Upholstery
Almost all garden furniture is sold with upholstery of some kind and there is an enormous choice in quality, style and appearance. Co-ordinated suites are widely available where the fabric on the cushions will match the parasol and the tablecloth to give a totally pleasing effect.
Cotton satin is one of the most luxurious fabrics available for outdoor furniture because of its attractive sheen and many of these fabrics are available in traditional designs. Cotton itself is particularly appropriate for outdoor furniture because of the comfort it offers in warm weather. It is probably still the most popular material for garden furniture cushions, largely because of the enormous choice of floral and geometric designs. Cotton fibres are sometimes mixed with those of Viscose. Cotton fabrics are printed either with vat dyes which are highly resistant to fading and the best of the pigment dyes are totally adequate for garden furniture use.
Of the man made fibres, acrylics are particularly durable. These fabrics are both rot and mould proof. The best known trade name for acrylics is 'Dralon' and there is a wide selection of attractive modern stripes. Dralon fabrics are both printed and dyed in the yarn. For lower priced merchandise the cushion covering is generally in a stitch bonded fabric.
All colours will in due course fade when exposed to strong light, but the high quality materials such as Dralon and vat dyed cottons are more resistant to fading.
A wide variety of different materials are used for the reverse side of the cushions. Some cushions are reversible featuring the same or even a different fabric. Most garden furniture cushions, however, are supplied with a special backing material which could either be a plain woven fabric or any one of a number of different plastic materials. The latter usually give better durability and are of course rot proof.
The cushions are filled with either block or chip foam. The block foam will sometimes be supplied with a polyester wadding which offers additional comfort. The chip foam cushions will either be buttoned or stitched to enhance their appearance.
As far as possible garden fumiture cushions should always be stored indoors when not in use and they should certainly never be left outdoors in the rain or damp. Most fabrics can be cleaned with a light application of upholstery shampoo and some can be dry cleaned. Manufacturers will usually enclose instructions to this effect.
