Difference between Upholstery Fabric & Curtain Fabric

Posted by michal1disuja on September 2nd, 2015

Upholstery fabric and curtain fabric are considered under one category namely decorative fabrics but they are differentiated with each other due to weight. That is why decorative fabrics have two kinds of weights, one is called upholstery weight and other is known as curtain weight. Weight difference of upholstery fabric and curtain fabric is due to the usage of different yarns and fibers in manufacturing process. Density is another feature of fabric which provides solid ground to make difference between upholstery fabric and curtain fabric. Even both categories of fabrics require different textile setups to manufacture because upholstery machinery is heavier than curtain machinery. Main purpose of upholstery fabric is to fulfill the requirement of feeling good when it is used to sit on purpose. Before deciding the color, style and texture customers prefer to determine the softness and durability of the upholstery fabric.

On the other hand curtain fabric has no such requirement of feeling, curtain fabric must be solid and does not matter which yarn has been used in it. In curtain selection people react according to their own choices. Some people prefer to have curtain with solid textures made of heavy yarn like wool. But it does not mean that curtain fabric must always be heavy, with the change in trend and season people shift on cotton fabric for curtains. Season does not impact deeply on selection of upholstery fabric as it influences the choice of curtains.

Now we talk about the durability of both upholstery and curtain fabrics. As compared to curtain fabric, upholstery fabric is manufactured from strong and heavy yarn because it has to face huge human activity. For example upholstery fabric on sofas has more human interaction as compared to curtains. Similarly dark and complex textures are available in upholstery fabric because it is not easy job to wash upholstery fabric or clean it to remove stains and dust.

In order to avoid frequent cleaning of upholstery fabric installed on furniture, people and professional decorative workers make selection of dark colors like grey, brown and silver. Curtains are easily washable at home if they are made of light weight fabric like cotton or PVC. Heavy curtains need same level of effort for cleaning which is required in case of upholstery fabric.

Another major difference in both kinds of fabrics is their life cycles. Upholstery fabric is purchased for a longer period and that is why huge money is spent on it while curtains are changed with respect to season, trend and personal choice. That is why people spend less money on curtains and select such curtain fabric which fetches discounts.

Another differentiating characteristic of upholstery fabric is back of the fabric which is kept thin and weaved threads remain loose for better adhesion with the foam or seats of upholstery. This adhesion is made to avoid the slipping and stretching of the fabric. This characteristic also makes impossible to wash such fabric or dry clean. For this purpose different solvents are used but curtain fabric has no such obligation.