(Cedarbrook Gable-style Screened-in Porch with Washington style Vinyl railing in Ellicott City, MD)
Your custom outdoor living space looks great! But it isn’t ready for company until your space has been furnished and your décor is in place. Ensure your space has a good balance of seating and flow. Then you will decide what the best fabric is for your furniture. Here at Cedarbrook, we’ve compiled some of the more popular fabric materials below to help with this decision!
Outdoor cushions and pillows are usually made from synthetic fabric because of their durability. Natural fibers will fade and don’t fare well in the elements. When it comes to your fabric, you are going to want something comfortable, durable, and easy to clean. Some great synthetic and natural fabrics for your considerations would be:
Acrylic
Acrylic fabric is tough. It stands up to the elements, resists mold/mildew, is easy to clean, is breathable, and is water resistant. The fabric is dyed and then woven, giving it fade resistance.
Olefin
Olefin a synthetic fabric that’s less expensive than most acrylic fabric. It’s durable, fade resistant, easy to clean, and resists stains. It’s a great budget friendly choice!
Polyester
This synthetic fabric is woven, then dyed, giving it more vibrant colors. It’s coated with either acrylic or vinyl, making it tough. You find the acrylic coated fabric used primarily in accent pieces like pillows. Vinyl coated polyester is used in products where there is less skin contact. Polyester stands up to the elements and dries quickly but is better suited for shade since it tends to fade with exposure.
Canvas
There are three different types of canvas’ used with outdoor fabric; cotton canvas, duck cloth/canvas, and oil cloth/canvas. Cotton or Duck canvas should not be left outside unless treated. They will stain and are not mold or mildew resistant. The colors will also fade unless treated. Duck cloth/canvas is more tightly woven than cotton canvas, and oil cloth/canvas has been coated with linseed oil to make it water repellent.
Fabric Treatments
There are topical fabric treatments available that you can apply to make your product water resistant. Some offer stain resistance too. They are usually a spray and very easy to apply.
(Cedarbrook TimberTech Legacy Pecan deck with TimberTech Contemporary cable rail in Columbia, MD)
If you would like to learn more about Cedarbrook and our love of building outdoor living spaces, or would like to arrange for a free consultation, please call us at 301-703-8728.