The new Greenhouse Value Vinyls and Basics Faux Leather are not the vinyls of the early oughts. Most of us have a specific apparel or furniture item in mind when we think of vinyl or faux leather, and peeling is probably at the forefront. For texture-sensitive folks and upholsterers alike, that ranks pretty high on the “things we don’t like” list.
The good news is that PVC materials have come a long way since our earliest memories of them. Both the new Value Vinyls (F41) and Basics Faux Leather (F42) are contract grade materials and meet all of ACT’s certifications for contract upholstery fabrics. Value Vinyls have a 150,000 double rub abrasion rating, and Basics Faux Leather have a 100,000 double rub abrasion rating, but it’s important to note that number is just where they stopped counting, not when the material gave out.
Let’s explore some of the other ratings these unique materials have.
The Value Vinyls have a 4-5 rating for colorfastness to light, a 4-5 colorfastness to rubbing in both dry and wet applications, and a 4-5 rating for pilling resistance. The fire code for the Value Vinyls is NFPA 260, CAL 117.
The Basics Faux Leather have a 4-5 rating for colorfastness to light, and a 4-5 colorfastness to rubbing in both dry and wet applications. In addition to all that, they have the Endurepel Armour stain resistant coating. The fire code for the Faux Leather is UFAC 1, FMVSS 302.
According to ACT, a grade 4-5 represents slight to no fading under a Xenon-Arc lamp for 150 hours plus of continuous UV light. A grade 4-5 for the colorfastness to rubbing is essentially no color transfer, and a grade 4-5 for pilling is essentially no pilling. In short, these upholstery vinyls are at the top of the durability chart.
Another honorable mention for the Value collection when it comes to durability, are all the fabrics with the Endurepel coating and contract grade qualifications. You’ll find a wide variety of fabrics in the Value Colors, Value Blues, and Value Neutrals books have the Endurepel finish, and the majority of the fabrics in the Value Sofa book are contract grade upholstery fabrics. Endurepel Shield protects woven fabrics with an anti-stain and moisture repellant coating which lends itself to easy cleanability and odor protection. Breathability, hand, and features like fire retardancy remain unchanged with the Endurepel finish.
All this to say, for whatever your application needs, there’s probably a Greenhouse fabric for it. A lot of the most relevant information can be found on the bottom strips of the fabric in the books, and we provide basic specs on our website for each SKU. Some fabrics, like the Value Vinyl, will have an additional spec sheet you can download to see more detailed information about the durability and cleaning specifications for the product.
Happy upholstering!