Velor remains the most common material for sofa upholstery. It very aesthetically fits into the home interior, is cozy, and gives a pleasant tactile sensation. Natural or artificial pile creates an incredible effect of color play on a streamlined coating.
In addition, it is quite practical material, but especially important advantage of velor is the ability to maintain its pristine appearance for a long time.
Characteristic and composition
The material is a dense and durable fabric with thick fibers. Often the product is used as a covering of wall panels - it looks very beautiful and spectacular due to the ability to overflow with shiny paints. The composition of the material uses natural, artificial or synthetic raw materials, as well as its combinations. Typically, cotton, viscose, polyamide, polyester are used in production. All these fabrics make velor upholstery incredibly strong, stable, and durable.
In addition, due to this composition, the presented material can please consumers with various color effects. For example, the following varieties of velor are especially popular.
- Smooth. It has a uniform structure, the pile is placed in an upright position.
- Shaped. It has a pronounced texture. The villi can be inclined, they are all fibers of different heights with a variety of colors.
- Printed. It is characterized by a bright color image.
- Embossed. In this case, the pattern is created by laying the pile in a different direction.This effect makes the material in appearance similar to more expensive fabrics, for example, crocodile skin.
- One-colored. One of the most expensive species. It has a uniform design.
On the whole, coming to a furniture store, it can be difficult for customers to distinguish velor from other furniture fabrics, for example, velvet or velveteen, only a professional can handle this. The main difference of the presented material is a very dense pile.
pros
Furniture fabric velor has the following advantages compared to other products.
- Elasticity. After a rather long time, the fabric remains in its original form, it does not stretch even in those places where it is in a particularly elongated state during operation.
- Aesthetics. This is a very beautiful option for upholstering a sofa or a set of wraps. Due to the above elasticity, the material can take any form, due to which the play of color will be even richer and more pronounced.
- Wear resistance. Ultraviolet rays are not afraid of such an upholstery. Velor copes with sun exposure and does not fade for a long time.
- Antistatic. Compared to textiles or wool, this fabric stores significantly less electricity.
- Practicality. In order for the sofa to remain in excellent condition for a long time, systematic dry cleaning and wet cleaning are enough.
- Environmental friendliness. The fabric fully meets all sanitary and hygienic standards. Cotton products are characterized by particularly high environmental friendliness. In addition, it is a hypoallergenic material.
- Strength. This material is anti-vandal, it will be difficult for cats and dogs to harm him.
Minuses
Before you purchase a sofa with velor upholstery, it is worth familiarizing with the disadvantages of this fabric.
- If coffee, tea, milk or something greasy gets on the material, then the stain can be removed only with the help of chemistry or thorough washing. In addition, the product does not have dust-repellent properties.
- If there are cats or dogs in the house, then the pile will quickly become clogged with wool. This is especially true for long-haired animals.
- The cost of velor often exceeds the average price for furniture fabrics, to a greater extent this applies to all-natural products.
Differences from Microfiber
Another fairly popular material that velor is often confused with is microfiber. Rather, it will be called fabric micro-velor. Its pile is quite short, the villi have a different direction, the material is characterized by high density. The breathable structure of the micro-velor absorbs moisture more slowly than other materials, and it can be managed to shake off before the stain is absorbed. This is the main difference between this fabric and others. In fact, the product is a synthetic microfiber with a Teflon coating that protects against moisture. By the way, this coating is completely invisible.
In addition, micro-velor is more durable. Unlike ordinary velor, it is more resistant to abrasion, tends to not accumulate dust and pollution. The strength and durability of the fabric is ensured by weaving in the form of microscopic honeycombs, while the production of classic velor uses a different technology.
How to choose?
Use some suggestions before you purchase a sofa with velor upholstery.
- Do not be alarmed when you see synthetics in the composition of the fibers. Materials with a high percentage of artificial pile have a longer service life than completely natural fabrics. Therefore, combined materials are more often used for upholstery of upholstered furniture.
- Refuse to buy velor if there are dogs with long hair in the house. Hair accumulates on the surface of the fabric just in those places where they are especially noticeable. If the owner of the dog still made the choice in favor of velor, it is recommended to use a cover or cape.
- If cats live in the house, then it is better to choose the Panda anti-vandal fabric.The material is velor of the highest category, there are no traces of cat claws on the canvas.
- Especially elegant look sofas with velor colors of noble stones. For example, a special chic will add emerald, ruby or sapphire to the home interior. The effect of the play of light visually makes such a sofa expensive and respectable.
- Think a few times before you buy a sofa upholstered in black velor. This color has the ability to absorb light, and therefore is not suitable for every interior.
- Pay attention to tissue density. Give preference to paintings with a complete lack of gaps. Pile should be uniform.
- Do not take the product with defects, bald spots, thinned areas on the surface.
How to care for velor?
Those who opted for a sofa with velor upholstery should be prepared for the fact that the furniture will require regular care. This fabric is not prone to repel dirt, so the spots will stick to it with enviable constancy. If the sofa is rarely used, for example, once a month, when many guests gather, then it is enough to vacuum it once a week or simply cover it with a cover.
However, even in this case, deep cleaning can not be avoided. The best option for caring for velor is to buy a steam generator. It will not only rid the product of dirt and dust, but also disinfect it and provide protection from germs for a while. In general, it is recommended to use a steam generator for cleaning furniture once a year, so as an option, you can simply order annual cleaning from professionals. Cleaning services are offered in any city, in the arsenal of these companies there are special tools, instruments and tools for cleaning upholstered furniture from velor
In addition, it is advisable for owners of velor cloths to purchase a special brush or roller for this material. The device will clean hard-to-reach areas. Consider a few more tips for caring for velor.
- Do not scrape or rub the spots that appear, this will violate the structure of the pile, just soak the dirty area in the detergent and carefully wipe the pile along the direction.
- Try to get rid of spots instantly, do not put it off “for the evening”. Then this process is greatly simplified.
- The best cleaning solution is a soap solution. A soft rag or sponge is recommended as a tool.
- To eliminate more serious contaminants, an alcohol solution (10%) should be used. Another way to remove the stain is to fill it with a mixture of soda and salt, and leave for several hours. We also allow the option of removing contaminants using a substance from water and soda.
- To clean velor, do not use products containing bleaches, alkalis, aggressive chemicals, otherwise the sofa will quickly become worthless.
Reviews
Most reviews of velor are positive. Consumers appreciate the practicality of such a sofa. For some he served for several decades, although many are inclined to believe that modern velor is still inferior in quality to the velor of past years. The beautiful appearance of the sofa remains for a long time, however, dust is noticeable on the armrests and inside the pile.
The need for frequent cleaning is noted, but some dispense with covers, opening the sofa only for the duration of the guests' visit. According to consumers, velor is very pleasant to the touch, but its durability and strength largely depend on the category of fabric and manufacturer.
More stable materials have an appropriate price, but they serve for a long time, and look like new for several years.
In the next video you will find recommendations on the correct layout for upholstering the bed with velor.