I'm not in the biz, so I'm ignorant and thought I'd cast about here for good leads before calling local dealers for recommendations.
Our sofa has suffered badly from the effects of UV exposure. I've applied filtering film to the windows and try to keep the blinds drawn as much as practical, but too late, and the sofa will stay where it is, so the fabric should be somewhat resistant. Any advice on fiber content or fabrics?
Many thanks.
Most manufacturers
now include that information on their websites for each fabric. Here's the info for Knoll's Classic Boucle, for instance:
Testing:
Wyzenbeek Published : 40,000+
Tensile Strength Weft : 227
Tensile Strength Warp : 328
Seam Slippage Weft : 66
Seam Slippage Warp : 58.5
NFPA 260 (UFAC) : Class I
Lightfastness 40 hrs : 5
That last one is what you're looking for, though you'd have find their key to terms (I think there's one somewhere) to find out what it actually means.
Maharam/Kvadrat's Hallingdall looks pretty good, comes in a jillion colors and wears well, and has that same 40 hour thing for lightfastness:
Performance
Abrasion: 100,000+ cycles, Martindale method
Flammability: This textile meets all appropriate flammability requirements for seating. See flame certificate for specific testing information.
Lightfastness: 40+ hours
So...I dunno. Hunt around. I would go by the manufacturer's ratings rather than anecdotal advice, since your sun exposure could be very different than someone else's.
http://www.knolltextiles.com/textiles/index
http://www.maharam.com/products/460760/skus/460760116
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