The Outdoors Blog
Hardware, Industrial and Manufacturing

Choosing marine fabrics wisely

March 13, 2015 by · Leave a Comment 

Written by Foam Factory, Inc.

When it comes to choosing fabrics for the marine environment, there are various factors that need to be considered. This particular type of environment is known to give rise to moisture and dirt along with accelerating the propagation of mildew which deteriorate fabrics further. All fabrics have limitations in one way or another. Before purchasing a marine fabric, it would be important to consider these limitations.

For outdoor fabrics, factors such as the retardancy, UV factor, cleanability and antimicrobial properties need to be considered. It is also important to determine whether it will be used close to fresh or salt water. Salt water poses an added challenge to fabric as it is abrasive and can even corrode fabrics.

Popular materials for marine environments are vinyls, polypropylene, rayon, synthetic leather or acrylic. Irrelevant of the fabric chosen for particular application, each one would be requiring different types of and specific care and maintenance. Cleaning instructions would need to be carefully followed.

For DIY custom cushions projects, the material chosen for the cover would vary depending on your preferences. Nylon has been used for decades in the marine environment. This type of fabric is quite lightweight. Linen also offers good stability and strength. This type of fabric is also quite pleasant on hot days as it does not hold heat. Faux leather is also suitable for the marine environment. Cotton, despite being soft and comfortable is quite prone to mildew and therefore might not be particularly suited for the marine environment.

Foam Factory, Inc. specializes in foam products for various applications such as packaging foam Canada and polyurethane foam sheets.

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