Gone are the days when you had to rely on sticky and plastic furniture covers for your outdoor patio or deck. The available outdoor fabric in the market these days are far more advanced and stylish so you won’t have to compromise on style and durability. In fact, more designers are turning to outdoor performance fabric for decorating outdoors, as well as indoors.

The performance characteristics of an outdoor fabric are what set it apart from other fabric types in the market. It does not fade or stain easily, even when exposed to harsh environmental elements. They are also available in a diverse range of patterns, prints, and textures. Decorating your outdoor spaces is now more fun than ever before. Indeed, they are as luxurious and beautiful as the indoor fabrics.

What Makes Outdoor Performance Fabric Superior?

One of the most distinctive characteristics that outdoor fabric has is that they are made of solution-dyed fibers. For this type of fiber, the pigment and the polymer are blended and then go through a process that enables the fibers to attain a color.

This process enables you to clean the fabric with ease and also make it extra durable. Most yarns naturally repel or attract water or other types of moisture. But synthetic fabric is able to repel any kind of liquid. This makes them easier to clean, even with the use of bleach.

Terms You Need to Know When Shopping Outdoor Performance Fabric

There are many manufacturers of outdoor performance fabric nowadays. While it is good that there are more options now than ever before, it can also lead to confusion among shoppers. The following terms are something that you have to be familiar with in order to choose the right fabric for your intended outdoor use:

• Performance – This refers to any of the must-have qualities that an outdoor fabric must possess: UV-resistance, water-repellant, and durability. When all of these characteristics are present, only then can an outdoor fabric be considered of performance quality.
• Waterproof – This is an important characteristic that homeowners need to look for when buying outdoor performance fabric. It refers to the inability of liquid substances to penetrate into the fibers of the fabric. As such, this type of fabric is not breathable like cotton. It is best used for awnings and for cushion covers.
• Water-Resistance – Waterproof fabric should not be confused with water-resistant fabric. These two are not the same although they have similar properties. When a fabric is water-resistant, the water beads form on the surface of the fabric and are unable to penetrate into the fiber. As such, you can easily clean it and prevent moisture from causing damage to the fabric. The advantage of a water-resistant fabric (over waterproof ones) is that this one is far more breathable. You can use this type of fabric on the upholstery of your outdoor furniture or as drapery or other types of accent.

Have you tried shopping outdoor performance fabric? How did you go about choosing which fabric to buy?