Sustainable outdoor fabric to beat all weathers
Published on 10.12.2019
When manufacturing awnings, sails or screens, you often have to resort to using a lot of chemicals for the material to be able to survive outdoors. However, this may not be necessary in the future.
Fabric that is always outdoors takeS a lot of punishment: fluctuating temperatures, UV rays, sun, rain, snow and also the odd hailstorm. Conventionally, such fabrics are coated with a layer of different chemicals to provide adequate protection. This layer is water-repellent and makes the material resistant to the destructive effects of the weather, but it not exactly what you would call environment-friendly.
Kvadrat, a manufacturer of high quality fabrics, has managed to develop a new sustainable product in this field in the meantime.
Patio (link ) is a new, sustainable furniture fabric that textile specialists have designed especially for outdoor use. Designed by Karina Nielsen Rios, the material is made of a special, very sturdy Trevira CS yarn.
According to Kvadrat, Patio is the result of three years of intensive research. It is equipped with a fluorocarbon-free environment-friendly coating which is waterproof and dries quickly. It is also resistant to chlorine, sea water, artificial weathering and flame-retardant. As well as having different technical properties to standard outdoor fabrics, it also stands out thanks to its soft feel.
From a distance, Patio looks to be just one colour, but at close range you can see it has a discreet structure made up of two coloured threads in the warp and one in the weft. The greater the contrast, the more structured the fabric looks. Their rich range of colours also includes many natural and neutral shades, combined with some striking highlight colours.
As a sustainable fabric, Patio is suitable for any outdoor applications as well as for areas with high humidity and chlorine, e.g. spa areas and swimming pools. The fabric can be used not only for furniture but also for blinds, sunshades and umbrellas.
Innovative textiles also play a role in viscom fringe events on 9th January, 2020. Visitors can learn about what they can expect from high-end textile printing in a lecture by Joachim Rees from Multiplot, as digital textile prints are true multi-talents both indoors and out.
Images: Kvadrat
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